The Princess of Wales Returns to Public Life Wearing Jenny Packham and Phillip Treacy

The Princess of Wales returned to public life today as she attended Trooping the Colour.

This was her first engagement in six months. It follows her public statement in March explaining her cancer diagnosis and preventative chemotherapy treatment. Today’s appearance was not a surprise, as the Princess updated her health condition and plans for the next several months in a social media post yesterday. Her schedule is going to remain very limited but she hopes to undertake a few engagements in the next several months, depending upon how she is feeling.

Here you see the King and Queen in the Scottish State Coach on their way to Horse Guards Parade. Trooping the Colour is also known as the King’s Birthday Parade.

Members of the Wales family rode in the Glass State Coach. In this video from Kensington Palace, you can see the family at Buckingham Palace waiting for the carriage. 

https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1801937665941442757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener

You can see the Princess, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte in this image, but Prince George is not visible.

A smile from Prince George.

And a wave from Princess Charlotte.

Prince Louis having a giggle. 

In this quick video, you see other members of the Royal Family getting into their carriages. 

https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1801944335404994654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener

The Duchess of Edinburgh in the No.1 Barouche, where she was joined by her daughter, Lady Louise, and the Duke of Kent.

The Duchess of Gloucester in her carriage. 
Embed from Getty Images
If wondering why royal family members are not in open carriages, here is the explanation. At times during the event, it was cold, wet, and windy. Unfortunately, the heavens opened during the trip to Horse Guards Parade. The No.1 Barouche is not fully enclosed. 
Embed from Getty Images

Nor is the No. 2 Barouche, with Sir Tim Laurence in the uncovered portion of the carriage. Also traveling in this carriage were the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Another view of the King in the Scottish State Coach with the Queen.

The Princess waved to the crowds. 

Another image of Princess Charlotte. 

One more photo of the King.

Last year, the King attended the event on horseback, but using a vehicle made more sense given his cancer treatment and recovery. More about today’s ceremony via The Telegraph’s coverage. 

Not to be confused with the King’s natural birthday in November, when he will turn 76, the ceremony is an annual tradition dating back to 1760 and the reign of George III, who was born in June.

It will be His Majesty’s duty to take the salute as over a thousand soldiers and hundreds of horses and musicians march in what is easily the most colourful and impressive of all Royal events – save the Coronation itself.

This year, the Irish Guards will “troop” or display their uniform and insignia colours for the King, who is Colonel in Chief of the seven Guards regiments of the Household Division.

Here is a video of the Wales family arriving at Horse Guards Parade. 

https://twitter.com/MattSunRoyal/status/1801918890663977430?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener

This year the King inspected his troops from the carriage before heading to the viewing stand. The King and Queen then walked to the reviewing stand, while the Princess and children headed inside to the Major General’s office to watch the event with other family members. 

And then it was time for the parade. 

The Royal Family website explains that “As is tradition, The King wore the tunic of the Guard of Honour Order, the Irish Guards. The Sovereign always wears the uniform of whichever Regiment’s Colour is being trooped.”

During the parade, the King’s Colour, or Regimental flag, is “Trooped” (carried aloft by one of the Regiment’s most junior Officers through the ranks of soldiers).

More from the Associated Press.

Five regiments take it in turns to parade their color, and this year it was the turn of a company of the Irish Guards, which has Kate as its honorary colonel. The troops in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats were led onto the parade ground by their mascot, an Irish wolfhound named Seamus.

In this photo, you can see the Wales family watching all of the action.

Another view. 

Prince Louis did a little dance when listening to the music. 

https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1801933176161378751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener

The King’s son, brother, and sister taking part in today’s parade. The Princess Royal was on Darby, the Duke of Edinburgh rode Noble, and Prince William rode Sir John.

All three wore uniforms of the regiments of which they are Royal Colonels. Princess Anne was in the Blues and Royals uniform, while Prince William wore his Welsh Guards uniform, and Prince Edward was in the Scots Guards uniform.

More than one thousand military personnel from the British Army’s Household Division took part in today’s parade. 

Another view of the military display.

In this photo, the Duchess of Edinburgh is alongside some of the Wales children, and to the right, the Gloucesters are visible.

There were also 242 military working horses, 250 military musicians, 40 pipers, and drummers participating today.

Today’s event marked the first time in more than 100 years that soldiers on parade were allowed to have beards.

After the parade, it was time for the fly-past at Buckingham Palace. Despite the weather, crowds surged toward Buckingham Palace, as shown in this video posted by Royal Central.

https://twitter.com/RoyalCentral/status/1801945777586983190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener

Family members on the balcony.

