Until last weekend, Kate Middleton had been out of the public eye for six months, quite rightly focusing on her recovery following a shocking cancer diagnosis earlier this year. On Saturday 15 June, fans were delighted to see the Princess of Wales make her first public appearance at Trooping the Colour.
The Princess attended the event with Prince William and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to celebrate the King's official birthday. She was met with cheers from the crowds along The Mall as the family drove past in their carriage.
Ahead of the event, Kate said: "I'm looking forward to attending the King's Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet.
"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."
It's unclear whether Kate will be returning to royal life more regularly following her recent appearance, but there’s no denying that the matter has been a massive concern – not just for her loyal fans, but also for Kate herself, who’s had to compromise her dedication to duty and service this year while undergoing treatment.
According to insiders, the Princess of Wales understands just how important it is that she rests, recuperates and gets stronger in private – for her children’s sake, as much as her own. But still, there are pangs of guilt that are hard to shake, especially as she continues to miss public events and significant ceremonies that, in normal times, she’d be supporting front and centre. It was a relief, therefore, for fans to see her attend Trooping the Colour as normal.
The bottom line is, she’ll return to her normal duties when she’s ready. “Kate’s feeling incredibly torn right now,” says an insider close to the future Queen, who, until last Saturday, had last been seen in public at the traditional December 25th service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham alongside the rest of the royal family.
“She knows she needs to take this time out of the spotlight to focus on her health and be with her family, but there’s a part of her that feels as if she should get back to public duties – even if it’s just for the occasional appearance. She’s been so touched by the thousands of letters she’s received since her announcement, and the outpouring of support from all over the world. But at the same time, it’s also made her feel slightly guilty and even pressured into giving back to the public who have been so supportive.”
It's now three months since Kate directly addressed the public in a heart-wrenching video, in which she announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing preventative chemotherapy, adding that she and William “have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately
for the sake of our young family”. This shock news followed her pause from public life earlier in the year to undergo abdominal surgery (which was initially a non- cancerous issue).
At the time, it was said that she’d be returning to her royal day job after Easter. However, her subsequent cancer diagnosis understandably changed all that. Her recent appearance at Trooping the Colour was certainly a hopeful sign of things to come.