The Princess of Wales has made a return to royal garden parties by attending her first one in two years.
Kate surprised guests by joining husband the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday afternoon.
William, dressed in a top hat and morning suit, was hosting the traditional outdoor gathering on behalf of his father, the King.
The princess, who is in remission from cancer, missed the 2024 garden party season while undergoing treatment during what William described as a “brutal” year.
Kate, whose attendance was not announced in advance as is the custom for garden parties, was dressed in a yellow Emilia Wickstead dress and hat by Philip Treacy.
The couple were meeting guests from a number of their patronages, military affiliations and passion projects, including Homewards, Action for Children and Ty Hafan, as well as Duchy of Cornwall tenants.
Among them was the family of aspiring photographer Liz Hatton, who died in November from an aggressive cancer called desmoplastic small round cell tumour.
The 17-year-old, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, was pictured being hugged by Kate at Windsor Castle just weeks before she died after being invited to take pictures of William at an investiture.
Her mother Vicky, stepfather Aaron and brother Mateo, who have launched a charity called Capture in her honour to support people with the illness, were among those in the grounds of the Palace.
Also at the event were William’s cousins, Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall, with Kensington Palace saying the prince and princess had specially invited the younger generation of the royal family to accompany them.
Other attendees included Holocaust survivor Steven Frank, who was photographed by Kate in 2020 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, and fundraising youngster Tony Hudgell.
Ten-year-old Tony, who is a double amputee and previously met Kate at the Evelina London Children’s Day Surgery Unit, missed a garden party last year after getting stuck in traffic on his way there, prompting another invitation from the Palace this year.
Kate last appeared at a royal garden party in May 2023, just days after the King’s coronation when the social event was staged in celebration of the historic occasion.
Some 7,500 guests mingled in the spring sunshine on the neatly manicured lawn of the royal residence on Tuesday, as William, Kate and other members of the royal family stood on the West Terrace for the National Anthem.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were also present.
The official engagement marks another step in Kate’s gradual return to post-cancer public duties.
Garden parties have been held at Buckingham Palace since the 1860s when Queen Victoria began what were known as “breakfasts”, although they took place in the afternoon.
Guests queue in tea tents and take their seats on nearby chairs, and around 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake are consumed at each party.
Yeomen of the Guard, dressed in their red and gold ceremonial costumes, form part of the proceedings, and people are free to stroll around the vast expanse of the gardens while a military band plays background music.
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