After a challenging year for the royal family with sibling disagreements and health battles, the King's birthday presented a much-needed occasion of joy.
Despite bursts of rain, the sun finally shone as the Princess of Wales bravely returned to her public duties. Saturday marked her first public appearance since she revealed her cancer diagnosis in March of this year.
Kate, 42, stood tall and proud alongside Charles on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as they watched the Trooping the Color parade.
She wore a stunning white Jenny Packham dress with black detailing and an angled white Philip Treacey hat. She seemed all smiles as she laughed with the Prince of Wales and his three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
This year, Kate stood next to the King on the balcony, while William stood between his wife and children. This small change from last year, when William supported the King, can be seen as a touching gesture from Charles in support of his daughter-in-law as they have both been battling cancer this year.
On the other side of the King was Queen Camilla, who donned a pastel green dress and cape for the event.
Next to her were the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward and Sofia. His 20-year-old daughter, Lady Louise, watched the flight while she stood next to them and chatted with her aunt, Princess Anne.
The Princess Royal was accompanied by her husband, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence. Standing at the two farthest ends of the balcony were Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Not present at today's balcony appearance was Prince Andrew, who has taken a step back from his public duties since the Jeffrey Epstein scandal emerged.
Prince Edward's 16-year-old son, the Earl of Wessex, was also absent, which may have been due to exam season.
The event for the King's birthday began at 10 a.m. on Saturday. King Charles, recovering from a shocking diagnosis of prostate cancer, was unable to ride a horse, as is tradition, and opted for another gentle carriage ride with his wife, Queen Camilla.
Kate's appearance had been in doubt until the last-minute announcement Friday afternoon that she would be attending the Trooping the Color event.
In a candid statement released Friday, Kate described her personal cancer journey, admitting that she is experiencing “good days and bad days” and emphasizing, “I'm not out of the woods yet.”
