As she continues her gradual return to royal duties following her cancer recovery, the Princess of Wales is set to make a high-profile appearance next week at a significant event she was unable to attend last year.
On Monday, March 10, Kate will join Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Princess Royal, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London.
Observed by millions across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Americas, the Pacific, and Europe, Commonwealth Day is an annual celebration that highlights the unity and shared values of the 56 member nations. This year’s theme, Together We Thrive, honors the “enduring spirit of the Commonwealth family.”
King Charles, as Head of the Commonwealth, traditionally delivers an annual address. Last year, however, he pre-recorded his speech after stepping back from public duties for three months. Both Charles and Kate missed the event in 2024 due to their respective cancer diagnoses.
At the time, Kate’s illness had not been publicly disclosed, though she was recovering from major abdominal surgery in January. Queen Camilla and Prince William led the royal family at the service in her absence, and just weeks later, on March 22, Kate shocked the nation with a video announcement revealing she had begun chemotherapy after post-operative tests confirmed cancer.
Since completing treatment in September and announcing her remission in January, the Princess has been steadily resuming public engagements. This year, she has already undertaken several visits, including a trip to Pontypridd ahead of St David’s Day, a Holocaust Memorial Day event, and engagements at Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice, the National Portrait Gallery, and HMP Styal’s mother and baby unit.
Her return to the Commonwealth Day service marks a significant milestone in her comeback to public life.
