The King and Queen hosted a state banquet for the Emir of Qatar at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night – but the Princess of Wales was noticeably absent from the white-tie dinner.
Kensington Palace confirmed in advance that Kate, 42, would not attend the banquet after welcoming Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani at their private residence alongside Prince William on Tuesday morning.
The Princess was involved in the ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade in London, travelling in a carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace, before lunch and viewing an exhibition of Qatari items in the Picture Gallery.
Kate has made just a handful of public appearances so far in 2024, after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January and then was diagnosed with cancer.
Her first significant appearance of the year was at Trooping the Colour in June, followed by the Wimbledon Men’s Final in July.
The Princess confirmed in a moving video message in September that she had completed chemotherapy, with the palace emphasising that she would be making a gradual return to her public duties. Kate said she was “looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months”.
But she added her focus was “doing what I can to stay cancer free”.
READ: Princess Kate Returns To Royal Duties For Qatar State Visit
In October, she made a surprise visit with William to meet the bereaved families of the victims of the Southport attack. She also honoured the war dead at Remembrance events in November.
On Friday, the Princess will host her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey, with members of the royal family in attendance.
Kensington Palace previously said the service will reflect on “how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives”. It was revealed over the weekend that each of the 1,600 guests at the Abbey will also receive a heartfelt letter from Kate, in which she refers to love as “the greatest gift we can receive”.
The Abbey will be decorated with sustainable, festive decorations and foliage, and in a touching move, this year a “Kindness Tree” will be cited outside the Abbey for guests to dedicate a decoration to someone who has supported them throughout their life.
English