King Charles III and Prince William have reacted to the news that Catherine, the Princess of Wales, will attend Trooping the Colour on Saturday — her first public engagement since her cancer diagnosis.
Kate announced in March she was undergoing chemotherapy after an unspecified form of cancer was found during major abdominal surgery in January.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Princess of Wales set to return.
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At the time, Kate and William’s office said she would not return to public duties until her doctors confirm she is well enough to do so.
In a statement on Friday, Kate said she was “looking forward” to attending the parade with family, and hoped to join further public engagements over the summer but knows she is “not out of the woods yet”.
Charles is “delighted” that Kate will attend, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.
“His Majesty is … much looking forward to all elements of the day,” the spokespoerson shared.
William is also “pleased” by the news.
“The Prince is pleased to see The Princess starting to engage with the work and projects that are important to her,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson said.
“He will continue to focus his time on supporting his wife and children, while continuing to undertake his public duties.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak commented on the news while speaking at a G7 summit in Italy.
Sunak said the princess’s statement is “wonderful news”.
“I thought it was brave, I thought it was honest and I’m sure it will bring an enormous amount of comfort to so many other people who are grappling with similar health challenges,” Sunak said.
Trooping the Colour, also known as the King’s Birthday Parade, is an annual military parade that occurs each June to mark the monarch’s official birthday in a tradition that dates back more than 260 years.
King Charles III, who also is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, is due to oversee the ceremony, in which troops in full dress uniform parade past the king with their ceremonial flag, or “colour”.
Kate is expected to travel in a horse-drawn carriage from Buckingham Palace with the couple’s children — Prince George, 10; Princess Charlotte, 9; and Prince Louis, who is 6 — before watching the ceremony from a building beside the parade ground.
She may also join other royals for a traditional Buckingham Palace balcony appearance.
Her attendance at the event is a significant milestone but does not mark a return to full-time public duties for Kate.
The 42-year-old said her treatment was “ongoing” and is expected to continue “for a few more months”.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” she said.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
She said messages of support in recent months had helped her and William “through some of the harder times”.
– With NBC and AP
