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The Princess of Wales joined the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour flypast – after making her first public appearance since the announcement of her cancer diagnosis.

Kate, 42, wearing a pale outfit, was earlier pictured arriving at Buckingham Palace in a car sat alongside her children and her husband the Prince of Wales ahead of the event to celebrate the King’s official birthday.

The princess, who has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer since late February, and her three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, were cheered by crowds along The Mall as they left the palace in a carriage for the ceremony.

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The future queen looked relaxed as she travelled along one of London’s most famous thoroughfares with her family in a carriage.

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Kate’s first public appearance this year

She could be seen smiling and talking to her children in the carriage before they arrived at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall.

William rode on horseback for the procession, alongside the Princess Royal, and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The King, who is also undergoing cancer treatment, rode in a carriage with the Queen, a departure from last year because of his illness, and inspected the officers and guardsmen from the coach rather than from a horse.

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When the royal carriages finally came to a stop, Louis was the first to leave, followed by his elder brother George, and sister Charlotte.

Finally, Kate stepped down wearing a Jenny Packham dress, hat by Philip Treacy, and the Irish Guards Regimental Brooch, as she is the regiment’s colonel.

Catherine, Princess of Wales
Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

Prince George, the Prince of Wales, Prince Louis, the Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, King Charles and Queen Camilla .
Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

In another change from last year, Kate did not join senior family members on a dais, but watched the military spectacle – also known as the Birthday Parade – from a balcony in the Duke of Wellington’s former office with her children.

Prince Louis, six, at one point seemed to be distracted by a blind cord and was seen yawning while watching the parade before dancing along during the quick march of the Scots Guards to Highland Laddie.

Heavy rain began to fall as the royal procession made its way back to Buckingham Palace but the King and Queen, as well as Kate and her children, were protected from the downpour in their covered carriage.

Red Arrows
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The Red Arrows fly past

Royal fans wait in heavy rain on The Mall for the return of the royal procession to Buckingham Palace.
Pic: PA
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Royal fans brave the heavy rain on The Mall. Pic: PA

Princess Charlotte, nine, smiled and waved enthusiastically to the crowds who braved the weather, while her brothers also smiled and waved to the sea of umbrellas along The Mall.

A 41-gun salute was then fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in nearby Green Park before Kate and her family joined the King and Queen, as well as other royals, on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the RAF flypast.

They smiled and waved to the cheering crowds before standing proudly as the national anthem was played, with the flypast ending with the Red Arrows trailing their trademark red, white and blue colours.

Ahead of the event, Kate said: “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.

“I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty.

“Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.”

King Charles and Queen Camilla attend the Trooping the Colour parade.
Pic: Reuters
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The King and Queen. Pic: Reuters

Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty attend the Trooping the Colour parade.
Pic: Reuters
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Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty. Pic: Reuters

Read more:
Princess of Wales’s statement in full
Princess of Wales, says she’s ‘not out of the woods’

Her appearance was in doubt after she missed the final Trooping rehearsal last weekend.

This is Kate’s first official outing of 2024 after she missed engagements at the start of the year when she was admitted to hospital for abdominal treatment.

At the time her condition was thought to be non-cancerous, but tests after the successful operation found the disease, and Kate disclosed the diagnosis in March.

A time frame has not yet been set for Kate’s return to a full schedule of public engagements.

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Minister’s ‘anger’ at tech companies – as bosses could face prison if kids see harmful content

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Minister's 'anger' at tech companies - as bosses could face prison if kids see harmful content

Social media companies must face tough sanctions if they fail to keep children safe from harmful content, the technology secretary has said.

Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Peter Kyle said age verification for adult material would have to be “watertight”, and that apps which do not protect children will face heavy fines and even jail time for company bosses.

He was talking ahead of new requirements, to be announced by the regulator Ofcom in mid-January, for platforms to protect children from a wide range of harmful content including bullying, violence, and dangerous stunts.

Apps for adults only will also be required to introduce tighter age verification, via a credit card or ID.

Mr Kyle said: “If they allow the children who are under the age that is appropriate, to view content, then they can face heavy fines and, in some circumstances, they’ll face prison sentences.

“This is the kind of direction of travel you’re going to have with me because I want to make sure kids are kept safe. These are not rules and powers that I’m bringing in just to sit on a shelf.

“These are powers that we’re bringing in for a purpose. At the moment, I accept that parents don’t believe that their kids are safe online because too often they’re not.”

