Britain showcased a grand display of birthday celebrations on Saturday in honor of King Charles III, featuring a military parade that included the first public appearance of the Princess of Wales since her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
The annual event also symbolized the monarchy’s stability after a period during which both the king and Kate, the wife of Prince William, the heir to the throne, had been undergoing cancer treatment.
Kate, along with other members of the royal family, stood on a Buckingham Palace balcony at the conclusion of the King’s Birthday Parade. Crowds outside the palace, along with the royal family, witnessed a flyby of military aircraft as the final part of the ceremonies commemorating the monarch’s official birthday.
Prior to the event, Kate announced her attendance at the royal birthday celebrations after making progress in her treatment. In March, she revealed that she was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. This appearance at the parade marked her first public outing since December.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone undergoing chemotherapy knows, there are good days and bad days,” Kate stated, mentioning that she still has a few more months of treatment ahead.
The 42-year-old princess traveled in a horse-drawn carriage from Buckingham Palace down the Mall with her children George, Charlotte, and Louis. Onlookers cheered as they caught a glimpse of Kate, elegantly dressed in a white outfit by designer Jenny Packham and a Philip Treacy hat.
While watching the ceremony with her children from a building overlooking the Horse Guards Parade, Louis seemed lively, though mostly watching attentively.
Despite the engagement, Kate emphasized in her statement that she is “not out of the woods yet,” and authorities clarified that her appearance does not indicate a full return to public life.
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The parade, known as Trooping the Color, is a highly anticipated event each June, starting with a grand procession involving horses, musicians, and hundreds of soldiers in ceremonial attire from Buckingham Palace.
Prince William, donning his military dress uniform, rode on horseback for the ceremony, witnessing troops in ceremonial uniforms parading past the king with their regimental flags. The tradition of precision marching and martial music dates back to when a regiment’s flag served as a rallying point in battle.
Charles, currently undergoing treatment for cancer, traveled in a carriage with Queen Camilla instead of riding on horseback this year. He reviewed the troops from a platform on the parade ground, saluting as elite regiments of Foot Guards paraded past.
Among the five regiments parading their colors, the Irish Guards, of which Kate is the honorary colonel, led this year’s procession. The soldiers, dressed in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats, were accompanied by their mascot, an Irish wolfhound named Seamus.
Charles, aged 75, disclosed his cancer diagnosis in February and has gradually resumed public duties. He recently attended commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
While Saturday marked the official birthday celebration, the real birthday of the king is in November, following the tradition of Queen Elizabeth II. The date for the official birthday in June was chosen due to favorable weather conditions, though London experienced a mix of sunshine and rain during the event.
The rain held off for most of the ceremony but started pouring down as the troops escorted the royal carriages back to Buckingham Palace, cheered on by wet but enthusiastic crowds.
Spectators, including both royal enthusiasts and anti-monarchist protesters, lined the route well in advance, witnessing a grand display involving soldiers, musicians, and horses. Noteworthy participants included Trojan, Tennyson, and Vanquish, three of the military horses that caused chaos in London when they ran loose in April.
The horses had bolted during routine exercises near Buckingham Palace, creating havoc in the streets before being captured. The army reported that the horses are recovering and expected to return to duty.
