Out of all the Princess of Wales's public appearances over the years, none will ever be quite the same as Trooping the Colour in 2024. This was the first time we'd seen her since she made her cancer diagnosis public. A few days before, Kate posted a photo by Matt Porteous and shared she was making "good progress" and was looking forward to the parade.
Even though she'd confirmed she would be there, it was still a huge moment to see the Princess join her family for Trooping the Colour. It also apparently took a lot out of her, with royal author Christopher Andersen alleging that "once the event was over and they returned to Adelaide Cottage, Kate collapsed from exhaustion."
"'Unless they've been through it,' she said, 'people don't realise how much chemo takes out of you. There's only so much you can do.'" the author claimed in Kate!.
Trooping the Colour took place on 15th June in 2024 and Kate was still undergoing treatment at the time. She said in her Instagram post that there are "good days and bad days" and "on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well".
Travelling into London and back, being part of the parade which typically takes several hours and stepping out in front of thousands of people excited to see her would likely have been a lot. It's understandable that she might have felt exhausted afterwards even if this was a "good day".
Kate's reported confession is so moving and you might never have considered that side of things when looking at pictures of her from the parade, where she beamed and looked so energetic throughout. Pacing herself is still something that's important now she's in remission.
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Prince William spoke about his wife's first overseas visit since her cancer diagnosis on Heart Breakfast in May and declared, "Away trips like that take a lot out of you because you're on sort of permanent receive and send the whole time."
"So we have to balance that, make sure she's okay and rested," he added. "But yeah, she's in good form."
The Princess of Wales has gradually eased back into a full schedule of royal engagements and is expected to be at this year's Trooping the Colour parade on 13th June. She famously uses her outfits to communicate certain messages and elsewhere in Kate! The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen Andersen reflected on her 2024 ensemble.
"Realizing the importance of this moment, Kate wore a white Jenny Packham dress with a large black-and-white bow and a wide-brimmed hat," he said. "She chose the outfit for two reasons."
One was apparently because white is the universal colour of hope and Andersen claimed the second was due to Kate following Queen Elizabeth's ethos that you have to be seen to be believed. White, the author added, is "visible from a distance".
The Princess of Wales's 2025 Trooping the Colour outfit also featured white detailing and it's possible that this hopeful shade will continue to be incorporated for many more parades to come.
