What Experts Believe ‘Nervous’ Kate Middleton Instructed Her Children On During Parade

Jun 19, 2024

Early 2024 saw the British royal family rocked by news of serious health issues. Buckingham Palace announced on Jan. 17, 2024, that King Charles III was scheduled to undergo hospital treatment the following week for an enlarged prostate. The next day, his wife, Queen Camilla, said Charles was feeling “fine” and “looking forward to getting back to work.” 

That same day, Kensington Palace revealed in a statement that the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, had undergone abdominal surgery at the London Clinic scheduled the day before. It said the surgery had been “successful” and that the princess would remain at the hospital for a 10–14-day recovery period. 

News of the pair’s hospitalization led to an outpouring of well wishes and support from people across the world. However, the situation turned out to be more serious than anticipated.

In February 2024, it was revealed that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer. Following that, the public became very interested in knowing how Kate had been doing after she hadn’t been seen publicly for some time. After weeks of speculation, Kate squashed the rumors and appeared in a tearful video announcing her own cancer diagnosis. 

Since revealing her diagnosis in an emotional yet hopeful video, Kate hasn’t been seen publicly as she underwent treatment. It was not until Jun. 15, 2024, that she gave a significant health update to the public by releasing an updated photo of her in the forest. She also appeared for the first time in months at the 2024 Trooping the Colour parade. Keep reading to learn more about how Kate has been doing so far. 

As Charles and Kate took time off from their royal duties, other family members stepped up in their absence, particularly their respective spouses, Queen Camilla and Prince William. With the support of their loved ones, Charles and Kate were given the time and space to prioritize their recovery. Facing their health challenges together, they also comforted each other. 

In the same hospital, Charles reportedly visited Kate at her bedside. The day before Kate announced her cancer diagnosis, she and Charles shared a private lunch. After sharing the news with the world, a Buckingham Palace representative said the king was “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did” and that he “remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks.” 

According to royal watchers, the pair have always shared a strong bond. Author Robert Hardman told Hello! Magazine:

“It’s very clear that (Charles is) extremely concerned about her. I think he wants to make sure as much as he can that if there’s anything he can do, he will do, because for a very fit and healthy young mother, this is a different order of magnitude to someone having to deal with this in their 70s.”

During this challenging time, the Princess of Wales has also found comfort in her family and friends. According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, Kate has a “really tight group of friends and, particularly in Norfolk, really close friends there. But I think the real anchors in her life are her parents and her brother James... and her sister Pippa.”  

“While you certainly don’t see them photographed together very often, they are very much there in the background. They are absolutely fundamental,” she added.

On Jun. 15, 2024, Kate finally gave the public the highly-awaited update they yearned for. In a photo uploaded by Kensington Palace’s social media accounts, a hopeful-looking Princess of Wales looks up above as she stands under a big tree in the forest. 

In her message, Kate said she had been “blown away” by the messages she had received in the past few months. 

“It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times,” she said. 

According to Kate, she’s “making good progress” already. However, she pointed out that “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,” Kate added. “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.”

Kate then shared that she would attend the King’s Birthday Parade, which she did, and promised to attend public engagements over the summer, “knowing I am not out of the woods yet.”

“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,” Kate concluded.

Kate received the warmest welcome back at Trooping the Colour. Wearing a classy white ensemble complete with a broad hat, the princess flashed her famous dimpled smile to the cheering crowd. Kate also appeared to keep her children in line with some instructions, according to one lip-reading expert. According to The Mirror, Kate could be seen at one point telling Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to “stay there, OK?” before leaning down to her daughter to say: 

“Keep smiling and stay here for one moment.”

Meanwhile, a body language expert said Kate appeared happy to be back but also somewhat reserved. 

“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,” royal expert Inbaal Honigman stated.

“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,” Honigman added.

As for whether Kate’s appearance meant she was back to her royal duties for good, some sources believed otherwise, with royal commentator Kinsey Schofield calliing it a “relief seeing her” looking “absolutely incredible. It was like ‘My Fair Lady,’ she looked like Audrey Hepburn in the outfit.” 

Schofield added Kate would likely keep public appearances to a minimum for now, saying: 

“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, do you feel up to this? We might see her paired with Prince William at the start.”

How do you feel about Kate Middleton’s return to the public sphere? Are you excited to see more of her in the future? Let us know, and pass this on to your family and friends, too!