On June 15, the 42-year-old Princess of Wales and the 75-year-old King stood together on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the royal family’s appearance at the King’s birthday parade.
Throughout the event, Princess Kate and King Charles smiled and conversed with each other, accompanied by Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, and other family members.
“Family is really important to the Princess of Wales, and she wanted to be there to support her family,” a royal source said of Princess Kate’s decision to attend Trooping the Colour.
Both the Princess of Wales and King Charles are undergoing treatment for cancer, making Kate’s presence at Trooping the Colour particularly significant. This appearance marked her first public outing since announcing in March that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. Trooping the Colour is a historic tradition in Britain, honoring the monarch’s official birthday, and Kate showed her support for her father-in-law by attending.
This year has brought unprecedented challenges for the British royal family as both King Charles and Princess Kate navigate their illnesses, prompting speculation about the growing bond between Prince William’s wife and father.
“He has always had a very good bond with her,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith previously told PEOPLE about the relationship between the King and Kate. “I don’t think it is presumptuous to say that she is like the daughter he never had. He shares with William an impulse to protect her. They are in this together, Kate and the King.”
Princess Kate announced her plans to attend Trooping the Colour in a personal letter on June 14, and the King was “delighted” about her decision.
“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,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on June 14.
