Kate, Princess of Wales, makes first public appearance since cancer diagnosis
- The British royal rode in a carriage with her children before an annual military parade in London that marks the official birthday of the monarch, King Charles
Kate, Britain’s Princess of Wales, made her first public appearance on Saturday since surgery five months ago revealed the presence of cancer.
Kate rode in a carriage with her three children before the “Trooping the Colour”, an annual military parade near Buckingham Palace in central London that marks the official birthday of the British monarch, King Charles.
Crowds lining the streets waved and cheered as the carriage went past.
Charles rode in a separate carriage with Queen Camilla, followed by Prince William, Charles’ heir and Kate’s husband, who was on horseback along with other senior members of the royal family.
Kate, 42, has undergone preventive chemotherapy since the cancer announcement, and while treatment is continuing, her improved health meant she was able to appear in public for the first time since last December.
In a rare personal written message on Friday, she said she was making progress but was “not out of the woods”. She said she was looking forward to attending Saturday’s parade and hoped to join a few public engagements over the summer.
Kate spent two weeks in hospital in January after she underwent major abdominal surgery, and two months later she announced in a video message that tests had revealed the presence of cancer.
In her message on Friday, Kate said she had been “blown away” by thousands of kind messages from across the globe, which had made a world of difference to her and William.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” she said.
The statement was released on Kate’s social media channels alongside a photograph – taken earlier this week in Windsor, west of London – of the princess standing in front of a tree next to a river.
Her office, Kensington Palace, has declined to give any details about the type of cancer or about her treatment, other than to say preventive chemotherapy began in February.
Kate’s illness has coincided with that of Charles, 75, who has also been undergoing treatment for cancer. He returned to public duties in April, and has remained busy, although his diary commitments are being limited to minimise risks to his recovery.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” Kate said in her statement.
Kate, married to heir-to-the-throne Prince William and mother to their three young children, noted that she has started to do “a little work from home” on days when she “feels well enough”.
“It is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity,” she added.
“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.”
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
