Kate, Princess of Wales, appears in public for the first time since being diagnosed with cancer
Catherine, Princess of Wales, appeared in public on Saturday for the first time since her cancer diagnosis, smiling as she sat in a carriage with her three children as they took part in a ceremonial parade to mark the birth birthday of her father-in-law, King Charles III.
Crowds gathered in central London to watch the princess and her family take part in an event steeped in military tradition, music and pageantry, mitigated only by a light rain that turned into a downpour. water when the ceremony ends.
Her appearance was welcomed as a sign that her health was improving and was a pivotal moment for the British royal family, which suffered another blow this year when King Charles announced that he also had cancer.
However, at late announcement on Friday that she was well enough to attend Saturday’s events, the princess made it clear that her recovery still had a long way to go.
Catherine, 42, said in a statement released to the media: “I am progressing well, but as anyone undergoing chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. terrible”. “On those bad days, you feel weak and tired and have to rest your body,” she added. “But on good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of that feeling of well-being.”
Catherine rode with her three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – on the state carriage to watch the parade. She waved occasionally on the short carriage ride before moving to watch the ceremony from a vantage point inside the house. The crowd then cheered as she appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with her children and other members of the royal family to watch the Royal Air Force flyby.
Before that, her husband, William, Prince of Wales, colonel of the Welsh Guards, wore their ceremonial uniform and rode on horseback. The Princess, colonel of the Irish Guards, who played a prominent role in the parade, wore a white dress with black trim by Jenny Packham, a hat by Philip Treacy and the Irish Guards Regiment brooch.
Catherine was hospitalized for abdominal surgery in January and until Saturday, she had not been seen at an official event this year. March, she said publicly that she was undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy.
In another sign of her progress, her office said she has begun occasionally working from home and will meet with her official teams when she feels able. The princess also said in her statement that she hopes to engage in some public engagements over the summer, adding that she is “not out of the woods yet.”
Evidence of her recovery will be particularly welcomed by the British royal family, as her health problems coincide with those of King Charles, who was treated for cancer in January. He was arrested. began returning to public life and last week he attended ceremonies in France to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that heralded the end of World War II.
On Saturday, Charles, who celebrated his 75th birthday in November, rode in a carriage instead of on horseback, as is usual in the procession, known as Trooping the Color.
The event has been the official celebration of the monarch’s birthday for more than 260 years, based on a parade that begins at Buckingham Palace and then travels along the Mall, decorated with flags, to the Parade. Horse Guards Parade, a ceremonial parade of St. James, before returning to the palace.
After arriving at the Parade of the Guards, the king reviewed the troops, who wore ceremonial uniforms of red tunics and bearskin hats. Among the spectators watching the elaborate military ceremony were Chancellor Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty.
The celebration also included a 41-gun salute at Green Park.
The parade includes about 1,400 soldiers, 400 musicians and 200 horses – including three from the Household Cavalry Regiment ran away and was injured in April during a training exercise.
