Catherine, Princess of Wales, made a tentative return to UK public life on Saturday for the first time after being diagnosed with cancer. She attended a military parade in London to celebrate King Charles IIIās official birthday.
Known as Kate, she rode in a state carriage with her three children at the beginning of the event and watched the ceremonial proceedings from a viewing point.
The 42-year-old future queen then appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony, greeted by cheers from the audience below, despite the heavy rain.
This appearance came nearly three months after Kateās announcement of undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Her last public engagement was a Christmas Day service last year.
In a statement on Friday, Kate mentioned that she was progressing well with her treatment, but still had a few more months to go. She expressed her excitement about attending the Kingās Birthday Parade with her family and participating in public engagements over the summer.
Kateās cancer disclosure followed shortly after the announcement of Charles, the British head of state, also being diagnosed with the condition. The type of cancer for both individuals remains undisclosed.
ā āOur future queenā ā
Charles, aged 75, resumed his public duties in April after receiving positive reports from his doctors. His first engagement after that was meeting with staff and patients at a London cancer treatment center.
In a recent event in northern France commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Charles participated from a carriage alongside Queen Camilla, in contrast to previous years where he inspected troops on horseback.
At the Trooping the Colour event, Prince William, Charlesās elder son and heir, rode on horseback in military uniform, while Kate arrived with him in a car, along with their children.
The parade concluded with a Royal Air Force fly-past featuring various aircraft, including the Red Arrows display team.
Media outlets highlighted Kateās return on their front pages, with headlines like āSuper Trooperā and āOur Fair Lady lifts nationās spiritsā.
ā āSo importantā ā
Spectators and fans welcomed Kateās reemergence, emphasizing her importance as the future queen and finding her return reassuring.
Royal officials emphasized managing expectations regarding Kateās gradual return to public engagements, based on her treatment and recovery progress.
Trooping the Colour, a longstanding British tradition marking the sovereignās official birthday, saw heavy rain this year, along with some unusual incidents like military horses bolting in a previous event.
The parade also faced a security operation and protests from anti-monarchy group Republic, as the festivities continued amidst the weather challenges.
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