BEAMING Princess Kate stood side by side with King Charles on Buckingham Palace’s balcony this afternoon as they waved to cheering crowds.
Adoring fans erupted as the Royals stepped out for the monarch’s birthday in Kate‘s first public appearance since Christmas.
It was the first time Princess Kate had attended a royal event since she and Charles were diagnosed with cancer.
It comes as…
- Lip reader reveals what Prince George said to mum Kate
- Cheeky Prince Louis has tried opening a palace window
- Charlotte playfully tells little brother Prince Louis to ‘stop’
- King Charles has braved the pouring rain to salute troops
- Kate shares adorable behind-the-scenes footage
The pair stood tall at each other’s sides this afternoon, waving to thousands of well-wishers who braved the wet weather to get a glimpse of them.
The day had been plagued by rain but downpours couldn’t dampen Kate’s shine as she beamed alongside Prince William and their kids.
Fans watched on in awe as the Princess joked and laughed with Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Prince Louis.
What is Trooping the Colour?
Trooping the Colour or ‘The King’s Birthday Parade’ is a military ceremony which dates back to the early eighteenth century or earlier, when the colours (flags) of the battalion were carried (or ‘trooped’) down the ranks so that they could be seen and recognised by the soldiers.
Since 1748, this parade has also marked the Sovereign’s official birthday.
The honour to Troop their Colour rotates through the five regiments of Foot Guards, and this year it lies with Number 9 Company Irish Guards.
The Irish Guards were raised by Queen Victoria in 1900 and have provided almost 125 years of service to the nation.
This year marks the second Trooping the Colour of His Majesty’s reign.
The King attended his first Trooping the Colour in 1951, aged three, riding in a carriage with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and aunt, Princess Margaret. The King first rode in the parade as Colonel of the Welsh Guards in 1975.
And when they stepped out on the balcony alongside the rest of the Royal Family, crowds roared.
Kate was seen beaming ear to ear alongside “devoted” Wills, with their children mirroring them.
Sweet Princes George and Louis waved with two hands to crowds with their sister at their side.
They all watch on as more than 30 aircraft took to the skies as part of the celebrations – with the RAF Red Arrows making a touching tribute to a fallen officer.
Kate and Wills stood chatting away to each other on the balcony, while cheeky Louis pulled faces.
In another sweet snap, William appeared to be playing with his youngest son’s ears.
Kate stunned in white as she arrived at Trooping the Colour in a car this morning alongside Wills.
She waved to the thousands who lined the Mall to catch a glimpse of her and other royals for the King’s big day.
They rode in the Glass Coach to Horse Guards Parade before heading back to Buckingham Palace.
Royal fans watched on as Kate and her children chatted away.
But, they had to don their raincoats and pop up their umbrellas as the wet weather set in.
Kate and her children could be seen wiping the windows of the carriage clear of fog as it rolled along the Mall in the pouring rain.
Gaby Lane told The Sun Kate and William’s eldest “looked so happy” as the family waved and smiled at fans during the procession.
It was the first royal event since Christmas – and her cancer diagnosis – for the Princess.
Kate could be seen ushering her children around and chatting to Prince Louis as they peeked out a window.
Fans also spotted the adorable moment Charlotte playfully told her brother Louis to “stop” as he danced along to music.
The lovable young royal’s excitement got the better of him, and he was snapped bopping to a beat.
But, his older sister was quick to remind him it was not the time for dance.
Fans had been gathering at the Mall all morning, hoping to see the Princess.
Royal fans share their joy at seeing Kate's return
IT WAS pouring with rain as I joined crowds moving from Charing Cross Station towards the Mall around 9.30 this morning.
A street vendor was selling umbrellas – plain black or with a Union flag pattern – for £8. He was making a killing. I bought one too.
Security staff in see-through waterproof ponchos were directing people down the steps ahead of the Duke of York statue.
Some people stayed on the steps for a better view above the crowds.
It stopped raining briefly before the procession began down to Horse Guards. Two men in mock Irish Guard uniform were handing out leaflets and posing for photos with tourists outside the Institute of Contemporary Arts.
Isabel Parker, a 24-year-old therapist from Boston, US, had travelled from Amsterdam this morning and landed around 8.30am at Heathrow, then raced over for the procession.
“I changed my flight a little bit earlier to be here,” she said, backpack on and holding a coffee cup.
“I just saw that it’s happening and Kate’s coming. I really admire the way she’s handling the treatment and maintaining her privacy.
“I respect her maintaining her poise and elegance. It’s important that she’s able to do these events, as long as she’s well.”
She added: “I landed about an hour and a half ago and dashed here. I’m very tired but London is lovely.”
Reema Dudehula and Kareen Budhrani, both 26, from Singapore, had ventured down after hearing about the event by chance.
Kareen works in London but friend Reema has been visiting from the pair’s homeland of Singapore for the past three weeks.
