The Duchess of Cambridge made her first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis on Saturday, smiling as she rode in a horse-drawn carriage with her three children as she took part in a parade marking the birthday of her father-in-law, King Charles III.
Crowds gathered in central London to watch the princess and her family take part in military traditions, music and pageantry, although a light rain fell as the ceremony concluded, slightly dampening the celebratory atmosphere.
Her appearance was hailed as a sign that her condition was improving and marked a significant moment for the British monarchy, which suffered a further blow this year when King Charles announced that he too had cancer.
But while announcing late on Friday that she was well enough to attend Saturday's event, the princess made it clear that her recovery still required some time.
“I am recovering well, but as anyone undergoing chemotherapy knows, there are good days and bad days,” Katherine, 42, said in a press statement. “On the bad days I feel weak and tired and all I can do is rest,” she added. “But on the good days I feel better and want to make the most of it.”
Kate Middleton watched the military parade in a state carriage with her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. She waved occasionally during the short carriage ride and then watched the ceremony from an indoor vantage point. She then appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with her children and other members of the royal family to watch the RAF flyover, to cheers from the crowd.
Earlier, her husband, Prince William, a Colonel in the Welsh Guards, wore the ceremonial uniform of the Guards and rode on horseback, while the Princess Royal, a Colonel in the Irish Guards who played a key role in the parade, wore a white dress with black trim by Jenny Packham, a Philip Treacy hat, and an Irish Guards regimental brooch.
The Duchess was hospitalized in January for abdominal surgery and had not been seen at any official events this year until Saturday. In March, she publicly announced that she was undergoing preventive chemotherapy.
The princess's office said she has begun working from home occasionally and is meeting with her official team when she feels well — another sign of her recovery. The statement said she hopes to take part in some engagements over the summer, but added that she is “not out of the woods yet.”
Any evidence of her recovery will be especially welcome for the British royal family given that her health situation overlaps with that of King Charles, who was treated for cancer in January. The monarch has already begun to return to public duties, and last week attended ceremonies in France marking the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings that heralded the end of World War II.
Prince Charles, who celebrated his 75th birthday in November, rode in a carriage on Saturday instead of the usual horseback ride in what is known as a military flag march.
The official celebration of the monarch's birthday for over 260 years involves a parade starting from Buckingham Palace, proceeding along the flag-adorned Mall, and returning to the Palace via Horse Guards Parade, the ceremonial parade ground in St. James's Park.
Arriving at Horse Guards Parade, the King inspected soldiers dressed in ceremonial uniform of red tunics and bearskin hats, with Chancellor Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy among the spectators watching the elaborate military ceremony.
The celebrations also included the firing of a 41-gun salute in Green Park.
The parade involved approximately 1,400 soldiers, 400 musicians and 200 horses, including three from the Household Cavalry Regiment who had been wounded after fleeing during rehearsals in April.