Following the conclusion of her cancer treatment, the Princess of Wales made an unusual appearance by attending an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle with her husband, Prince William.
Even though Catherine was not present during the service, she and William met with 16-year-old Liz Hatton after it ended. Liz Hatton is an aspiring photographer who was given a rare and aggressive cancer diagnosis back in January.
William had heard about the teenager’s story through the London Air Ambulance Charity, so he invited Liz to take pictures of the investiture ceremony. For the event, the child was accompanied by her brother Mateo, stepfather Aaron, and mother Vicky Robanya.
During their meeting, Catherine was seen giving the teenager an embrace. The royal was dressed in maroon for the event.
The Prince and Princess tweeted after the meeting, saying, “It was a pleasure to meet Liz at Windsor today.” A gifted young photographer whose courage and imagination have motivated us both. We appreciate you sharing your story and pictures with us. W & C.
Liz also shared the pictures on social media and expressed her gratitude to the royal family for their generosity. “Such a lovely, genuine and kind people, I’m over the moon that my family and I had this experience.”
This is the princess’s first official photo since she declared she was going back to work after her chemotherapy treatment was finished.
On September 9th, Catherine verified the information and outlined her plan to resume work. “I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can,” she said.
As part of her gradual return to public duties, Catherine will work on a light schedule through the end of the year, which will include a few public appearances in the upcoming months.
Although the royal has been holding meetings, they have not been made public. A week after Catherine announced her news, a Court Circular report came out revealing that the mother-of-three had hosted an Early Years Meeting at Windsor Castle.
Photo: © Getty Images
Catherine also paid a quiet visit to Sadlers Wells last week to see the English National Ballet’s matinee performance of Giselle. “Congratulations and thank you to @ENBallet and @Sadlers_Wells for the wonderfully powerful, moving and inspiring performance of Akram Khan’s Giselle,” the royal wrote on social media after the show. At its most creative! C.”
Her excursion happened soon after Catherine and William left for Balmoral, where the royal couple attended church.
During the church service, the couple was seen with other members of the royal family, including King Charles and Queen Camilla. This marked their first public appearance together since Catherine’s announcement about her return to royal duties.
As she slowly resumes her schedule, Catherine is expected to focus on causes close to her heart, such as early childhood development, mental health, and the arts. These engagements have always been central to her royal work, and sources say she’s eager to continue advocating for these issues.
An insider mentioned, “The princess is determined to take things at her own pace as she returns to public life. Her health and well-being remain a top priority, but she’s also looking forward to being able to continue supporting the causes she’s passionate about.”
Catherine’s next scheduled engagement will be with The Royal Foundation, where she plans to meet with representatives from organizations focusing on early childhood education. She will also reportedly participate in planning sessions for the Shaping Us campaign, a project she launched earlier this year aimed at highlighting the importance of the early years.
As Catherine gradually increases her public duties, royal observers have noted that her engagements are likely to be smaller in scale for the time being, allowing her to manage her schedule more effectively while prioritizing her recovery.