Kate Middleton is finally back. The Princess of Wales made her first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis during Trooping the Colour, and royal fans were naturally overjoyed. The 42-year-old appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony with the other senior royals, and a professional lipreader even managed to figure out what she told her children.
It’s been a long recovery process for Kate MIddleton, and time will tell whether this weekend marked her return proper to royal life. Some royal experts have warned her to take it slow in her recovery, while her legion of fans worldwide are keen to see her back in action.
If the Princess of Wales could choose, we’re sure she would love to resume her everyday life, which includes dropping her children off at school and completing her daily engagements for the Crown. So just why did she opt to attend the Trooping the Colour in the first place? Well, according to one royal expert, there is one apparent reason – and it’s as beautiful as you might expect.
In mid-March, Kate Middleton revealed to the world that she had received a shock cancer diagnosis. The Princess of Wales had been outside of the spotlight since January when she underwent abdominal surgery, and conspiracy theories surrounding her health ran rampant online.
Kate Middleton – royal return at Trooping the Colour
While Kate’s cancer diagnosis statement was worrying, the public were finally given some answers as to why she had been kept outside the spotlight for so long. As of last week, it was approaching the three-month mark since Kate’s statement, and with Trooping the Colour creeping closer, a report from the Daily Mail stated that the Princess was “considering” making an appearance at the monarch’s birthday celebration.
While there remained plenty of skeptics, Kate broke her silence on Friday and confirmed that this year’s Trooping the Colour would mark her first official appearance for half a year.
In a lengthy statement, the Princess of Wales announced that she was looking forward to attending the annual ceremony.
“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,” Kate said.
The Princess of Wales continued: “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.”
“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.”
“Thank you so much for your continued understanding”
“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.”
She concluded: “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.”
On Saturday, the Princess of Wales was photographed arriving at Trooping the Colour. Sitting in a car alongside her husband, Prince William, and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, Kate wore a white dress with a black bow and a white hat, her hair in a bun.
When she and her children later rode in a carriage — while William was on horseback – Kate was seen grinning and waving to the excited crowd standing along the road. But while she looked happy, one body language expert has argued that the princess was “nervous” and taking things slow.
Royal expert Inbaal Honigman told the Daily Star: “Princess Catherine’s closed-mouth smile as she arrives in the car with her family indicates that she is being cautious.
“Compared with previous years, where the Princess would flash a wholehearted, toothy smile of happiness, this occasion reveals a more careful Catherine, smiling with her lips, cheeks and eyes, but not with her teeth. This demonstrates caution, but there are signs that her happiness is genuine.”
Kate Middleton – balcony appearance
The body language expert concluded: “The raised eyebrows when she smiles, suggest that she is happy, even excited, and as she peeks out of the car, we can see that she’s glad to connect with the expecting crowds outside. Her shoulders are slightly raised, which suggests that she’s nervous.”
The balcony appearance during Trooping the Colour has always been an extraordinary moment, both for the royals and gathered members of the public.
This year, the royal line-up was fewer than in previous years. Some argue that it’s because the only ones welcome on the balcony are working royals, their children, as well as certain royal figures from older generations who still carry out some royal duties on behalf of the king.
Since the Princess of Wales most likely won’t be returning to royal duties full time now, King Charles has reportedly been open to bringing in other royals, including the likes of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to help in Kate’s absence.
Kate Middleton compared to Audrey Hepburn by royal expert
Though Kate made a long-awaited appearance at the Trooping the Color, royal commentator Kinsey Schofield now claims that the princess’s return strategy is to take it “day by day.”
Speaking to GB News, Schofield said that decisions will be made “very last minute,” adding that the princess looked “absolutely incredible” and “well” during the big weekend.
“You can’t deny that she looked absolutely incredible. It was like My Fair Lady, she looked like Audrey Hepburn in the outfit. I don’t know if that was the inspiration, but she looks so sophisticated, so smart. It’s what we’ve come to expect from her, I would expect nothing less,” Schofield said.
“She was so engaged with the children in the carriage. All you can think about is the fact that she’s had a lot of special time with them lately, that this family is incredibly bonded,” she added. “She’s had the opportunity to spend a lot of time at home with them, they’re incredibly close and a beautiful family indeed.”
Naturally, Kate Middleton’s outfit has generated a lot of positive responses. But though it was undoubtedly an outfit fit for a future queen, Kinsley Schofield was “surprised” that the princess was wearing white.
“I wondered if she was going to go with the classic Wales blue that the entire family often wears. But she looked beautiful,” she told GB News. “She did look healthy. And if you look at pictures of her from the coronation, it’s the same woman. I felt a lot of relief seeing her today.”
Lip reading expert reveals Kate Middleton’s orders to her children
The royal expert concluded that the respective cancer diagnoses handed down to Kate and Charles has “brought the family closer together.” Schofield added that her “heart fell into my stomach,” when she saw Prince William and Kate MIddleton together on the balcony.
“My heart fell into my stomach; it’s just so sweet seeing them looking at each other. Cancer brings people closer. Even looking at Prince George, admiring his mother and father on the balcony. Cancer does make families so much closer. And they’ve always been in love. It was beautiful,” she said.
She said: “I think the strategy going forward is basically what they did with this specific engagement, and it’s day by day, very last minute. How are you feeling? Do you feel up to this? We might see her paired with Prince William at the start to kind of phase in, but she is, polling wise, the most important, most popular member of the Royal Family.”
While Kate Middleton watched the military parade from a building overlooking the grounds, the Princess of Wales was reportedly also giving her children instructions on how to act.
The Daily Mirror’s lip reader, Nicola Hickling, revealed how Kate told George, Charlotte, and Louis, “You stay there, OK?. After bending down to Charlotte, Kate added: “Keep smiling and stay here for one moment.
Prince Louis has been a sight to behold at most royal outings he’s attended in the last few years, and this year’s Trooping the Colour was no different. According to Nicola Hickling, Louis asked his mother, “Can I play with these beads?”
Royal expert claims Kate Middleton ‘did Trooping the Colour for her family’
However, Kate reportedly answered: “No. I need you concentrate on the parade.”
George, Charlotte, and Louis were undoubtedly proud of their mother for appearing at the Trooping the Colours. There were also several cute moments during the ceremony, such as Charlotte “telling Louis off” for joking around.
Royal expert Angela Levin praised Princess Charlotte for caring for her brothers at the big royal event. However, the young girl cared about more than just her siblings.
As per Levin, Charlotte’s effort was, in fact, to “look after her mother.”
“I think she was doing that on her mother’s behalf so that her mother can be there. She adores her mother, so she just really wants wants to help out,” Levin told GB News.
The royal expert went on: “Princess Catherine looked absolutely stunning, she looked beautiful in that outfit. She’s doing it for the family. I thought, what an amazing woman, that she actually puts other people before her own wishes.”
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