LONDON (AP) — Britain held ceremonies Saturday to mark its birthday. Charles IIIa military parade to commemorate Princess of Wales ‘ Her first public appearance was Cancer Diagnosis At the beginning of this year.
This annual event is A few months of trials The King and his wife Kate, the heir to the throne Prince Williamtreatment has been interrupted by cancer treatment.
In a symbolic show of solidarity, Prince Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Duchess Kate and their children joined other members of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at the end of the King’s Birthday Parade. The family waved to the gathered crowds as they watched a military plane flyover to conclude the monarch’s official birthday celebrations.
It was Kate’s first public appearance since December last year, after she revealed in March that she was undergoing chemotherapy for an unspecified type of cancer.
“I am recovering well but, as anyone undergoing chemotherapy knows, there are good days and bad days,” Kate said in a statement on Friday, adding that her treatment will continue for “several more months.”
Kate “isn’t out of the woods yet,” said the source, who stressed that Saturday’s engagement does not mark a full return to public life.
Every June, crowds gather to watch the Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, which begins with a procession of horses, musicians and hundreds of soldiers in ceremonial uniform marching from Buckingham Palace.
The 42-year-old princess and her children George, 10, Charlotte, 9, and Louis, 6, left the palace in a horse-drawn carriage and traveled down The Mall, a wide avenue where passersby cheered when they saw Kate in a white dress by designer Jenny Packham and a wide-brimmed hat by Philip Treacy.
She watched the ceremony with her children from a window in a building overlooking Horse Guards Parade in central London. Prince Louis yawned during the ceremony, but for the most part he watched intently, even dancing to military music.
From left, Britain’s Prince George, Prince William, Prince Louis, Princess Kate, Princess Charlotte, King Charles III, Queen Camilla and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the post-ceremonial flyover of Trooping the Colour, the King’s Birthday Parade, in London, Saturday, June 15, 2024. Trooping the Colour is the King’s Birthday Parade and is one of the UK’s most impressive and iconic annual events, with almost every member of the Royal Family in attendance. (James Manning/PA via The Associated Press)
William attended the ceremony on horseback in military uniform, and the troops marched before the King bearing their regimental colors, or “standards.” The precise marching and military music comes from a time when the colors were important rallying points in the fog of war.
Prince Charles, who is also undergoing treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer, traveled in a carriage with Camilla rather than riding a horse as he did last year. The monarch inspected the troops from a high platform on the parade grounds and saluted as the elite Household Guards marched by.
Each of the five regiments takes turns marching under the flag, and this year it was the turn of a company of the Irish Guards, of which Kate is an honorary colonel. Dressed in crimson tunics and bearskin hats, the soldiers took to the field led by their mascot, Seamus the Irish wolfhound.
Prince Charles, 75, announced his cancer in February and has been gradually returning to royal duties in recent days. I attended the commemoration ceremony last week. To commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe June 6, 1944.
Princess Kate waves to the crowds as she walks along The Mall with her youngest son, Louis, Prince of Wales, to attend the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London, Saturday, June 15, 2024. Trooping the Colour is the King’s Birthday Parade and is one of the UK’s most impressive and iconic annual events, attended by almost every member of the royal family. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Among many quirks of British royal custom, Saturday is not the King’s real birthday; it’s in November. Like his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles’ official birthday is the second Saturday in June. The date was chosen because the weather is generally good there, although it was sunny in London early on Saturday, but then became windy and rainy later.
The rain held off for most of the ceremony but began to fall heavily as assembled soldiers escorted the royal carriage through the drenched but enthusiastic crowds to Buckingham Palace.
Blue skies briefly returned as families stepped out onto their balconies to watch the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows aerobatic team fly by, sending up plumes of red, white and blue steam.
Thousands of royal fans, some wearing raincoats and carrying umbrellas, cheered, while a small number of anti-royalty protesters chanted “Not my king.”
Members of the military ride along The Mall during the royal procession back to Buckingham Palace following His Majesty’s Colour Procession in London, Saturday, June 15, 2024. His Majesty’s Colour Procession, or King’s Birthday Parade, is one of the UK’s most impressive and iconic annual events and is attended by almost the entire royal family. (Jonathan Brady/PA via The Associated Press)
Spectator Joseph Afreen, 60, said he was happy to see Kate back and gave her a “big wave” as she passed.
“When I heard about it on the news yesterday it was amazing,” he said. “I thought, ‘Thank God for bringing Kate back,’ because she’s such a hard-working person.”
Despite unpredictable weather, spectators enjoyed a spectacular and elaborate spectacle featuring 1,400 soldiers, 250 military bands and over 200 horses, including Trojan, Tennyson and Vanquish, three of the five war horses that ran wild and caused havoc in April. Running through central LondonIt struck a vehicle during the morning rush hour, causing chaos.
The other two horses are recovering well and are expected to return to duty, according to the Army.