Fortunately, the sun came out just as that element of the ceremony was getting underway.  

Once the family was on the balcony, we saw Princess Charlotte giving her younger brother a little nudge during the national anthem. 

The Queen and Duchess of Edinburgh enjoying a little chat.

Princess Anne, Sir Tim, and the Duke of Kent. 

The Edinburghs. 

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. 
Embed from Getty Images
The Prince and Princess of Wales.

The Prince of Wales with Princes George and Louis. 

And the King with the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte. 

The big finale is the Red Arrows flypast.

It is always spectacular. 

After the flypast, a wave goodbye. 

Now for a quick look at what some of the other Royal Family members were wearing. We begin with the Queen, who was in a pale green silk crepe dress and coat from Anna Valentine and a chapeau by Philip Treacy. Jewelry details come via The Court Jeweller: “…a pair of diamond floral clips with pearl drops, with a favorite pearl and diamond necklace and the Grenadier Guards Badge that belonged to her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II.”

And now the Duchess of Edinburgh, wearing the Yahvi dress (£625, about $790 at today’s exchange rates) by Beulah London. (The Princess of Wales wore this design in dark green in 2019.) The Duchess accessorized with Jane Taylor’s Persephone hat, a tear-shaped cocktail style in double crepe with a birdcage veil and bow. Her earrings are by Giulia Barela. Thanks to Royal Fashion Police for some ID assistance. 

Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor in a dress by Suzannah and a Jane Taylor hat previously worn by her mother.

It is the dress she wore to the Coronation last year.

And now for our look at the Princess of Wales. 

She brought back a Jenny Packham design that was initially worn for the pre-coronation luncheon and walkabout last May. 

The style is similar to two other Jenny Packham designs worn by the Princess, a blue sheath worn in Northern Ireland in October 2022, and the black dress worn to view floral tributes in mid-September at Windsor following the Queen’s death.

All three resemble the Thetis Dress ($2900) as offered at BergdorfGoodman, from the spring/summer ’24 resort collection. The design is a classic sheath with a round neckline, long sleeves that zip at the cuff, and a concealed back zipper. Obviously, the Princess updated her dress with the bow at the neck/shoulde, and a change made at the waist.

Thoughts on the dress choice via Tamara Abraham, The Telegraph’s Fashion Editor. 

By choosing a dress that was last worn for such an important moment for the King, it suggests a nod of support and honour for the monarch on his official birthday.

And from this piece by the New York Times’s Fashion Director, Vanessa Friedman. 

She wore a white knee-length Jenny Packham dress with a black-and-white striped belt and a jaunty bow at the neck, topped off with a Phillip Treacy hat, angled just so.

The nautical theme was reflected in the navy dress with a sailor collar and white trim worn by Princess Charlotte (who also wore white shoes to go with her mother), along with the matching double-breasted navy suits with their gold buttons, white shirts and bright blue ties of Princes George and Louis, all of which made a neat Union Jack trio with William’s bright red military uniform — which in turn matched that of Charles and Prince Edward.

If you would like to read Vanessa Friedman’s entire piece, this link allows you to see the article without worrying about the paywall. 

For some, the bow at the neck brought back Audrey Hepburn’s ensemble in My Fair Lady. 

The Sunday Times headline writers referenced the film on the paper’s front page. 

The Princess accessorized with a new Philip Treacy hat. Thank you to Innominate and to Gabi for the ID. 

This photo offers a good view of the Princess’s updo.

Additional accessories included the Princess’s Jimmy Choo Romy 85 pumps in white leather and the Mulberry Bayswater clutch.

The Princess wore her Cassandra Goad Cavolfiore Pearl Diamond Earrings ($6061). The earrings are made of 18K yellow gold with pearls and diamonds. They are described as being “inspired by the Sicilian markets, which are full of the most beautifully ripe fruit and vegetables that overflow copiously from their baskets.”

The Princess is wearing a Regimental Irish Guards brooch in her role as Colonel of the Regiment of the Irish Guards. 

Here is a ‘thank you’ video from Kensington Palace 

https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1801995004870553625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener

And one final photo of the Princess of Wales. 

For last week’s retrospective piece covering all of the Princess’s Trooping the Colour looks, click here. 

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VIDEOS: 

This video from the Royal Family Channel covers the balcony appearance.

 The Royal Family Channel covers carriage rides and the parade in this 2-minute video.