Kate returns to public events at Trooping the Colour

Catherine, Princess of Wales has made her much-anticipated first public appearance of the year at the annual Trooping the Colour parade.

The princess, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, could be seen smiling and waving from the Buckingham Palace balcony at the end of a ceremony filled with pomp and pageantry.

King Charles III, who is also receiving treatment for cancer, inspected troops from a gold carriage, rather than on horseback.

Thousands watched on in the heavy rain to witness one of the biggest events in royal calendar.

There were cheers from the waiting crowd as they caught their first glimpse of Catherine and the King heading from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade.

They emerged in golden carriages to a sea of mobile phones, with people desperate to catch a photograph of the royals through the windows.

The princess was pictured smiling, sitting alongside her children Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte – with six-year-old Louis giving a little wave to the crowd.

It was Catherine’s first public appearance of the year, as she is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

In a statement released on Friday, the princess said she was “not out of the woods yet”, and had “good days and bad days”, but was “looking forward to attending the King’s birthday parade this weekend with my family”.

In a change from last year, she watched the ceremony from a balcony with her children, instead of joining other senior royals on a dais.

Louis danced along to a march by the Scots Guards, and was spotted yawning while watching the parade.

His sister, Charlotte, was seen wiping steam off their carriage’s windows, as they were on their way back to Buckingham Palace.

The King, meanwhile, has only recently made a return to public duties himself, after being diagnosed with cancer in February.

But since the general election was called last month, the palace has postponed any engagements “which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign”.

He was joined by Queen Camilla, as the pair made their way to the event in a glass-sided carriage.

As it emerged from behind the Buckingham Palace gates, huge cheers could be heard from the watching crowd.

He inspected troops from within his carriage with the Queen by his side – last year he did so on horseback.

Prince William, Princess Anne and Prince Edward did still take to their horses, donning full military uniform as they took part in the parade.

SOURCE: BBC