Reema said: “We only found out it’s the king’s birthday yesterday.”
Kareen added: “On my work calendar it always has the King’s birthday. It’s integrated with the Google calendar, so I thought what’s going on for it?
“This is unfortunate on his birthday,” she said of the rain.
Both agreed their favourite royal is the late Princess Diana.
Referring to Kate’s return to duty, Reema said: “I’ve not been too invested but I did hear a lot about the chatter about her disappearance.
“It was quite a sensation on social media. I just hope she’s well.”
Looking at the rain, she added: “Is this usually how your summer is?”
Moving around the lines of royal fans, some people commented that it wasn’t as busy as they expected this year, putting it down to the rain meaning local Londoners may not have been as keen.
Others said they were pleased with how many toilet facilities there were.
Teenage major royalist Ben McLean told me it had been 33C last year and everyone had been sweating.
The crowd ‘ooo’d’ as an unruly horse bucked its rider about a little ahead of the King’s carriage.
And they roared and whooped as Kate went past.
Listening to onlookers, many were gushing over Camilla and how good it was to see her.
She got nearly as much praise as the Princess of Wales.
Ben, 15, from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, was right at the front by the railings with his mum and friends.
They had several Union flags and were sitting on camp chairs.
“It was very cool to see Kate on her first engagement since December, especially with all the conspiracy theories,” Ben said.
“We were expecting the carriage to be open top but because of the rain I guess they closed it.”
However, he said his favourite royal is Queen Camilla, describing her as “very hardworking”.
On seeing the carriages go by, he said he believes King Charles smiled and pointed at his group’s display of flags up.
“Last year was very hot, we were sweating,” he recalled.
Married couple Daigo, 52, Rie Nakauura, 56, originally from Japan, had previously called London home and had returned for the procession and to visit the Cotswolds.
They now live in Singapore.
Daigo said: “It was very nice to see Kate, we didn’t expect it. She looked very well. We’re just happy to be here for the event. We are very big fans.”
Asked if any of the royals waved back, he said: “I don’t know, she (Rie) was concentrating so much on the video we will have to watch back what actually happened.”
Sara Makhoul, 23, and Nicolas Chauveau, 25, students from Paris, had, like Isabel, rushed in by plane to see Kate but missed her.
Sara said: “We flew here very early in the morning, we just arrived.
“I can’t believe we missed it. It was raining in Paris when we left too.
“It was great that Kate was able to take part, we heard people cheering. We just made it to the front.”
Meanwhile, Spanish friends Eva Urbano, 34, Rosa Ordonez, 32, and Elvira Herrera, 34, are visiting London for three days, having arrived last night.
They just happened on the parade while wandering around nearby.
Eva, an engineer, said: “We arrived yesterday evening. We are just visiting and we found this event just by chance.
“London is very rainy, it is not the sort of weather we’re used to. It was 30C when we left, very sunny.
“We didn’t know Kate was coming back today but we heard people talking, so it’s very exciting.”
A couple who’d travelled from Essex struggled to see from a few rows back and joked they needed to erect big screens or that they should have just watched it at home.
They left before the King came back towards Buckingham Palace.
By then it was lashing down with rain, and people were sheltering wherever they could. Under the lip of the canopy outside the ICA and Royal Society, under trees.
People jumped as thunder struck just as Charles made his return ride – then they cheered before filing inside the ICA’s cafe.
*See photos of everyone we spoke to at the bottom of the page
The King appeared regal as he gave a royal salute in his first Trooping since his cancer diagnosis.
Princess Anne also held a starring role today– which had a touching link to her brother.
The Princess Royal appeared to have trouble with her horse at one point, but managed to keep it under control.
Prince William, who looked dapper in his red Irish Guards uniform, proudly donning medals on his chest, beamed at crowds, too.
Thousands of fans started lining the streets this morning to catch a glimpse of the royals.
Well-wishers held Union flags high as they squished together along the Mall – donning crowns and fascinators atop their heads.
The streets were coloured red, white and blue, as fans waited patiently to see the Princess of Wales.
Kate announced on Friday she would step back into the public eye for the Monarch’s birthday celebrations after months of undergoing cancer treatment.
The brave Royal said she would ride in a carriage with her children, and stand with the King, Heir and other royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Despite her appearing at today’s event, Kate said she was still not “out of the woods”.
She admitted she would still have to undergo a few more months of treatment.
The Mall packed out this morning, as security scoured the area.
Cardboard cutouts of Kate and the King were held high by well-wishers – some of whom were dressed to the nines.
Some fans proudly wore plastic crowns atop their heads, while others dressed in blue, red and white.
Many donned raincoats and held umbrellas as they braved for a damp day.
Jane Ing said she had travelled from Yorkshire with her husband and a pal to watch the procession through the Mall.
The 61-year-old said: “The ceremony is part of our heritage.
“It’s an iconic parade and exhibition of our royal family that we should be proud about and come to support.”
