After a two-year absence, Princess Kate has returned to the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey, marking a major milestone in her cancer recovery journey.
A Significant Return to Royal Duties
On March 6, Kate, 43, joined Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, and other senior royals for the annual event, which celebrates the Commonwealth’s 56 nations. Wearing a red Catherine Walker dress with a matching Gina Foster hat, the future queen made her first appearance at the service since 2023.
Kate missed last year’s event while recovering from planned abdominal surgery, later revealing in March 2024 that she had been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. Since announcing she was in remission this past January, she has gradually resumed public engagements.
“It is a relief to now be in remission, and I remain focused on recovery,” Kate shared in a statement earlier this year, adding, “I am looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead.”
King Charles Also Returns to the Service
King Charles III, who also missed last year’s service due to his own cancer treatment, returned for the first time since 2023. The monarch, 76, has continued his public duties while managing his condition, with palace sources stating that his treatment remains ongoing but positive.
A Symbolic Event for the Royal Family
The Commonwealth Day Service is the royal family’s first major event of the year and holds personal significance—it is held at Westminster Abbey, the same venue where Prince William and Kate were married in 2011.
With the theme for 2025 being “Together We Thrive,” the event underscores the enduring strength of the Commonwealth and the royal family, as both Kate and King Charles make their highly anticipated comebacks after a year of health challenges.
