The King and Queen hosted a state banquet for the Emir of Qatar at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night – but the Princess of Wales was noticeably absent from the white-tie dinner.
Kensington Palace confirmed in advance that Kate, 42, would not attend the banquet after welcoming Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani at their private residence alongside Prince William on Tuesday morning.
The Princess was involved in the ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade in London, travelling in a carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace, before lunch and viewing an exhibition of Qatari items in the Picture Gallery.
Kate has made just a handful of public appearances so far in 2024, after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January and then was diagnosed with cancer.
Her first significant appearance of the year was at Trooping the Colour in June, followed by the Wimbledon Men's Final in July.
© GettyThe Princess confirmed in a moving video message in September that she had completed chemotherapy, with the palace emphasising that she would be making a gradual return to her public duties.
Kate said she was "looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months". But she added her focus was "doing what I can to stay cancer free".
In October, she made a surprise visit with William to meet the bereaved families of the victims of the Southport attack. She also honoured the war dead at Remembrance events in November.
© GettyOn Friday, the Princess will host her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey, with members of the royal family in attendance.
Kensington Palace previously said the service will reflect on "how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives".
© GettyIt was revealed over the weekend that each of the 1,600 guests at the Abbey will also receive a heartfelt letter from Kate, in which she refers to love as "the greatest gift we can receive".
The Abbey will be decorated with sustainable, festive decorations and foliage, and in a touching move, this year a "Kindness Tree" will be cited outside the Abbey for guests to dedicate a decoration to someone who has supported them throughout their life.
Timeline of Princess Kate's surgery and health updates
© Getty25 December 2023 – Kate is last seen publicly on Christmas Day
9 January 2024 – Kate celebrates her 42nd birthday, with the King and Queen sharing a behind-the-scenes photo from the coronation to mark the day.
11 January 2024 – William returns to royal duties, meeting rugby heroes Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield at Headingley Stadium in Leeds.
17 January 2024 – Kensington Palace announces in a statement that Kate has undergone abdominal surgery at the London Clinic and that William has temporarily stepped back from royal duties to care for Kate and their children.
18 January 2024 – William visits Kate at the London Clinic.
26 January 2024 – King Charles visits Kate in hospital before undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate.
29 January 2024 – Kate is discharged from hospital and returns home to Windsor to continue her recovery. King Charles also leaves the London Clinic on the same day after his treatment.
7 February 2024 – William resumes royal duties attending London's Air Ambulance Charity gala with Tom Cruise.
10 February 2024 – William and Kate spend February half-term with George, Charlotte and Louis at their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. Kate's siblings are also pictured on holiday during the school holidays, with James Middleton and Alizee Thevenet flying to the Caribbean with baby Inigo, and Pippa Matthews and her family holidaying on the island of St Barts.
27 February 2024 – Kate said to be "doing well" as William pulls out of King Constantine memorial due to a "personal matter".
29 February 2024 – Kensington Palace addresses social media speculation, reiterating: "We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter."
10 March 2024 - A photograph of Kate with their three children at home in Windsor is released to mark Mother's Day and to thank the public for their "continued support".
11 March 2024 - Kate publicly apologises for the "confusion" around the photograph as she admitted she "occasionally experiments with editing," after news agencies pulled the image amid claims it had been digitally altered. The Princess is then seen in a car with William as she's driven to a private appointment in London.
19 March 2024 - Footage of William and Kate leaving the Windsor Farm Shop is shared by The Sun and TMZ in the first video sighting of the Princess since surgery.
22 March 2024 - Princess Kate confirms that she has been diagnosed with cancer in a moving video message and is undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
18 April 2024 - Prince William returns to royal duties after spending Easter holidays privately as a family.
10 May 2024 - Prince William says Kate is "doing well" as he visits the Isles of Scilly.
21 May 2024 - Princess Kate is "excited" as Kensington Palace shares update on her early years work with the release of her Business Taskforce's prioritising childhood report.
8 June 2024 - Princess Kate writes letter to Irish Guards to apologise for not being able to take part in the salute at the Colonel's Review.
14 June 2024 - In a personal statement, Kate shares she is making "good progress" and that her "treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months".
15 June 2024 - Kate makes her first major public appearance since diagnosis at Trooping the Colour.
14 July 2024 - Kate watches the Men's final at Wimbledon with Princess Charlotte and Pippa Matthews.
11 August 2024 - William and Kate congratulate Team GB athletes in a video message after the Paris 2024 Olympics.
9 September 2024 - Kate confirms she's completed chemotherapy in moving video message.
10 October 2024 - Kate joins William on visit to bereaved families in Southport.
9/10 November 2024 - Princess attends Festival of Remembrance and Remembrance Day service at Cenotaph.
3 December 2024 - Kate greets Emir of Qatar alongside William during state visit.
