Kate Middleton makes rare appearance at church near Balmoral Castle in Scotland

Catherine, the Princess of Wales, was spotted around Balmoral Castle in Scotland, on Aug. 25, marking a rare public appearance since she was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.

Kate was seen at Crathie Kirk, a small church in Scotland, on Sunday alongside her husband, Prince William, King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

The royal family usually spends their summers at Balmoral Castle, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite place. When in Scotland, Crathie Kirk is the royal family’s customary place of worship.

The church appearance was the first time Kate and Charles were seen together since Trooping the Colour, the official birthday celebration of the monarch, in June.

Kate joined the family for the iconic balcony moment at Buckingham Palace to wave to thousands of cheering fans below, marking her first public appearance since she announced she had been undergoing chemotherapy treatments in March.

The cancer diagnosis came after she underwent a major abdominal surgery in January, Kate said in a video posted in March.

“At the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous,” she said. “The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present.”

Neither Kate nor Kensington Palace have identified the type of cancer she was diagnosed with, but she said in March she was in the “early stages” of preventative chemotherapy.

Kate released a statement the day before she was set to attend Trooping the Colour in June, but clarified she was not yet returning to royal duties and that she still had a few months left of chemotherapy.

“I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet,” she wrote.

Just one month after the parade, Kate attended the Wimbledon men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic on July 14.

When she arrived at the tennis tournament with her daughter Charlotte, she received a standing ovation as she settled into the Royal Box at Centre Court.

Kate also delighted fans when she appeared in a video congratulating Team Great Britain on their performance during the 2024 Olympics.

“From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB,” Kate said.

William surprised watchers with his new rugged look in the video, which included some facial hair.

“Well done on all you’ve achieved, you’ve been an inspiration to us all,” he said.

There has been no official word on when Kate will officially return to her royal duties, but William is set to appear at a gallery next week, and her three children are preparing to head back to school next month.