Kate Middleton and Prince William decided to be the officers at Trooping the Color 2026 on Saturday, along with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Middleton looked stunning in a powder green Catherine Walker dress paired with a matching wide-brimmed hat by Philip Treacy, bringing a sophisticated touch to the royal procession to Buckingham Palace to mark the monarch’s birthday.
She completed her look with Cassandra Goad pearl drop earrings, a pair she wore earlier this year to the installation of the new Archbishop of Canterbury and was first seen in 2018 at the christening of her youngest son, Prince Louis, City and Country.
King Charles and Queen Camilla rode in a horse-drawn carriage dressed in red for the occasion, Charles in a medal-embellished military uniform and Camilla in a red coat and plumed navy hat.
Prince William, Prince Edward and Princess Anne all rode on horseback behind the royal carriage, taking part in the traditional royal procession through central London.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – famous for quarreling with the family and leaving their duties as members of the royal family in 2020 – were also absent from the event, choosing to stay at home in Southern California.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal title last year, was also absent.
Prince Harry and Markle last attended the event on Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, although they watched the military parade from the balcony with other non-working royals rather than taking part in the carriage procession or from the balcony.
After leaving the royal family and moving to Montecito, California, the couple expanded their family to include Princess Lilibet, now 5, and Prince Archie, now 7.
Despite a strained relationship with the royal family, Prince Harry – who recently celebrated eight years with Markle – hopes to bring his wife and children to England within weeks, where he will promote his 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.
A source told Page Six that she will not, however, see Prince William amid the ongoing rift.
The Prince and Princess of Wales looked equally stunning at last year’s event, with Middleton, 44, wearing a sharply tailored aquamarine look alongside Princess Charlotte’s matching flutter dress.
Prince Louis and Prince George joined the traditional festivities in black suits and red ties, while Prince William, 43, wore a royal red jacket – a close match to his father’s red coat.
Queen Camilla, on the other hand, opted for a white look with white charm.
Middleton was seen riding in a royal carriage with her three children at a summer event, at one point sharing a laugh with them.
Middleton’s appearance at last year’s Trooping the Color show came just months after she announced she was in remission following her cancer diagnosis, which she revealed in 2024.
Trooping the Color marks the birthday of King Charles III – although his birthday is actually November 14 – and is celebrated with a symbolic appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for members of the royal family.
Middleton and Prince William’s appearance at Trooping the Color comes after the couple came face-to-face with ex-husband Rupert Finch at a family wedding last weekend.
The women, along with their spouses, both attended the wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling in the Cotswolds.
Prince William is a cousin of Phillips.
King Charles and Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, and Phillips’ sister Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall were also in attendance at the church wedding.
Middleton and Finch – who is now married to Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs – briefly dated back in 2001, when they both visited St. Andrews.
Middleton famously dated Prince William – after catching his eye at a 2002 fashion show – before marrying him in 2011.
