Royal experts have reported that Princess Kate's Trooping the Colour appearance took a toll on her

The Princess of Wales attends the 2024 Trooping the Colour parade
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales returned to public life last week, making her first official appearance since her cancer diagnosis at the 2024 Trooping the Colour parade.

The 42-year-old mother of three confirmed her surprise appearance the night before the King's official birthday celebrations, greeted with cheers as she arrived with husband Prince William and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The Princess of Wales' moving return has been hailed as triumphant, but according to royal experts, it would likely have "taken its toll" on the Royal behind the scenes.

"The Princess has this sort of swan-like quality about her," explained royal expert Katie Nicholl, via Entertainment Tonight. "She's sort of gliding on the surface, but beneath the water, I think often she's paddling quite frantically. I can only imagine that a huge amount of preparation and time and effort and energy will have gone into Saturday's appearance."

Going on to explain the level of scrutiny that the Princess was under on the day, Nicholl reported that the appearance would have likely taken "its toll" on Kate, particularly with her treatment still ongoing.

"I think we can probably imagine that she had a long and well-deserved rest afterwards," she reported. "I don't think we can expect to see her in public for a little while. That's going to take some recovery from."

"My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months," Princess Kate explained in her personal health update last week. "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," she continued. "Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal."

It is not known when the Princess of Wales will return in a permanent capacity, but she has stated that she hopes to attend several engagements over the summer.

We will continue to update this story.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.