Duty & family mean everything to Kate
By ARTHUR EDWARDS, Sun Royal Photographer
THE Royals were one big happy family on the Buckingham Palace balcony as the Princess of Wales made an emotional one-off appearance.
This was a brave return to public life for Catherine, who has valiantly battled cancer for the last three months.
She did not have to be at Trooping the Colour and no one would have blamed her for staying away.
But she still chose to attend.
It is a measure of just how much her duty and family mean to her.
I have not seen the Princess of Wales in person since her last public engagement on Christmas Day, more than six months ago.
Yesterday she looked very well and, crucially, very healthy too.
While the photo released on Friday by Kensington Palace was a solemn snap, yesterday Catherine beamed with joy – her smile will undoubtedly warm the nation’s heart.
Accompanied by William, who has soldiered on alone while supporting his sick wife, and her adorable children, the whole group looked relaxed and united throughout one of the most important days of the year for the Royal Family.
It was also lovely to see Catherine exchanging words with her father-in-law King Charles.
Both of them battled hard to return to their duties and even through a long lens you can tell they have genuine warmth for each other.
The only downside was the classically British weather.
It was cold.
It was wet.
My jacket and my camera were soaked.
Next Thursday will be the longest day of the year but the driving rain made me feel like I was in the middle of January.
Yet the moment the Princess emerged to wave and smile, it made bearing the downpour worthwhile.
There were a lot of smart outfits on show – it was a military parade after all – but the Princess of Wales’ stunning white dress was a cut above everyone else’s.
Almost every camera there was fixed on her and with exceptional taste she picked out a dress that could be seen down The Mall by thousands of well-wishers.
This was a remarkable return by a remarkable woman and I’m sure it would’ve meant the world to have her family by her side.
So it’s no surprise that she didn’t stop smiling throughout.
Jane added it was “lovely” that Princess Kate would be there.
Proud husband Wills said yesterday that he was “pleased” Kate was returning to work and the projects that “are important to her”.
A spokesman for the Heir said: “The Prince is pleased to see the Princess starting to engage with the work and projects that are important to her.
“He will continue to focus his time on supporting his wife and children, while continuing to undertake his public duties.”
What is The Glass Coach?
The Glass Coach, which Princess Kate travelled in today, was built in 1881 and purchased for the Coronation of George V in 1911.
The Glass Coach has been used most famously at many royal weddings. It carried Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, in 1947 to Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace on her wedding day.
In 2012, it was also used to convey Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh to and from Horse Guards Parade for Trooping the Colour.
When not in use, the coach is normally on public display in the Royal Mews.
Charles was also “delighted” that his daughter-in-law will make her return on his big day.
The Monarch said: “His Majesty is delighted that the Princess is able to attend tomorrow’s events, and is much looking forward to all elements of the day.”
The mum-of-three had not been seen with the Royal Family since Christmas Day last year at Sandringham.
She was taken into hospital for planned abdominal surgery in January and spent 13 nights at the London Clinic before continuing her recovery at home with her family.
Days later, Kate bravely released a video revealing “tests after the operation found cancer had been present” and that she had started preventative cancer treatment.
The Princess said the diagnosis had come as a “huge shock” – but vowed: “I am well and getting stronger every day”.
Ahead of Trooping the Colour today, she said: “I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months.
“It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days.
“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.”
Kate also told how her treatment is “ongoing and will be for a few more months” as she revealed she is “not out of the woods yet”.
But she told how it is a “joy” for her to still engage with school life and spend time “on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home”.
She added: “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.
“Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.”
Timeline of Kate's health battle & recovery
JAN 16: Kate is admitted to the London Clinic for abdominal surgery
JAN 17: Kensington Palace announce the princess underwent surgery
JAN 18: William spends time at Kate’s bedside
JAN 23: The princess’ hospital stay passes one week
JAN 29: Kate leaves hospital
FEB 27: Prince William pulls out of service last-minute due to ‘personal matter’, sparking wave of unfounded conspiracy theories about Kate’s health
MAR 4: Princess pictured in the car with mum Carole on the Windsor estate
Mar 10: Royal posts a sweet snap of her and the kids for Mother’s Day – then fans started spotting flaws, and massive agencies put out ‘kill notice’ on photo
Mar 11: Kate admits she edited photo, and is snapped in car with William
Mar 16: Royal fans spot the princess at farm shop near Windsor
Mar 17: Onlookers see Kate watching her youngsters playing sport
Mar 18: The Sun exclusively published video of Kate and Wills from two days prior
Mar 22: Kate bravely reveals in an emotional video that she was given a shock cancer diagnosis
April 29: Kate and William mark 13th anniversary releasing unseen wedding photos
June 8: Kate does not attend Colonel’s Review but letter she penned to Irish Guards reveals she said: “I do hope that I am able to represent you all once again very soon”
June 14: Kensington Palace announces the princess will attend the King’s Birthday Parade