Kate Middleton stepped out to honor an annual tradition surrounding Remembrance Day, with her eldest child, Prince George, at her side. Prince William, who just returned to the U.K. from a trip to Brazil, did not appear to be in attendance.
The Princess of Wales, 43, joined King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Royal British Legion’s annual Festival of Remembrance at Royal Albert Hall in London.
George, 12, made his first appearance at the festival. In another first, he previously joined his parents at the Buckingham Palace tea party King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted for veterans and members of the World War II generation on May 5.
Saturday’s annual event honoring fallen soldiers from the U.K. and the Commonwealth is a staple on the royal calendar. The Princess of Wales even made a rare outing at the event last year despite spending most of 2024 out of the public eye as she received cancer treatment. She announced she was in remission in January.
Following tradition, Princess Kate and Prince George wore dark ensembles adorned with red poppy pins. The symbol, believed to come from the John McCrae poem “In Flanders Fields,” has been used since 1921 to commemorate military members who have died in war.
Members of the royal family will gather again tomorrow for the National Service of Remembrance, also known as Remembrance Sunday, at The Cenotaph war memorial in London.
On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Princess Kate will mark Armistice Day by visiting the National Memorial Arboretum and attending their Service of Remembrance. She will join other visitors in observing a two-minute moment of silence at 11 a.m. and lay a wreath at the Armed Forces Memorial in memory of all those who have served, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
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Meanwhile, other royals — including the King, Queen and Prince William — are set to attend a reception at Windsor Castle for veterans who served in World War II on Tuesday.
The series of Remembrance Day events comes after a busy few weeks out of the public eye for Princess Kate. The royal couple scaled down their engagements to spend time with their three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — during their school’s half-term break, and the family moved into their new home, Forest Lodge in Windsor. The eight-bedroom residence is said to be the family’s long-term home, where they plan to stay even when William accedes to the throne.
Then, over the past week, Prince William made a solo trip to Brazil, with the highlight of his visit being the fifth Earthshot Prize awards ceremony. Five winners were announced as part of the royal heir’s 10-year project to find innovations to help the environment.
The Festival of Remembrance also marked the royal family’s first major gathering since the former Prince Andrew, 65, was stripped of his royal titles. Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday, Oct. 30, that King Charles had begun the process of removing his brother’s royal titles and honors, including prince. He will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
Andrew will also vacate his longtime residence of Royal Lodge in Windsor. PEOPLE understands that he will relocate to a property on the private Sandringham estate, and any future accommodation will be privately funded by King Charles.
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