Catherine, Princess of Wales, appeared in public on Saturday for the first time since her cancer diagnosis, smiling while riding in a carriage with her three children, as she took part in a ceremonial parade to Happy birthday to my father-in-law. , King Charles III.
Crowds gathered in central London to watch the princess and her family take part in an event steeped in military tradition, music and pageantry, obscured only by a light rain. Her appearance was welcomed as a sign that her health was improving and was a pivotal moment for the British royal family, which suffered another blow this year when King Charles announced that he also had cancer.
However, at late announcement on Friday that she was well enough to attend Saturday’s events, the princess made it clear that her recovery still had a long way to go.
Catherine, 42, said in a statement released to the media: “I am progressing well, but as anyone undergoing chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days ”. “On those bad days, you feel weak and tired and have to rest your body,” she added. “But on good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of that feeling of well-being.”
Catherine traveled with her three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – in a state carriage to watch the parade. The princess occasionally waved on the short carriage ride before moving to watch the ceremony from a vantage point indoors. She is also expected to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with the rest of the royal family to watch the Royal Air Force flyby.
Her husband, William, Prince of Wales, will ride in the events.
Catherine was hospitalized for abdominal surgery in January and until Saturday, she had not been seen at an official event this year. March, she said publicly that she was undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy.
In another sign of Catherine’s progress, her office said she had begun occasionally working from home and would meet with her official teams when she felt able. The princess also said in her statement that she hopes to engage in some public engagements over the summer, adding that she is “not out of the woods yet.”
Evidence of her recovery will be particularly welcomed by the royal family as her health problems coincide with those of King Charles, who was treated for cancer in January. He has begun to return to public life and last week he attended ceremonies in France commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that heralded the end of World War II.
On Saturday, Charles, who celebrated his 75th birthday in November, rode in a carriage instead of a horse, as is usual in the procession, known as Trooping the Color.
The event has been the official celebration of the monarch’s birthday for more than 260 years, based on a parade that begins at Buckingham Palace, then travels along the Mall, decorated with flags, to the Parade. Horse Guards Parade, a ceremonial parade site of St. . James’s Park, then return to the palace.
When the king arrived at the Horse Guards Parade, he would inspect the troops, who would be dressed in ceremonial uniforms of red tunics and bearskin hats. The celebration also included a 41-gun salute at Green Park.
The parade is expected to involve about 1,400 soldiers, 400 musicians and 200 horses. three from the Household Cavalry Regiment ran away and was injured in April during a training exercise.
