Kate Middleton officially returned to the Buckingham Palace balcony at the 2024 Trooping the Colour parade on Saturday following her abdominal surgery and subsequent cancer diagnosis in March.
The Princess of Wales, 42, was initially spotted standing beside Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis looking at the pageantry below.
Moments later, during the Flypast, she stood beside her husband, Prince Wiliam, her children, King Charles III and Queen Camilla, among other members of the royal family.
As planes flew overheard, they all waved towards the crowds below.
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Before that, royal fans saw Middleton being driven to the parade in a car along with her children and William.
While Middleton was originally not expected to attend the Trooping the Colour parade — which celebrates the official birthday of the British Sovereign, King Charles III — she pleasantly surprised fans Friday when she confirmed she would make her return to public-facing duties at the event.
“I’m looking forward to attending the king’s birthday parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet,” she said in a statement that included new photos of her taken in Windsor, England.
“I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.”
The exciting news came weeks after an insider told Vanity Fair Middleton was “doing a lot better” following her diagnosis.
Little has been divulged about her health since she announced she had cancer in March, but fans got an idea when Easter came and went and she had not returned to her official duties.
William, however, went back to work in April after a brief hiatus when he visited the nonprofit organization Surplus to Supper in Surrey, England.
He gave a small update regarding his wife’s well-being while visiting northern England on April 30, where he responded to a concerned fan who asked how she and their children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 6 — were doing.
“All doing well, yes, thank you. All doing well,” he replied.
Middleton’s last official public appearance was on Christmas Day when she joined her family for a church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England.
Just weeks later, Kensington Palace announced she underwent a “planned abdominal surgery.”
“The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” the official statement noted.
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However, People swiftly reported that although Kensington Palace claimed the surgery was planned, the mother of three kept most of those closest to her in the dark about her health, with a source claiming “there had been no indication that anything was wrong” with her.
As Middleton remained out of the spotlight, conspiracy theories about her whereabouts grew — with some fans even claiming she used a body double for a photo of her smiling with William captured at a farm shop on March 16.
On March 22, the mother of three addressed the public and revealed she had been undergoing treatment for cancer.
“It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I am going to be OK,” she explained in her announcement video — which did not include Prince William, 41.
“As I have said to them, I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that
will help me heal, in my mind, body and spirits.”
