Kate Middleton looked simply regal for her meaningful return to the annual Trooping the Colour.
Making her first public appearance in over six months following a March announcement that she is undergoing cancer treatment, Princess Kate arrived at the June 15 festivities at Buckingham Palace wearing a white, long-sleeve dress by Jenny Packham with an exaggerated contrasting ribbon tied at her collar. She paired her dress with a white, angled hat by Philip Treacy, visible through the window of the car she rode in with her family for her initial arrival. A closer look at the dress's structured sleeves and a slim bow-detail on her hat were visible in behind-the-scenes footage shared by Kensington Palace.
Princess Kate accessorized with a pair of Cassandra Goad pearl cluster earrings, which she previously wore to Prince Louis's 2019 christening, WWD first reported. The royal wore her hair in a low bun to accentuate the earrings and her hat.
Pinned to her chest was the gold Irish Guards Regimental Brooch. The piece is representative of Princess Kate's position as the honorary colonel of the regiment, one of the many trooping its flag in the day's procession.
Entering Buckingham Palace alongside Prince William (in full military dress) and her children (Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, and Prince George, in shades of navy), the rest of Middleton's outfit was on full display. She carried a navy clutch and matched a pair of stark white heels to her dress. The full images also showed details unseen earlier in the day, including a striped belt detail on her dress and a hemline hitting just at her knees.
While Princess Kate has sometimes chosen her own look and let her children do the same, this time, she and Princess Charlotte tried mother-daughter matching with a twist. The young royal wore a navy blue dress with white bow details—the inverse of her mother. Prince Louis and Prince George also wore navy suits. (The only exception was Prince William, in his red military uniform.)
Middleton announced she would attend Trooping the Colour in a heartfelt statement on her Instagram, paired with a portrait by Matt Porteous taken outside her home in Windsor. Alongside a photo where she dressed in a casual blazer and jeans, two staples of her more relaxed wardrobe, Middleton thanked well-wishers who had supported her during her cancer treatment and revealed she had "good days and bad days" on her journey to recovery. In the same post, she mentioned she was "looking forward" to attending Trooping the Colour alongside her family the following day.
Reports first surfaced at the end of May that the royal would "consider" making a balcony appearance alongside her family, as tradition dictates. Kate Middleton has attended Trooping the Colour since 2011, when she first wore an Alexander McQueen coatdress. Given that the event honors the birth of the reigning monarch—in this case, Prince William's father, King Charles III—the Princess has historically chosen British designers like McQueen and Erdem for the occasion.
Jenny Packham, the designer behind Kate Middleton's white and navy ribbon dress for the 2024 Trooping the Colour, is a frequent presence in the princess's royal wardrobe. She has worn the British designer for events from movie premieres to official state visits, in an array of pared-back sheaths (like the dress worn today) and embellished evening gowns.
Choosing to wear white is also of significance based on Kate Middleton's previous Trooping the Colour outfits. She has chosen shades of ivory on at least two occasions—in 2011 and 2022—with contrasting hats to match. White can often symbolize beginnings and rebirth, perhaps an intentional choice has Middleton makes her long-awaited return to the public eye at today's event.
Princess Kate likely worked with her recently promoted stylist, Natasha Archer, on her Trooping the Colour dress and overall styling. The pair has coordinated for her major events since 2007.
Before revealing to the world that she is undergoing cancer treatment in a March announcement, Princess Kate was last seen in public for 2023 Christmas Day services.
The royal family was "delighted" to have the Princess of Wales join them for King Charles III's birthday festivities. Following her statement including an update on her health, Kensington Palace released a statement on behalf of her husband, Prince William, noting that he will "continue to focus his time on supporting his wife and children while continuing to undertake his public duties."
Meanwhile, Kate Middleton's regal white dress for Trooping the Colour may be more of a rare appearance than the sign of more events to come. While she said she is making "progress" with her treatment, she is "not out of the woods yet" and has several more months of treatment ahead. For now, her white Jenny Packham piece was an elegant return to the public eye—and a moment of history in the making.
