The Princess of Wales’s first joint public appearance alongside her husband since her cancer treatment ended marks a major milestone in her journey back to public duties.
Kate, who met privately with bereaved families of the Southport stabbing victims before greeting emergency responders in front of the cameras, travelled with William to Merseyside for her first official royal engagement outside of London since her diagnosis.
She announced she had finished her chemotherapy course in a heartfelt video on September 9, in which she spoke about her experience while footage played of the Waleses and their children enjoying time together outdoors.
“The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family,” she said.
She added: “Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long.”
A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales
As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment.
The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an… pic.twitter.com/9S1W8sDHUL
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 9, 2024
The princess said she was “looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months” but added her focus was “doing what I can to stay cancer free”.
Last week, the princess was pictured hugging an aspiring teenage photographer with a rare and aggressive form of cancer after inviting her to take pictures at investitures at Windsor Castle.
Kate met Liz Hatton, 16, from Harrogate, and her family privately after the ceremony with William.
In a personal message on social media, William and Kate praised the teenager, who has desmoplastic small round cell tumour, describing her as a “talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both”.
A pleasure to meet with Liz at Windsor today. A talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both. Thank you for sharing your photos and story with us. ❤️ W&C pic.twitter.com/VARhrbCvkv
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) October 2, 2024
Liz said afterwards that it was “mind-blowing” to hug Kate, adding she was “very thankful” to have the experience of taking photos at the castle.
During September, Kate was spotted going to church in Balmoral, Aberdeenshire, with William, and the King and Queen.
She also privately attended a ballet performance of the English National Ballet’s Giselle at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, posting a message describing the show as “moving”.
It is Kate’s hope to join the royal family at the annual Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph in honour of the war dead on November 10 – an important fixture in the royal family’s calendar.
In June, Kate looked relaxed during her first day in the spotlight following her cancer diagnosis at the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony.
It came the day after a health update from Kate, who was pictured in the grounds of the Windsor Castle estate, standing in a tranquil setting against a weeping willow tree near a lake.
I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times.
I am making good progress, but as anyone going… pic.twitter.com/J1jTlgwRU8
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 14, 2024
She issued a written message saying she was “making good progress” and had “good days and bad days”, but added: “I am not out of the woods yet.”
A few weeks later she made another rare appearance when she presented the Wimbledon men’s final trophy to Carlos Alcaraz.
