Video shows 'visibly moved' Kate Middleton at Remembrance events

An emotional Princess Kate joined other members of the British Royal Family at a ceremony on Sunday in London in remembrance of veterans of past wars.

It was a rare public appearance for the Princess of Wales, who underwent major abdominal surgery at the start of the year and has yet to return to full-time public duties. However, it also marked the first time since the start of the year that she carried out two consecutive days of public official engagements. On Saturday, she attended the Royal British Legion Festival Of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Dressed in black and wearing a trio of poppies, Kate watched the wreath-laying ceremony from a balcony next to Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh. Queen Camilla, who would normally be standing next to her, wasn’t present as she recovered from a chest infection. King Charles and William, the Prince of Wales, were among those laying wreaths, however.

In images and videos widely shared on social media, the princess appeared to well up with tears as she watched the event.

“I thought she looked visibly moved at points when the cameras were upon her,” Caroline Aston, a royal commentator, told Britain’s TalkTV. “Who could not have failed to be?”

It was similar to her reaction seen the previous day, when royal watchers spotted her seeming to become emotional, tightening her lips as she applauded as poppies fell from the ceiling during the event at the Royal Albert Hall.

Remembrance Sunday, as distinct from Nov. 11, Remembrance Day, is held on the second Sunday of November to mark the signing of the armistice to end the First World War I in 1918. Across the U.K., services are conducted at the same time in memory of the dead.

The London event also featured British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his eight living predecessors, and envoys from the Commonwealth countries.

After a two-minute silence, buglers from the Royal Marines played the Last Post, and King Charles led the wreath-laying part of the service. The 75-year-old monarch, dressed in his Royal Navy uniform of the Admiral of the Fleet, laid a wreath of poppies at the base of the Cenotaph. Prince William then left his own floral tribute, featuring the Prince of Wales’ feathers and a new ribbon in Welsh red.

Following the wreath-laying, around 10,000 veterans, including a handful of Second World War vets as well as soldiers who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, marched past the Cenotaph.

“It’s always a great honour to be back on occasions like this, but I remember the guys that never came home on my ship when it was torpedoed,” said 99-year-old Stan Ford, whose ship, the HMS Fratton, was sunk off France’s Normandy coast in August 1944 at the cost of 31 lives.

“They never came home, and I always feel it’s my duty to put in an appearance and thank God for those that did survive, and to pray for the ones who didn’t,” said Ford, who was one of 38 survivors.

Prince William had reflected several days earlier on the strain that cancer has placed on the royal family.

“I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done,” William told reporters on Thursday as he wrapped up a four-day trip to South Africa. “But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”

With files from the Associated Press