The Princess of Wales announced today that she will be joining Trooping the Color tomorrow to support King Charles at one of the most important events in the royal calendar.
Kate, 42, has been away from the public eye for several months after announcing that she was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer and began undergoing preventive chemotherapy.
The princess missed the Colonel’s Review, the traditional training for Trooping the Colour, last Saturday and questions were raised as to whether she would attend the annual event.
But today it has been announced that the mother will be by her husband’s side tomorrow, along with their three children, Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
It will be a huge boost for King Charles – who is also partially resuming royal duties while undergoing cancer chemotherapy – to have his ‘beloved daughter-in-law’ now.
To mark the news that Kate will attend, Kensington Palace has also released a stunning new portrait of the princess taken in Windsor this week by Matt Porteous which shows her looking beautiful and in a reflective mood.
It has been announced today that Kate will be taking part in Trooping the Color tomorrow. Above: The Duchess is pictured with her husband Prince William and their children Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George
The King has been at a garden party and visited charities after making encouraging progress with his treatment.
While it is understood that Kate’s arrival tomorrow does not signal a return to royal duties, she is certainly pleased with her father-in-law’s example – successfully managing public engagements with ongoing care.
In her statement today, she said she plans to ‘do a little work from home’ over the summer and hopes to ‘join in some public engagements over the summer’.
Following Kate’s cancer announcement, King Charles said he was “very proud of Catherine for her bravery” in speaking out about her journey with treatment.
“Her Majesty” is very proud of Catherine for having the courage to speak out as she did,’ Buckingham Palace said in March.
The pair also had a private lunch the day before Kate bravely announced her cancer diagnosis to the world, which left the King feeling ‘very emotional’.
Their close relationship with Kate was already in evidence when Charles and Camilla visited Kate at The London Clinic as she recovered from abdominal surgery earlier this year.
Following Kate’s cancer announcement, King Charles said he was “very proud of Catherine for her bravery” in speaking out about her journey with treatment. Above: The couple is pictured together in 2021
The Duchess of Cambridge and the Prince of Wales have shared many laughs together, including at this event at the Stanford Hall Defense Medical Rehabilitation Center in Loughborough in February 2020
Although the king is being treated in the same hospital, there is still an unusual break with royal traditions and his late mother, for example, does not usually visit the bedside of her husband Prince Philip and vice versa.
This is proof of how close the King is to his son-in-law, which is linked to his love of art.
The King reportedly thinks he did a ‘good’ job bringing George, Charlotte and Louis together, and will now spend more time with his son’s family now just a few minutes’ drive away from Windsor Castle.
Indeed, the King gave an insight into his high regard for Kate when he sweetly referred to the Prince and Princess of Wales in his keynote speech at the state wedding in Nairobi.
King Charles, 74, who was accompanied by Queen Camilla, recalled the engagement of Prince William and Kate in 2010 in Kenya.
He said: ‘Here, in the presence of Mount Kenya, my son, the Prince of Wales, proposed to his wife, now my beloved son-in-law.’
It will be a big boost for Charles to have a son-in-law tomorrow, given Kate’s popularity.
According to IPSOS, Kate is the most popular royal, with 69 percent voting for the Princess of Wales, followed by her husband, Prince William.
Close-up images, such as this photo from the Queen’s thanksgiving service at St Paul’s cathedral in June 2022, explain why Charles has repeatedly said the family is ‘lucky’ to have Kate.
He is also one of the most hard-working senior royals who will undertake 128 engagements in 2023.
In recent years, the balcony of Buckingham Palace seems to have grown bare, as King Charles opted for a ‘slimmed’ Monarchy.
During the reign of the late queen, around 40 royals showed their faces on the balcony to watch the flypast and wave to the well-wishers.
But in 2022, it was reduced to 18 and last year only 14 members of the Firm were cut.
In 2011, Kate made her debut on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in Trooping the Color as the Duchess of Cambridge, shortly after marrying Prince William and has remained at the event ever since.
The Duchess will ride in a carriage with her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis before appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside the rest of the royal family.
In the message, the Princess said she was ‘overwhelmed’ by all the messages of support and encouragement over the past few months.
“It has made a world of difference to William and me and has helped us through some difficult times,” she wrote.
In Kate’s message released today, she admitted she had ‘good days and bad days’ but she was ‘making good progress’ with her treatment.
Kate’s message also said: “On bad days, you feel weak, tired and you need to rest your body. But on good days, when you feel strong, you want to make the most of your health.
“My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months.
“On days I feel enough, I’m happy to be able to participate in school life, spend personal time on things that give me energy and positivity, and also start small jobs from home.
“I’m looking forward to attending the King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to be involved in some public engagements over the summer, but also know I’m not out of the woods yet.
‘I learned how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Take it one day at a time, listen to my body, and allow me to take the time I need to heal.
‘Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to everyone who has had the courage to share their stories with me.’
To mark the news of Kate’s upcoming visit, Kensington Palace has also released a stunning new portrait of the princess taken in Windsor this week by Matt Porteous which shows her looking well and in a reflective mood.