The Princess of Wales carried the memory of the late Queen with her when she embarked on her most important royal engagement of the year this morning, looking majestic in a berry ensemble.

At a pompous and pageantry-filled ceremony in London’s Horse Guards Parade, Catherine, 42, wore a burgundy coat dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen (though she had just left for Givenchy) and a matching hat from Sahar Millinery as she met the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the first of his three wives, Sheikha Jawaher.

Catherine gave the ceremonial welcome of the Qatari royals a glamorous touch, marking a significant moment for the Princess as she returns to this official engagement after being sidelined for months while undergoing chemotherapy. Her choice of berry echoed the same hues she wore in Southport in September while visiting families who had lost three young daughters in a terrible knife attack in July.The royal chose important jewels to commemorate the momentous occasion and arrived at Horse Guards Parade with her husband, Prince William, in tow. Her hair was styled in an elegant and elaborate updo.

She wore the late Queen’s Japanese pearl choker necklace and her £30,000 Bahrain pearl drop earrings, which Princess Diana had also worn.

Catherine wore the sapphire stone today after admirers pointed out earlier in the fall that the Princess’s engagement ring—which had previously belonged to Princess Diana—had been swapped out for an eternity ring.

The Princess chose to wear a pair of leather berry boots instead of her typical matching-colored suede pumps.

Queen Camilla, who will miss part of the events planned for the two-day visit due to illness, was conspicuously absent from the event, despite Catherine’s signature elegance and glamour.

In royal circles, however, the Princess of Wales’s participation in this morning’s ceremony has been praised as a “positive sign” of her recuperation as she gradually returns to public life.

Before going to a private lunch, she will participate in the carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace in addition to the formal welcome on Horse Guards Parade.

Catherine plans to remain in order to observe an exhibit of valuable Qatari artifacts from the Royal Collection. The glitzy state banquet tonight is the only part of the day that she will miss.

As the Princess continues her gradual and methodical return to public life following the conclusion of her preventative chemotherapy treatment, a royal source called the announcement of her attendance “good news.”

Following major abdominal surgery in January, doctors discovered evidence of the disease, and Catherine announced in March that she had started a course of treatment.

She declared in September that this was now finished, but she cautioned that it would require patience and time before she could resume her full-time royal responsibilities.

As Catherine prepares to host her yearly Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on Friday, today’s events signal the beginning of a busier week for her.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, and her husband, Prince William, are anticipated to accompany the Princess at that event.

 

However, due to the “lingering” effects of a “nasty viral chest infection,” Camilla has withdrawn from today’s welcome at Horse Guards Parade per her doctor’s advice.

Despite being particularly “fatigued,” the 77-year-old royal, who became ill a month ago, will attend the lunch at Buckingham Palace and the majority of the State Banquet this evening.

She will welcome their VIP guests, take pictures, and then retire during a long receiving line so as not to wear herself out, but she will then attend the dinner.

According to sources, Camilla had a “nasty viral chest infection” that still “has some lingering side effects, in particular leaving Her Majesty with significantly diminished reserves of energy.” However, they emphasized that there was no reason for concern.

 

 

They claimed that as a result, her doctors suggested some “tweaks” to her program.

Given the nature of her illness, they emphasized, it was a prudent precaution that she did not accompany the King at Horse Guards Parade for a full ceremonial welcome and an open-air carriage drive back to Buckingham Palace on a cold morning.

Nearly a month ago, on November 5, her diagnosis was first made public after it was revealed that she had been compelled to leave Westminster Abbey’s Field of Remembrance. Over the weekend, she attended additional events, such as the Cenotaph, to honor the country’s war dead.

The Queen takes these responsibilities very seriously as the daughter of a twice decorated Second World War veteran, and the Mail was informed by people close to her that her absence was an indication of how ill she was feeling.

Since then, Camilla has participated in a number of public events, such as the yearly diplomatic reception, but she has occasionally reduced the amount of time she spends in public.

