Princess Kate joins senior royals at Festival of Remembrance

The Princess of Wales joined King Charles and other senior royals at a Remembrance event in London on Saturday night, her first major formal appearance since finishing chemotherapy.

Catherine, 42, is gradually returning to public duties following her cancer treatment earlier this year.

She joined Prince William and other members of the Royal Family as well as senior politicians at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night, where they watched the commemorative concert from the royal box.

The King, who has also been treated for cancer, received a standing ovation from the audience when he arrived.

He was not accompanied by Queen Camilla because she is recovering from a chest infection. She will also not attend the Sunday service at the Cenotaph.

The Festival of Remembrance was held to pay respect to serving personnel, veterans and their families.

The Royal British Legion event featured a performance from Sir Tom Jones, who performed I Won’t Crumble With You If I Fall with the Royal Air Force band, and salutes by military personnel.

The royal family stood at points to clap for veterans, and later in the night joined in the singing of a hymn.

The concert and the service at the Cenotaph on Sunday are among the most important events on the royal calendar.

Catherine is also expected to attend the Remembrance Day ceremony on Sunday.

King Charles, 75, will lead the royal family at that event too. The King, who is still receiving cancer treatment, will lay a wreath at the memorial in Whitehall, London on Sunday.

The palace announced in February that he had been diagnosed with cancer and would take time away from public life to undergo treatment.

The following month, Catherine revealed that she too had been diagnosed with cancer and was getting treatment.

In an emotional video address in September, she announced she had completed her treatment and was looking forward to undertaking more engagements “when I can”.

But she added her focus was “doing what I can to stay cancer free”.

The palace has not disclosed what type of cancer they both have.

Both Catherine and the King have since made limited returns to public duties. Charles recently toured Australia and Samoa, an overseas trip during which his treatment was paused.

For Catherine, Remembrance events had been flagged as an example of when she might make a public appearance.

She had already made a few tentative returns, beginning with her first public appearance after her cancer diagnosis at the annual Trooping the Colour parade in June.

In September, she attended her first official work meeting since her treatment ended.

In October, Catherine visited Southport with the Prince of Wales – where they met the families of three children killed in a knife attack in the town.

The Remembrance events, which are a big date in the royal calendar, are being seen as another major milestone in her return to public life.

On Thursday while in tour in South Africa, Prince William described the past year as the “hardest year” of his life.

“I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done,” he told reporters at the end of his visit to South Africa to promote his Earthshot eco-project.

“But from a personal family point of view, it’s been brutal.”

Queen Camilla’s absence followed medical guidance “to ensure a full recovery from a seasonal chest infection” and to protect others, the Palace said in a statement on Saturday.

You can watch the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance on BBC One from 2100GMT on Saturday 9 November or on iPlayer.