The Princess of Wales will make a major appearance on Monday, it has been announced.
The Princess of Wales is set to make a major appearance next week as she will join her husband, the Prince of Wales, as well as King Charles and Queen Camilla for the annual Commonwealth Day service, Buckingham Palace has announced. Princess Kate missed the event last year as she was undergoing treatment for a type of cancer, as did the King.
The royal couples will be also joined by Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester for the service on Monday in Westminster Abbey. This year’s Commonwealth Day theme is “Together We Thrive”, which celebrates the “enduring spirit of the Commonwealth family”. Charles, who is Head of the Commonwealth, gives an annual address each year to the family of 56 nations, but last year pre-recorded a video message after postponing his public-facing duties for around three months.
Princess Kate did not attend the Commonwealth Day Service last year (Image: Getty)
The Commonwealth as a whole is a voluntary association of 56 independent nations, almost all of which were formerly under British rule.
Kate is still making a gradual return to royal duties after taking a break last year to undergo preventative chemotherapy.
The future Queen’s last appearance was last Wednesday when she, along with William, travelled to South Wales to carry out engagements in Pontypridd ahead of St David’s Day.
On Monday, the King and Queen will be met by the Dean of Westminster and will greet members of the Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Pipe Band (SMSPB), a community band from the world’s first Hindu eco-temple, Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Kingsbury.
Charles and Camilla will then join the rest of the royals to form a procession and follow the Commonwealth Mace Bearer, three-time Paralympic champion, and two-time world champion in track cycling, Kadeena Cox.
This year, the Commonwealth flag will be carried by Heritage Sanmi Lawal, a Commonwealth Youth Gender & Equality Network member and anti-gender-based violence advocate from Nigeria.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will lead the nation at this year’s service (Image: Getty)
This year’s service will also include special musical performances Masai Cultural Arts team, Britain’s Got Talent 2015 semi-finalists, Braimah and Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, the first Master of The King’s Music, Errollyn Wallen, and Samoan soprano, Aivale Cole and Joan Armatrading.
Before leaving, the royals are expected to meet those involved in the service, the Commonwealth Flag Bearers.
According to the Palace, guests of honour among the 2,000-strong congregation will include Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Scotland, the Commonwealth Secretary-General Elect, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, High Commissioners, senior politicians and dignitaries from across the UK and the Commonwealth.
More than 700 school children and Commonwealth Games Athletes, including Sir Chris Hoy and Shanice Beckford-Norton, will also be attending.
The service will be broadcast live from Westminster Abbey on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