During her brief appearance at a reception last month honoring the UK’s film and television industry, the Queen subtly coughed multiple times and appreciatively drank a glass of water. She claimed to have felt “absolutely rotten” the previous week but was unquestionably “on the mend.”

Her Majesty simply needs time to “rest and recover fully, which is more challenging with a back-to-back diary program like the state visit,” according to sources, who also emphasized that there has been “no alteration” in any diagnosis or treatment being received.

Although she is taking each day as it comes, there won’t be any significant changes to her other diary obligations for the remainder of the week.

Her medical team’s advice indicates that in these situations, symptoms of post-viral fatigue may fluctuate and last for a few weeks.

Camilla will take pictures with the Emir and Sheikha Jawaher at tonight’s state banquet, but she will take a quick break during the long receiving line.

Tomorrow, she will join the King for the formal farewells and attend the dinner as scheduled.

Following her husband’s cancer diagnosis at the beginning of the year and his ongoing treatment, Camilla has received recognition for her efforts this year. She has been called a “trooper” by sources.

One of the highlights of the royal calendar, today’s state visit is a demonstration of royal “soft diplomacy” in action.

As the first Middle Eastern state to be invited for a full state visit to the UK since Charles’ accession, senior Qatari diplomats told the Mail that they are “deeply honored” that the King has selected their nation.

With the 44-year-old Emir having studied in Britain, first at Sherborne and then Harrow, and then at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, the nation has a positive diplomatic relationship with the UK.

The late Queen Elizabeth II is still highly regarded, and Charles has had multiple meetings with the Emir.

Strong trade, cultural, and military ties exist between the two nations as well. Qatar is a significant investor in the UK, not only in real estate and building projects but also in science and technology.

However, issues have been brought up regarding human rights, especially with regard to migrant workers, and the authoritarian nature of the ruling family in Qatar.

During the visit, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir, will be accompanied by Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani, his first wife and second cousin.

She typically goes with him on official trips overseas and is the mother of four of his thirteen children. He has two other wives as well.

The Lord in Waiting, the Viscount Hood, welcomed the couple upon their arrival at London Stansted Airport yesterday on behalf of the sovereign.

William and Catherine will formally greet them at their home today, and then they will be led to Horse Guards Parade, where the King will be waiting for a grand ceremonial welcome.

The Emir will be invited to view a Guard of Honour, and national anthems will be played.

The royal party will then make their way back to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession for a private lunch, after which there will be an exhibition of Qatar-related artifacts from the Turquoise Mountain charity and the Royal Collection Trust in the Picture Gallery.

The Emir will later be received by William at Kensington Palace prior to the state banquet that evening, which he will attend but his wife will not.

The Emir will visit Sandhurst tomorrow, the last day of the two-day visit, before going to the Palace to formally say goodbye to the King.

Sheikh Tamim will also meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in a bilateral meeting at Downing Street.

Over the past 11 months, since she essentially stepped away from public life to concentrate on her health, Catherine has attended a number of high-profile events, including Wimbledon, Remembrance Sunday, and Trooping the Colour.

However, since she will be participating in events much more actively and being in the public eye for a considerable amount of time, today’s appearance will be her most important to date.

As part of her gradual return to full-time royal duties, Catherine is taking a new step forward, which will excite royal watchers.

She expressed her “relief” at having finished her chemotherapy treatment in September, but she also emphasized that the previous nine months had been “incredibly tough” for their family.

In January, she was initially brought to the hospital for what has only been described as extensive abdominal surgery.

Doctors later discovered evidence of cancer, though, and suggested a course of preventative chemotherapy.

Before the princess courageously revealed her diagnosis to the world in March, the couple decided to keep the news quiet for a few weeks in order to process the information and safeguard their kids.

Speaking about the “complex, scary, and unpredictable nature” of cancer journeys, Catherine recently stated that her goal is to “stay cancer free” and that it will take her a “long” time to fully recover.

The Princess emphasized that her attention would continue to be on her ongoing recuperation and her young family, but she did say she would make a few more public appearances in the upcoming months when she could.