Princess Catherine of Wales joins the royal family on the palace balcony, making her first public appearance since cancer diagnosis

The Mall, London
CNN
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Catherine, Princess of Wales, joined other British royals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to mark the king’s official birthday, his first public appearance since being diagnosed with cancer.

The Princess of Wales, her husband William, their children George, Charlotte and Louis gathered with King Charles and Queen Camilla to watch a Royal Air Force flypast. They waved and smiled at the crowd, which responded with cheers.

The princess, also known as Kate, was earlier driven from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in a state carriage with her children to watch the festivities. Trooping the ColourHe can be seen wearing the Irish Guards regimental brooch, alluding to his role as their Honorary Colonel.

The family were later spotted watching the event from a viewing spot, while Kate’s husband William, who is the Prince of Wales, was present on horseback.

For Kate, it was her first public appearance since Christmas – just weeks before she was diagnosed with cancer.

Kate stepped away from public duties in January after what Kensington Palace said at the time was surgery for a non-cancerous stomach condition. In March, amid speculation about her health, she revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer following the operation, and was undergoing treatment.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla were also carried from Buckingham Palace in a carriage, with a packed crowd cheering as they slowly made their way down the Mall. The king attended this year in a carriage rather than a horse due to his cancer diagnosis.

People of all ages gathered around the Mall for the event. Some spectators wore Union Jack bucket hats and fascinators, while others waved flags. Some also sang the national anthem.

Kate gave an update on his health on Friday, saying he is making “good progress” in his recovery process. But she added that she expects his treatment to last for a few more months and that “the situation is still not completely well.”

Trooping the Colour is a spectacular military spectacle in which 1,400 officers and soldiers, accompanied by 400 musicians and 200 horses, march through the streets of London from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade while crowds line the route.

The event – one of the highlights of the royal calendar – has been a tradition for more than 260 years to mark the official birthday of the British sovereign. However, Charles’ actual birthday is in November.

Britain’s kings and queens have been doubling up their celebrations since the 18th century, holding a public celebration – the official birthday – and a private ceremony on the actual date.

The tradition is believed to have begun in the time of the party-mad King George II in 1748. Like Charles III, George was also born in November, when the British weather is often not ideal.

Proving this point, as the events neared their end, the weather changed. The crowd waiting for the King to return to the palace was hit by heavy rain and strong winds. Some spectators had trouble keeping their umbrellas in place.

Speaking about Kate’s appearance on the balcony, David Betteridge, 66, told CNN that “she looked good, so hopefully that’s a good sign.”

“It was really good to see him back,” he said. “For the most part we stayed dry. But after the ceremony, when the parade was over, we got pretty wet. It rained really hard.”

Anna Yang, 30, who was visiting the U.K. from China, said she watched the flypast from her hotel. “It was amazing. It was our first time, even in our country, to see all the national planes flying through the sky,” she told CNN. “It was unbelievable.”

But anti-royalists also turned up, some of whom chanted “Shame on you” and “I have no king!”

This year’s proceedings have been adapted at a time when Charles, 75, continues to be treated for an unknown type of cancer.

Doctors are excited by his progress, allowing him to receive treatment. Resumption of public duties in April, but everything they do is reviewed and adapted where appropriate.

For Saturday’s events, he inspected the troops seated in the Ascot Landau carriage alongside Queen Camilla.

Three British Army Horses raced in London in April returned to duty and took part in this weekend’s birthday parade. According to the army, the two surviving horses are “enjoying summer holidays in the Chilterns” and will return to service in due course.