The Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh were all smiles as they stepped out to watch the annual Garter Day procession in Windsor.
The King and Queen led the procession to St George’s Chapel for the service, along with the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal and the Duke of Edinburgh.
It marked Catherine’s return to the event after missing it due to cancer treatment last year, and in a unprecedented move, she quickly repeated a stunning Self-Portrait outfit seen just a few weeks ago for the VE Day concert.
The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain, established by King Edward III nearly 700 years ago. The Order includes the King, who is sovereign of the Garter, the Queen, several members of the royal family, and up to 24 Companions.
Companions of the Garter are chosen personally by the sovereign to honour those who have held public office, who have contributed in a particular way to national life or who have served the Sovereign personally.
The ceremony took place two days after the royals came together to celebrate the King’s official birthday at Trooping the Colour.
See the best photos from Garter Day…
Perfect in pastels
The Princess of Wales looked incredible in a white peplum-style outfit by Self-Portrait, which she sported for VE Day celebrations last month. She teamed the ensemble with a saucer-style hat by Sean Barrett with pearl jewellery.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Edinburgh coordinated with Catherine in a pale pink dress by Suzannah London with a wide-brimmed hat.
Where do Catherine and Sophie watch?
Royals not taking part in the procession watch from the Galilee Porch of St George’s Chapel.
The King and Queen
The King and Queen headed up the procession through the castle grounds.
Charles was accompanied by two young pages of honour, William Sackville and Alfred Wellesley. The schoolboys are both sons of his friends.
Smiling Queen
Queen Camilla was made Royal Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter in 2022.
Under her robes, Her Majesty wore a white chiffon and lace dress by Fiona Clare.
Lord Lloyd-Webber
Knights include some well-known faces, including Andrew Lloyd-Webber, who was invested as an Companion to the Order in 2024.
Prince William
The Prince of Wales was appointed the 1,000th Royal Knight of the Garter by his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, in 2008.
It marked Catherine’s first major role event as she watched her then-boyfriend in the procession when they were dating.
Sir Tony Blair
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair became a member of the Order of the Garter in 2022.
William and Edward
The senior royals walked in reverse precedence, so the Gloucesters at the front, followed by the Princess Royal, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales.
Close bond
The royal ladies had a good catch-up and a giggle together as they waited in the sunshine for the service to start.
Catherine’s accessories
Catherine’s pearl earrings and necklace were from Susan Caplan Vintage designer jewellery.
Bird’s eye view of the procession
The Duke of Kent, 89, who is still a working royal, arrived at the service by car.
Meanwhile, the disgraced Duke of York has not taken part in the public procession since 2019.
However, he is believed to have joined the King and the rest of his family for the earlier investiture in the castle’s Garter Throne Room and the traditional lunch that takes place afterwards in the Waterloo Chamber, both behind closed doors.
The King and Queen depart
After the service at St George’s Chapel, the royals made their way back to Windsor Castle in carriages.
Look of love
Catherine was captured glancing lovingly at her husband during the carriage ride.
The Edinburghs
The Edinburghs shared a carriage with the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
Sir Tim Laurence
The formal royal naval officer did not walk in the procession as he has not been invested as a Royal Knight.
The last royal to have been given the honour was the Duchess of Gloucester in 2024.