Trooping the Colour 2024: Full Recap of Kate Middleton’s First Public Appearance with Royals Since Cancer News
Trooping the Colour 2024: Full Recap of Kate Middleton’s First Public Appearance with Royals Since Cancer News
Follow along as the royal family gathers in London for King Charles’ public birthday celebration
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(773x272:775x274):format(webp)/princess-wales-king-charles-trooping-the-colour-ceremony-royal-family-balcony-061524-1-4e6659053ed64fd1b3151b4519ab8663.jpg)
Trooping the Colour was a royal event to behold.
On June 15, the royal family gathered in London to mark King Charles’ official birthday celebration with an epic procession through London. Hundreds of soldiers, horses and musicians performed a patriotic display of military precision in the King’s honor, continuing a tradition linked to the monarch’s official birthday since 1748.
The event also marked Kate Middleton’s first public appearance in six months since announcing her cancer diagnosis in March.
The pageantry was highlighted by a parade from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards’ Parade, where the Irish Guards will “troop their colour,” or present their flag. The parade then headed back to Buckingham Palace, where members of the royal family gathered on the royal residence’s famous balcony to catch the flypast by the Royal Air Force.
See a full recap of Trooping the Colour 2024 below.
The Prince and Princess of Wales Call Trooping the Colour ‘Such a Special Day’
After Trooping the Colour wrapped, Prince William and Princess Kate’s joint social media page shared a few photos from the big day, including a snap of Kate riding in the carriage with their kids and William on horseback. Two other photos showed a general view of the military procession in action. The post was captioned, “Such a special day.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/princess-wales-prince-william-prince-george-prince-louis-princess-charlotte-trooping-the-colour-ceremony-royal-family-balcony-061524-2-78c3a22f44bd42d1bd2a18da34372e53.jpg)
Prince William and Princess Kate shared a smile with Prince Louis as they stood with their kids during the royal family’s appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. In another loving moment, the Princess of Wales smoothed the back of Princess Charlotte’s hair.
Trooping the Colour marks the Prince and Princess of Wales’ first public appearance with their kids since Christmas Day at Sandringham.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(717x587:719x589):format(webp)/trooping-the-colour-ceremony-royal-family-balcony-061524-7-419d07b159be413f80903604c4b74797.jpg)
The rain stopped and the sun broke through the clouds at Buckingham Palace just in time for the royals to make their classic balcony appearance at Trooping the Colour.
Princess Kate stepped out alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Lady Louise Windsor, Princess Anne, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester and Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.
The appearance on the terrace of the royal residence is one of the most iconic highlights of the monarch’s birthday parade.
Kate Middleton Shares Surprise Video of Her Arrival with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis
In an unexpected update, the Princess of Wales posted a video of her Trooping the Colour travel with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“All set for The King’s Birthday Parade,” the clip was captioned on the official Instagram account Princess Kate and Prince William share. The short snippet showed Princess Kate lovingly touching her daughter’s hair as the princess and her kids waited for their carriage. Prince Louis gave a wave as the drivers arrived, and Princess Charlotte smiled from her spot inside the Glass Coach beside Prince George.
The horse-drawn transport then made its way to join the royal processional.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/trooping-the-colour-ceremony-061524-11-7c81a60fcb5745d6ac93ca18e1b06cd3.jpg)
Despite the drizzle, the parade continued in the rain as the troops and royal carriages traveled back to Buckingham Palace.
The British Army said that over a thousand soldiers and 242 horses, 250 military musicians and 40 pipes and drummers came together for Trooping the Colour today.
Wet Weather Threatens the Flypast
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/sophie-duchess-of-edinburgh-trooping-the-colour-ceremony-061524-4-ad5d5367a1d34773b150a273c43bc2b4.jpg)
Heavy rain began to pour around 12 p.m. local time, though the festivities continued. Earlier in the day on June 15, the Royal Air Force said that its traditional flypast at the King’s birthday parade was subject to the weather.
“Today at 1pm, subject to weather, serviceability, & operational requirements, over 30 aircraft will take to the skies above London and over Buckingham Palace to celebrate His Majesty The King’s Official Birthday following the King’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour),” the branch wrote on X.
Amid the conditions, Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte were spotted wiping the condensation away from their carriage window. Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, and her daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, huddled for cover in the open No.1 Barouche.
In May 2023, it similarly drizzled on King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation day, and the flypast was slightly modified due to the wet weather.
Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Watch from the Window
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(695x347:697x349):format(webp)/princess-wales-prince-louis-princess-charlotte-prince-george-trooping-the-colour-ceremony-061524-2-68ed61f6530e4a788b0c974748b10052.jpg)
Princess Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis caught the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade from a prime spot inside the Major General’s Office. As seen in video shared to social media, Prince Louis danced and grooved to the tune of the music! His moves seemed to make his mom Princess Kate laugh, though Princess Charlotte looked less than impressed. Prince Louis was also spotted playing with a curtain rod and yawning during their time on the balcony.
Prince William and Princess Kate’s youngest son is known for his playful personality and has charmed the crowds with his reactions at official events from Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee to King Charles’ historic coronation and more.
On June 14, it was announced that Kate Middleton would attend Trooping the Colour the following day amid her cancer treatment.
The Princess of Wales, 42, confirmed her attendance in a personal message about her health. Princess Kate, who announced in March that she was undergoing chemotherapy, was last seen on a royal outing on Christmas Day.
“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,” she said in the message.
“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,” the royal continued.
“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,” Kate added.
The update came with a new portrait of the royal by Matt Porteous, who Princess Kate and Prince William have previously tapped for family photos over the years. The snap, which provided the public’s first glimpse of the princess since she announced her cancer diagnosis, showed the Princess of Wales in Windsor, standing below a tree with her arms folded and legs crossed as she gazed up.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(731x412:733x414):format(webp)/Kate-Middleton-061424-2-58807712835144448288009507c2df76.jpg)
