Kate Middleton makes surprise appearance at royal garden party in colour of season

The Princess of Wales surprised guests by attending her first Buckingham Palace garden party in two years after missing out on last year’s events as she underwent cancer treatment

The Princess of Wales has stunned in the shade of season as she attended her first Buckingham Palace garden party in two years. Kate surprised guests by joining husband Prince William for the event this afternoon who is hosting on behalf of his father, the King.

It is the first garden party that Kate has attended in since 2023 after missing last year’s events as she was in the middle of her cancer treatment. The princess, whose attendance was not announced in advance as is the custom for garden parties, was dressed in a butter yellow Emilia Wickstead dress and hat by Philip Treacy.

Joining them for the party, were Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, as well as William’s non-working royal 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.

At the party today, both William are Kate are meeting guests from a number of both their patronages, military affiliations and passion projects including Homewards, Action for Children, Ty Hafan children’s hospice and tenants across Duchy of Cornwall sites.

Also in attendance are the family of Liz Hatton, a teenager who met William and Kate last year, just months before she passed away from cancer. Her mum Vicky, stepdad Aaron and her younger brother Mateo have recently created a charity called Capture, to support those with Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour, in Liz’s honour.

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. Today 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 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.