The Princess of Wales attended the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in a solemn manner, but she seemed to be missing out on a significant custom.
As the King, Prince of Wales, Princess Royal, and Duke of Edinburgh laid their wreaths at the base of the memorial, Catherine and the Duchess of Edinburgh observed the events from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office balcony.
Normally, Prince William and Catherine sign the wreath together, but this year, astute royal fans noticed, the Prince’s signature was the only one on it.
The message read: “In memory of all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. We will remember them.”
The Princess of Wales may not have signed the wreath because her appearances over Remembrance weekend were only confirmed on Friday, as she gradually resumed her public duties.
Before the Festival of Remembrance and the Remembrance Sunday service, Catherine, who finished chemotherapy on Friday, had only been to three significant public gatherings.
She watched the flypast from the balcony after joining her kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, in the carriage procession at Trooping the Colour in June.
She accompanied her sister Pippa Matthews and daughter Charlotte to the Wimbledon men’s final a month later.
Catherine and William made a surprise appearance in Southport a few weeks after she released an emotional video message announcing that she had finished her cancer treatment. There, they met the first responders who assisted at the scene and the three grieving families impacted by the tragic July attack.
Catherine’s latest appearances
The Princess made two solemn and highly significant appearances.
First, during a standing ovation for World War Two veterans on Saturday night at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, she seemed clearly moved.
She also stood on the balcony during Sunday’s service at the Cenotaph to honour those who have died in war. Following the ceremony, the Duchess of Edinburgh was seen putting a comforting hand on her niece-in-law’s back.
At both events, Catherine wore black as a sign of respect. She wore an upcycled Catherine Walker coat with an extra velvet bow on the collar to the Cenotaph service and what looked to be a reworked Alexander McQueen pleated coat dress to the Festival of Remembrance.