Princess Kate has taken a step back from her royal duties for the last 6 months as she deals with health issues. During the first couple of weeks of recovery, Prince William also put off public engagements to help his wife and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
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The Princess of Wales has made the odd social media post since focusing on her health, indeed she shared a photo for Mother’s Day and caused a wave of conspiracy theories as she had edited the photo.
Despite her health issues, Princess Kate announced on her Instagram on Friday, June 14, that she would be attending King Charles’ birthday parade, her first public engagement since December 2023.
Princess Kate shared a message on social media
As mentioned above, the Princess of Wales, who recently made history, shared a quick update on her health on her and Prince William’s social media pages. She wrote on Friday, June 14, that she is ‘making good progress’ and she will still be undergoing treatment ‘for a few more months’.
She added that on the days she feels better, she makes the most of it and tries to go back to a normal routine and ‘engage in school life’. Moreover, the Princess of Wales explained that she will now start working from home to ease herself back into her old ways:
As well as starting to do a little work from home.
As many know, Princess Kate attended Trooping the Colour, a parade dedicated to the monarch’s birthday. It was her first public engagement since December 2023. On the same social media post, the mother-of-three revealed that she hopes to ‘join a few public engagements over the summer’.
I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer.
Naturally, the Princess thanked the public for all of their kind messages of support and expressed how brave some of them were for also sharing their own story:
Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.
In the photo she posted with her message, Princess Kate was wearing a pair of pearl earrings. For the King’s Birthday Parade, she wore another pair of pearl earrings, which according to some, have a hidden meaning.
The alleged hidden meaning behind Princess Kate’s pearl earrings
In her photo, Princess Kate was posing against a tree, wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, a beige blazer and white trainers. The Princess of Wales accessorised with a ring and a pair of pearl earrings.
As per Mirror, the earrings were Annoushka pearl earrings, which have been a staple in her wardrobe since 2021. For the Trooping the Colour parade, Princess Kate opted for another pair of pearl earrings, this time, she wore a pair that featured seven pearls in the shape of a flower.
As reported by the tabloid, this piece of jewellery is special to Princess Kate as they were previously enjoyed by her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. Moreover, they feature Annoushka pearl earrings, which are usually associated with good luck.
According to Mirror, jewellers at Marahlago revealed that the pearls are ‘seen as a symbol of turning something negative into something positive’. It is also said that the pearl earrings symbolise love, good health, luck, and prosperity, which may bring some comfort to the Princess as she deals with her health.
As Princess Kate made a glorious return to public duty for the King’s parade, some have also commented on her choice of outfit and have compared her to a rather iconic character from a musical.
Princess Kate being compared to My Fair Lady
Princess Kate delighted royal fans when she made her appearance at Trooping the Colour. The Princess of Wales rode in a closed carriage from Buckingham Palace with her three children. Typically Royals ride in an open carriage, however, Saturday, June 15, proved to be a rather wet day, so the Palace opted for closed carriages.
The mother-of-three decided to wear a white dress, with a black and white bow on the collar and two black stripes at her waist.
TikToker @matta_of_fact, who often gives updates on Royal Family engagements has speculated that her dress could be an upcycled version of a dress the Princess wore to kick off the celebration for King Charles’ coronation last year. Indeed, Princess Kate is no stranger to re-wearing clothes.
As per The Independent, the dress is designed by Jenny Packham - her dress mentioned above was also by Jenny Packham - she accessorised with a black and white hat by Philip Treacy.
Moreover, Princess Kate’s outfit is being compared to Audrey Hepburn’s outfit from My Fair Lady, when her character, Eliza Doolittle attends the Royal Ascot. The TikToker explains that there could be a hidden meaning behind her outfit as well.
Princess Catherine of Wales pays homage to Audrey Hepburn?. This stunning revamped Jenny Packham dress, giving us major My Fair Lady vibes. pic.twitter.com/nQ0rdNyU16
— C R A I G Y (@McCraigyDimples) June 16, 2024
A hidden meaning behind her outfit?
In the film, Hepburn’s character doesn’t fit in with the upper class yet and feels uncomfortable at public engagements. The TikToker drew a parallel to Kate's situation, and explains that maybe the Princess was signaling that she isn’t completely ready for public outings just yet. Indeed, as per The Independent, Princess Kate does not plan to attend the the Garter Day service on Monday or the Royal Ascot.
Even for the celebration of Trooping the Colour, it wasn't confirmed until the very last minute whether she would appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the Red Arrow fly-by.
Read more:
King Charles believed to not be riding horseback at the 2024 Trooping the Colour
Sources used:
Mirror: Kate Middleton’s pearl earrings carry poignant hidden meaning amid cancer battle
The Independent: Kate Middleton’s triumphant return to public life at Trooping the Colour after six months fighting cancer
