The Princess of Wales has returned to public duty this summer, making her first public appearances since her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
And while Princess Kate is expected to continue "living under the radar" as she completes her treatment, she is said to be making “good progress”, attending both the Trooping the Colour parade in June, and the Wimbledon Gentleman's Singles Final in July.
This weekend, it was a third appearance from Princess Kate that made headlines, as she and Prince William made a surprise video cameo at the 2024 Olympic Games closing ceremony.
Yes, Princess Kate and Prince William (sporting a new beard) took a break from their family summer holiday to take part in a star-studded video compilation, where they congratulated Team GB on their success.
"From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB," Princess Kate announced in the sweet video from their Norfolk garden. Prince William continued: "Well done on all you've achieved. You've been an inspiration to us all!"
"Well done Team GB, what an incredible journey!" the Prince and Princess of Wales captioned the video. "Every athlete showed immense dedication, heart and passion. You made us all so proud!
"Here's to celebrating every triumph at Paris 2024 and looking forward to more from [the Paralympics] later in the summer."
The surprise royal cameo certainly seemed to go down well, with fans taking to the comment section to praise how healthy Kate was looking, and to talk about William's stubble.
"Kate is looking beautiful & here for Will's stubble," commented one fan, while another wrote: "William's beard era is back."
"Catherine looks really well," posted another. "And hello William with a beard".
Princess Kate's Olympic Games cameo is not out of character, given her keen interest in athletics, with commentators explaining how sport has been a major distraction and source of comfort for the Wales family this year.
"Now more than ever, sports provide a much-needed distraction from the pressures of royal life - and from the harsh reality of the health challenges being faced by Kate and King Charles," explained Royal expert Christopher Andersen in a recent interview with OK!. "To say sports plays a huge part in the lives of the royals is a massive understatement. It's in their blood.
"Kate may be the sportiest royal of all," Andersen later continued. "In high school, she was a star player in hockey and tennis. She's also an accomplished skier, runner and sailor - Kate has always seemed game for anything. What sets her apart from the rest of the royal pack is that she always does it with a smile."
We will continue to update this story.
