Princess Catherine just made a dazzling return to the royal spotlight for Commonwealth Day. A year ago, both she and King Charles vanished from public life, battling cancer in the shadows. Now, as she steps back into the world’s gaze, every glance, every gesture sparks curiosity. She’s changed—but how? The comparisons to her past self are inevitable, the changes subtle yet impossible to ignore.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, made a striking appearance at Westminster Abbey on Monday, joining King Charles III and other senior royals to celebrate Commonwealth Day. The event, a vibrant showcase of performances from across the 56-member state association.
Stepping into the spotlight, Kate effortlessly commanded attention in a bold red coat dress by Catherine Walker & Co., complemented by a matching Gina Foster hat and heels. Attending alongside Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Princess of Wales didn’t just mark her presence—she made a statement, subtly weaving elegance and symbolism into her regal ensemble.
For Commonwealth Day, the Princess of Wales chose a familiar favorite, rewearing her bold red Catherine Walker coatdress. The elegant design, featuring a statement bow at the collar and large buttons down the front, has made multiple appearances in her wardrobe. She first wore it for the Royal Carols: Together at Christmas concert in December 2021 and later for the state visit of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee in November 2023.
Kate is known for reusing and restyling her outfits, and this occasion was no different. She refreshed the look with her signature touch—adding a delicate bow—proving once again that timeless fashion can always feel new.
The Princess of Wales spent much of the past year undergoing treatment, stepping away from public life to focus on her recovery. Now, having completed chemotherapy, she has been making select public appearances, each sparking conversation about her changing appearance.
Her attendance at the Commonwealth Day service was no exception. Seated alongside Prince William, Kate’s striking red ensemble caught attention, but so did her noticeably slimmer frame.
Social media reactions were mixed—some expressed concern, with comments like “She is so thin” and “She looks unwell and tired” and “She lost a lot of weight…”
Others pointed out how different she and Prince William appeared after the difficult past year, with one remarking, “They look so old.”
However, there was an overwhelming wave of admiration and support alongside these observations. Fans filled the comment sections with messages of encouragement: “So lovely to see you together. Princess Catherine looks stunning in red,” “Glad she is doing so well!!!” and “So good to see her. She looks beautiful like always.”
Some praised her resilience, and others applauded her return, saying, “Great to see the Princess of Wales doing well. Such an elegant beauty.”
Through it all, one thing is clear—her presence continues to captivate and inspire, making each appearance more than just a return to duty, but a powerful statement of resilience.
Look: Princess Charlotte appears in new photo on her 10th birthday
Prince William and Kate Middleton are celebrating daughter Princess Charlotte’s 10th birthday.
The couple marked the occasion Friday by posting a new photo of Charlotte to their shared Instagram account.
“Happy 10th birthday Princess Charlotte!” they said in the caption.
The image shows Charlotte smiling at the camera with a mountainous landscape behind her. Photo credit is given to Middleton, formally known as Catherine, princess of Wales.
Many comments remarked on Charlotte’s resemblance to William.
“Happy Birthday Princess Charlotte! Who is clearly her father’s mini-me!” one comment reads.
William and Middleton also share Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, 7. The couple celebrated 14 years of marriage on Tuesday.
Charlotte’s birthday celebration will take place in Windsor, according to ABC News.
Princess Kate just broke her own tradition with new Princess Charlotte portrait
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Prince William and Princess Kate‘s second child, Princess Charlotte, turned 10 on Friday, and the brand new birthday portrait the royal family released is so adorable.
In many ways, the portrait broke some royal traditions: typically, the Princess of Wales uses a more professional camera to take the pictures of her kids, but this time around she used her iPhone.
As with Prince Louis’ portrait, the family also decided to post the image directly to their social media, rather than under embargo to press the day before, which they had done every year until 2024.
However, there’s another change that comes with this portrait that feels even more symbolic of the direction that the British royal family is taking with their public image.
The new portrait of Princess Charlotte, and to a slightly lesser extent the one of Prince Louis from last month, is by far the most casual royal portrait to date, with a truly candid ‘family-photo’ feel.
Through an informal look at a mother and daughter on a hike in Cumbria, Prince William‘s wife is showcasing just how close and in-sync she is with her daughter.
It feels as if we’re getting a glimpse into what the modern royal family’s life truly looks like, especially with Princess Kate appearing to be one of the most hands-on royal mothers in history.
Prince Louis’ birthday portrait
On 23 April, the younger brother of Prince George turned seven, and showed off his beaming gap-toothed smile in the incredibly cute birthday portrait, which also broke a royal tradition.
Prince William and Princess Kate’s youngest child was photographed sitting on a log in a bluebell wood, dressed up in jeans, a white checked collared shirt and a dark olive jumper – an outfit that wouldn’t look too out of place in his stylish mother’s wardrobe.
The major change, however, was that the mother-of-three did not take the picture herself, for the first time since took the first official portraits of Princess Charlotte back in 2015. In fact, the picture was taken by photographer Josh Shinner, earlier in the month.
This isn’t the first time that this tradition has been broken: for Prince George’s 10th birthday in 2023, the photographer Millie Pilkington was enlisted to take the picture.
Princess Charlotte is turning 10 and looking a lot like her father, Prince William, at the same age!
Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s only daughter celebrated her 10th birthday on May 2, and the royal couple released a new picture of the princess to commemorate the occasion.
“Happy 10th Birthday Princess Charlotte!” they said in the caption of the portrait taken by Princess Kate, who often gets behind the camera for birthday snaps of Charlotte and her brothers, Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, 7. The latest photo showed Charlotte smiling as she sat on a grassy mountain, wearing her hair in a ponytail and sporting a camouflage jacket with a backpack.
Sky News reported that the snap was captured by Kate on her iPhone in Cumbria, England, earlier this year, and Charlotte’s resemblance to William was uncanny.
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It has long been said that Prince William, 42, and Princess Charlotte have a similar smile and eyes, and even he has commented about their shared looks.
While viewing a childhood picture of himself featured in a display in January 2020, William asked, “Is that me? Because that looks just like Charlotte. That is incredible.”
“It looks so much like Charlotte,” Princess Kate.
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William and Charlotte are known to share a tight father-daughter bond, which the world occasionally gets glimpses of. The princess was wrapped in a hug by her dad while they stood together on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in June 2023, and she held his hand during the royal family’s walk to church on Christmas in 2024.
The Prince of Wales has also spoken about the activities his daughter is interested in as a way to connect with children he meets around her age at official engagements.
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“Charlotte loves her dancing and performing as well, so I’m going to show her your video when I get home, see where I’ve been today,” Prince William told 10-year-old performer Ruby Davies during a school stop in Wales last year.
