Catherine, Princess of Wales, was able to join the other royals at the 2024 Trooping the Colour, including her father-in-law, King Charles III, who is also being treated for an undisclosed cancer — and royal fans couldn't look away from the pair.
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00:00The 2024 Trooping the Color was even more special than previous years,
00:04as it marked the return of Catherine, Princess of Wales, who has been mostly
00:07absent from royal duties since sharing her cancer diagnosis in March 2024.
00:12During that video announcement, Kate shared that she would be stepping away from the public,
00:16though no one knew for how long that would be.
00:18"...a huge moment for Princess of Wales."
00:20Thankfully, she was able to join the other royals, including her father-in-law, King
00:24Charles III, who is also being treated for an undisclosed cancer. And royal fans couldn't
00:29look away from the pair, and Kate and Charles' first time being together publicly since their
00:33diagnoses both appeared healthy and regal. Kate wore a white dress with black accents,
00:38while Charles was draped in the tunic of the Guard of Honor Order, with a blue sash and
00:42several medals. Their appearance is a welcome relief for those who have been concerned about
00:46the king and future queen. The day before Trooping the Color commenced, Kate updated
00:50her supporters that she was making progress with her condition. Furthermore, Charles'
00:54health updates have been rooted in grim rumors about him allegedly not doing as well.
00:58Nevertheless, the pair looked in good spirits as they observed Royal Air Force jets flying
01:03past the palace in honor of the king's official birthday. And some royal watchers believed that
01:08Charles and Kate appeared closer than the other family members. Charles was reportedly excited
01:12to learn that his daughter-in-law Kate would be strutting back to her royal duties during
01:16the 2024 Trooping the Color. In a statement to the BBC ahead of the joyful occasion,
01:20a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace shared that Charles was happy to learn Kate would
01:24be joining the festivities. His touching interactions with her seemed to display
01:27just that. The two stood close to one another, with Kate smiling proudly as she spoke to Charles.
01:32Body language expert Judy James explained to the Daily Mail that while Kate and the
01:36king have always shared a bond, their recent illnesses may have only brought them closer.
01:40She believes this was evident when the two were standing on the balcony.
01:43During last year's Trooping the Color, Charles stood next to his son, Prince William. However,
01:48this year, he opted to stand side-by-side with Kate. James explained,
01:51Charles made Kate his center of attention to signal both how much she is cherished
01:55and how grateful he was at her attendance today. Kate was placed beside her father-in-law,
01:59and the pair engaged in some bouts of animated conversation that included eye contact and
02:03laughter. As the massive crowd gathered to witness the return of Kate, the national anthem played.
02:08James believes this provoked a rare moment of emotion from Charles, saying,
02:12"[Kate relaxed as the chats went on, and by the end of the appearance,
02:15her wide, fun, dimpled smile had returned."
02:18Charles also seemed grateful for the empathetic bond with Kate, as by the singing of the anthem,
02:22he was looking brought close to tears by the crowd's support for them both.
02:26"...huge cheers from the crowds there."
02:28Though it's clear that Charles was happy to share the moment with Kate,
02:31James further believes that the Princess of Wales was careful not to take the spotlight away from
02:35Charles, especially when she and her three children were being transported in the carriage.
02:39While lending her expertise to another outlet, James told The Sun,
02:43"...there was a hint of discretion, or maybe a desire to not upstage,
02:46in the way Kate's hat brim was tilted to partially hide her face in the carriage."
02:50Despite such challenging times for the royal family,
02:52it remains evident that Kate and Charles are sticking together.