Kate Middleton returns to public life after cancer diagnosis at Trooping the Color

The Princess of Wales made a triumphant return to public life amid her cancer treatment and joined the royal family to celebrate the King’s official birthday. Kate and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, were cheered by crowds on The Mall as they left Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession for the Trooping the Color ceremony.

After spending much of the year coming to terms with her diagnosis and ongoing chemotherapy, the future queen looked relaxed as she traveled down one of London’s most famous thoroughfares with her family in the glass coach. Her appearance was in doubt after she missed the final Trooping rehearsal last weekend, but with the King also suffering from cancer, the display of military pomp and pageantry became a symbolic statement for the monarchy after a period of uncertainty.

She was surrounded by other family members, with her husband, the Prince of Wales, Colonel of the Welsh Guards, on horseback, as was the Princess Royal, Colonel of the Blues and Royals, and the Duke of Edinburgh, Colonel of the Scots. The King also rode in a carriage with the Queen, a departure from last year due to his illness, and will inspect the officers and guards at the Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall from a coach rather than a horse.

Kate said in a statement on Friday that she was making “good progress” with her treatment, but was honest about having “good days and bad days” and although she has been working from home, she said “I’m not out of the woods yet” . . The support from the public has made a deep impression on the princess, who said she was “overwhelmed” by the “kind messages” which made “a world of difference to me and William and helped us both through some of the the hardest”. times”.

She was greeted by a sea of ​​faces as the royal party turned from The Mall into Horse Guards Parade, with the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence together in a carriage, while the Duchess of Edinburgh traveled in she in a coach. daughter of Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and the Duke of Kent.

The royal party was in the midst of a mounted escort of a sovereign, consisting of troops from the Household Cavalry Life Guards and the Blues and Royals. In the back row was Tennyson, one of five horses injured when they ran through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise.

In a change from last year, Kate did not join senior family members on a dais, but watched the show from the Duke of Wellington’s former office with her children. Charles is the Colonel-in-Chief of the Household Division regiments which include the Life Guards, Blues and Royals and all five regiments of Foot Guards – Welsh, Scots, Irish, Coldstream and Grenadier – on official birthday parade alongside horseback. Household Cavalry troop and massed Foot Guard troops.

The military pageant, also known as the Nativity Parade, is a gift from the Household Division, and Charles first attended in 1951 at the age of three, riding in a carriage with his grandmother, the Queen Mother, and his aunt, Princess Margaret, and first rode as Colonel of the Welsh Guards in 1975.

Trooping the Color is a social as well as a ceremonial occasion, and the stands overlooking the parade ground were packed with approximately 8,000 spouses, girlfriends and parents of the guardsmen and officers on parade.

It featured over 1,250 soldiers and hundreds of guards lined the parade ground, waiting to be inspected by the king in his carriage with Camilla, colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and joined by the royal colonel on horseback.

The Colour, or regimental flag, to be sent in the troops will be the King’s Color of No. 9 Company, Irish Guards. When the royal carriages finally stopped, Louis left first, followed by his older brother George and sister Charlotte.

Finally, Kate stepped down wearing a Jenny Packham dress, Philip Treacy hat and Irish Guards regimental brooch as she is the regiment’s colonel. As he began his inspection of the guards in their scarlet tunics and bearskins, the king glanced at the soldiers who fight soldiers when they are not performing ceremonial duties.

Sitting next to him in the carriage was the Queen wearing a pale green silk crepe dress and coat by Anna Valentine, Philip Tracey hat and her Grenadier Guards military brooch.

During the performance, the color was first in the ranks of the soldiers before the guards passed the king, first slowly, then quickly, the king acknowledging the “right eye” command with a salute.

For the first time in more than 100 years, soldiers on parade were allowed to have beards. The rule change, which applies across the military, was approved by the king earlier this year after facial hair was only allowed for religious, medical or role-specific reasons.