The Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties in Monochrome and Pearls

Less than three months after revealing she would be undergoing treatment for cancer, the Princess of Wales made a brief return to public duties on 15 June, appearing alongside Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis at Trooping the Colour. The event—staged annually along The Mall in London—is held in recognition of the reigning monarch’s formal birthday, a practice that dates back to the reign of King George III in the mid-18th century.

It has always served as a means for the royal family to see and be seen by the British public—riding to the Horse Guards Parade either on horseback or in carriages before assembling on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Kate Middleton made the surprise announcement that she would be joining the rest of the Windsors today on Friday evening, releasing a highly personal statement via Kensington Palace. “I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” she wrote. “On those bad days, you feel weak, tired, and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well. My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.” She hoped, she added, to “join a few public engagements over the summer,” while acknowledging that she isn’t “out of the woods yet”—meaning it’s highly unlikely that she will make an appearance at either Garter Day or Royal Ascot this year.

While Kate made a more daring fashion choice for Trooping the Colour in 2023, wearing shamrock-green tailoring by Andrew GN, she returned to monochrome for this year’s parade—just as she did for her first appearance on The Mall back in 2011. Today’s dress is a Jenny Packham design, adorned with a black-and-white ribbon and paired with a wide-brimmed hat by Philip Treacy. The Princess’s earrings, meanwhile, come courtesy of jeweler Cassandra Goad, and were previously worn by the royal at Prince Louis’s christening.