Princess Catherine reunites with royal family members in surprise Balmoral appearance

The Princess of Wales attended a service at Crathie Church with Prince William, Prince George and more on Sunday, Aug. 25

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge smiles during a visit to Little Village’s hub in Brent to meet staff and hear about how the baby bank is supporting local families by ensuring that they have access to essential items for their young children on June 8, 2022 in London

Kate Middleton is stepping out for a rare appearance amid her cancer treatment.

The Princess of Wales, 42, was photographed attending a service at Crathie Church on the Balmoral Estate on Sunday, Aug. 25, photos obtained by The Daily Mail show.

She was joined by her husband, Prince William, and the couple’s oldest child, son Prince George, for the daytime outing, which marked her first public appearance in over a month.

Kate wore a light brown outfit that she paired with a feather hat, while William, also 42, sported a navy suit.

The trio was reportedly joined by King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, plus their son, James Wessex, the outlet reported.

Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince George of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend The “Together At Christmas” Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 08, 2023 in London, England.

Princess Kate revealed her cancer diagnosis in March and shared that she was undergoing chemotherapy. At the time, she requested “time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment.”

In a later update, the Princess of Wales said in a personal letter that “there are good days and bad days,” but she shared a hope to join “a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet.”

Since then, the royal has made a few public appearances amid her recovery, including Trooping the Colour in June and Wimbledon a month later.

Princess Kate did miss several royal events that are usually part of her calendar, however, including Garter Day, Royal Ascot and the Japan state visit to the U.K. She also appeared to stay home when Prince William celebrated his 42nd birthday at Taylor Swift’s London stop of the Eras Tour on June 21 with Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales arrive at St Davids Cathedral to commemorate the life of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the first anniversary of her passing
Members of the royal family typically retreat from the spotlight during the summer months, when they opt to spend private time together.

Some of that break may be spent on vacation at one of their favorite destinations, including Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where the British royals traditionally gather each August. Kate, William and their children also spend time at their country home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk.

“She won’t have to be on center stage,” a palace insider previously told PEOPLE about how Kate would spend the late summer stay at Balmoral. “Being with her family and just being herself will give her energy. There will be plenty of time to focus on her recovery.”

Earlier this month, Kensington Palace announced that William will return to public work when he visits the Homelessness: Reframed exhibit at the Saatchi Gallery in London on Sept. 5.

Homelessness: Reframed is a collaboration between Prince William’s Homewards program, which he launched with the Royal Foundation in June 2023 to help end homelessness for good, the Saatchi Gallery and the Eleven Eleven Foundation. The presentation opened on Aug. 7, and the Prince of Wales will visit before it closes on Sept. 20.

When Kate Middleton became a member of the royal family, her own family — namely, her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and her siblings, Pippa Middleton and James Middleton — also became well known as a result.

But the Middletons’ roots were much more modest than the monarchy. Michael and Carole met while working at British Airways and married in 1980. The couple raised their three children — Kate and her younger siblings, Pippa and James — in the village of Bucklebury, England. Though their upbringing may have been a far cry from royal life, the Princess of Wales previously revealed that she has nothing but fond memories of growing up in the countryside.

“I had a very happy childhood. It was great fun — I’m very lucky, I’ve come from a very strong family,” Kate said in a February 2020 interview with the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast. “My parents were hugely dedicated to us, my siblings. I really appreciate now as a parent how much they sacrificed for us.”

The Middleton clan grew up close, with Michael and Carole supporting their children at their school sporting events and the family spending school holidays together. That family bond has remained strong as the royal and her siblings have grown into adults and started their own families (Pippa has three children with her husband, James Matthews, and James shares a son with his wife, Alizeé Thevenet) — and as they’ve faced adversity, including Kate’s cancer diagnosis in March 2024.

“I’m extremely proud. I’m always taken aback by how much she does do,” James said about his eldest sibling and her impact on Good Morning Britain in July 2023. “But to be honest, she’s my sister, so I know all of her quirks and everything and to see her blossoming in that role, I’m very proud of her.”

From their earliest connections to the royal family to their next generation of little ones, here is everything to know about Kate Middleton’s family.

Kate Middleton’s Parents
Carole Elizabeth Middleton
Carole Middleton, Catherine, Princess of Wales’s mother arrives at the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla
Though she is the mother of the future queen consort, Carole Middleton comes from humble beginnings. Born Jan. 31, 1955, in Perivale, England, Carole Elizabeth Goldsmith was the daughter of Ronald, a builder, and Dorothy, who worked as a shop clerk. Both of her parents had a strong work ethic, which inspired Carole throughout her childhood.

“I grew up watching my parents, who both worked extremely hard,” Carole told Good Housekeeping in 2021. “I remember them working hard to make ends meet and give us a lifestyle.”

That ambition fueled Carole as she entered adulthood, working her way up in British Airways from a secretary to ground crew to flight attendant. It was there that she met Michael, a flight dispatcher. The two were married in June 1980 and went on to have three children together (Catherine, born Jan. 9, 1982, followed by Pippa on Sept. 6, 1983, and James on April 15, 1987). As a young mother, Carole became inspired by her children to launch her own party supply company called Party Pieces in 1987. The company grew into a successful business, allowing the Middletons to send their children to private school and purchase their homes in Bucklebury and Chelsea, before being sold in 2023 to entrepreneur James Sinclair.

“The success that we’ve had has helped us build the life we have currently,” Carole told the Daily Mail about Party Pieces in 2021. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have found the professional fulfillment I always wanted.”

ASCOT, UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 20: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (R) and her mother Carole Middleton attend day 1 of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 20, 2017 in Ascot, England.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty
Outside of her professional success, Carole and her family were thrust into the spotlight when Kate became romantically linked to Prince William in 2002 while attending the University of St. Andrews. Carole eventually became William’s mother-in-law when the couple were married in front of 1,900 guests on April 29, 2011.

“I was involved lots with both Pip’s and Catherine’s weddings,” Carole told The Telegraph in 2018. “But I think the most important thing, as a parent, is to listen to what your daughter wants. You can have all the ideas in the world, but it has to be about them.”

Carole continues to be a support system for Princess Kate and Prince William, serving as a “reassuring presence” as her daughter recovered from abdominal surgery and receives cancer treatment, and for her grandchildren, whom she “adores.” She also had a bond with the late Queen Elizabeth, with a regular observer at Balmoral Castle in Scotland telling PEOPLE in 2016: “I’ve never known a family drawn into the royal family like the Middletons.”

“In terms of a non-royal, young and trendy granny there’s been no one like her at all,” royals writer Robert Lacy, who also consults on the Netflix series The Crown, told PEOPLE about Carole.

Michael Francis Middleton
Michael Middleton attends day two of Royal Ascot 2024 on June 19, 2024 in Ascot, England.
In January 2019, the two were spotted vacationing in St. Barts with James’ sister Pippa and her husband. By May of that same year, they made their relationship Instagram official. They became engaged in October 2019 and, after postponing their wedding two times, were married in September 2021 in the south of France. At the nuptials, Thevenet wore her mother-in-law Carole’s wedding dress.

“I tried on her wedding dress and fell in love with it,” the French financial analyst revealed to Hello! “It fitted me perfectly and was exactly what I wanted. It always troubled me that wedding dresses are only worn once, so it was amazing to give such a beautiful dress a second lease of life.”

In July 2023, James revealed that Thevenet was expecting their first child. Their son, Inigo, was born in October of the same year.