Princess Kate's rare appearances this year so far amid difficult year

After undergoing major abdominal surgery in January, Kate was supported by her family as she recovered at home in Windsor. TMZ published an image of the Princess being driven through Windsor by her mother, Carole Middleton, in what was the first sighting of Kate since her surgery and her last public appearance on Christmas Day 2023.

Image shows Kate and Carole at Royal Ascot 2017.

Kensington Palace released an image of the Princess with her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis taken by Prince William at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor. The caption read: "Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C."

The photograph was later pulled by agencies as it was found to have been digitally altered.

Kate then released a short statement on social media, saying: "Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C."

A video was published by The Sun and TMZ of William and Kate leaving the Windsor Farm Shop with shopping bags on 19 March.  

Image shows William and Kate at a farm in Wales in 2022.

Kate announced her shocking cancer diagnosis in a moving video message released on 22 March. The Princess was filmed in the grounds of Windsor Park as she made her announcement, in which she spoke about delivering the news of her diagnosis.

"This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family," Kate said. "As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.

"But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok."

Kate has since been undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy.

A new image of the Princess taken under a tree in Windsor by photographer Matt Porteous was released on 14 June, as she shared an update on her progress and confirmed her attendance at Trooping the Colour the following day.

Kate shared that she is "making good progress" but "there are good days and bad days". 

She said that she hopes to "join a few public engagements over the summer", while "equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet".

She 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 made her first public appearance of 2024 at the King's official birthday parade – known as Trooping the Colour – on 15 June. The Princess smiled and waved at the crowds as she joined George, Charlotte and Louis in the carriage procession, before watching the military ceremony on Horse Guards Parade.

The Princess then appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony with her family, the King and Queen and senior working royals to watch the flypast. Kate, who looked elegant in a white and navy Jenny Packham dress, exchanged loving glances with her husband William, as they chatted with their children.

After weeks of speculation, Kate attended the Men's Singles Final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon on 14 July. The Princess stood out among the crowds in a purple Safiyaa London dress, as she arrived at the tournament with daughter Charlotte and sister, Pippa Matthews.

The Princess looked incredibly moved as she received a standing ovation from the crowd on Centre Court as she took her seat in the royal box.

Tennis fan Kate, who is patron of the AELTC, stepped out on the court to present the winning trophy to Carlos Alcaraz at the end of a nail-biting match.