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‘Not enough research’

Mr Kyle said he was “in admiration of what these companies have created” and that lots of organisations, including the government, could learn from the tech sector.

But he added: “I do have a real deep frustration and yes, that could be called anger when it comes to the fact that not enough research has been produced about the impact their products have.

“If I was producing a product that was going to be used ubiquitously throughout society that I knew that children as young as five are going to be accessing it, I would want to be pretty certain that it’s not having a negative impact on young people.”

Tamara Cohen and Peter Kyle
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Peter Kyle said age verification for adult material would have to be ‘watertight’

The Online Safety Act was passed in October 2023 and is being implemented in stages. It will allow companies to be fined up to £18m, or 10% of turnover as well as criminal charges.

In December, the regulator Ofcom set out which content is illegal – including sexual exploitation, fraud and drug and weapons offences.

Could UK follow Australia?

The Australian government has announced it will ban under-16s from most social media altogether, which some campaigners are calling for the UK to follow.

Mr Kyle said he has no plans for one at this stage, as he met a group of teenagers from across the country at the NSPCC children’s charity to talk about their experiences online.

Some mentioned the “addictiveness” of social media, and coming across “distressing” content. But all were against a ban, highlighting the positives for learning, and of online communities.

Read more:
School smartphone ban will not become law
Parents tell Ofcom to ‘step up’ over social media content

The UK chief medical officers reviewed the evidence on harm to children from “screen-based activities” – including social media and gaming – in 2019.

Their report found associations with anxiety and depression, but not enough evidence to prove a causal link. It backed a minimum age of 13 for using these apps.

But the technology secretary has commissioned more research to look at the issue again by next summer, as countries including France and Norway have raised the minimum age to 14 or 15.

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More social media restrictions for under-16s?

Children ‘getting dopamine hits’

Ofcom research last year found nearly a quarter of five-to-seven-year-olds have their own smartphone, with two in five using messaging services such as WhatsApp despite it having a minimum age of 13.

By the time they are 11, more than 90 percent of children have a smartphone.

Lee Fernandes, a psychotherapist specialising in addiction, told Sky News at his London clinic that he has been increasingly treating screen addiction in young adults, some of whose problems began in their teenage years.

“In the last five years, I’ve seen a big increase in addictions relating to technology,” he said.

“I think everyone just thinks it’s mindless scrolling, but we’re habituating children’s minds to be stimulated from using these phones and they’re getting these hits of dopamine, these rewards.”

Social media companies privately say teenagers use over 50 apps a week and argue that app stores should develop a “one-stop shop” rather than ID checks for each individual app.

Some platforms already require teenagers to prove their age through a video selfie or ID check if they attempt to change their age to over-18.

There are also AI models being developed to detect under-18s pretending to be adults. Specific teen accounts by providers including Meta restrict certain messages and content.

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Man who featured in viral video after being hit in groin during Southport riot is jailed

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Man who featured in viral video after being hit in groin during Southport riot is jailed

A man who was hit in the crotch by a flying brick during a riot in Southport has been jailed.

Brian Spencer was sentenced to two years and six months behind bars after pleading guilty to violent disorder at Liverpool Crown Court.

The unrest happened on 30 July, the day after a mass stabbing targeting children in the Merseyside town in which three young girls were killed. The riot was fuelled by online disinformation about the attack.

Footage shared widely on social media showed Spencer walking up to a line of riot police and putting his hands on his hips before gyrating in front of the officers.

The 40-year-old, from Southport, was then struck in the chest and head by bricks before turning around and walking back towards the crowd.

As he held his head, another brick hit him in the groin and he then hobbled away.

Brian Spencer. Pic: Merseyside Police
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Pic: Merseyside Police

‘Throwing wheelie bins’

Merseyside Police said: “Spencer could be seen acting in an aggressive manner and part of a large group of people who were standing only a few yards in front of officers and throwing bricks.

“He could also be seen on footage punching a police vehicle several times and picking up and throwing wheelie bins at officers and carriers.”

The force also said that later that evening, officers were called to a separate incident where Spencer was, and took him to hospital to be treated for the head injury.

The officers recognised him from the viral footage and he was arrested.

Spencer ‘racially abused patient’

While receiving treatment for his injury, Spencer racially abused another patient at Southport Hospital, police said.

He was also jailed after admitting racially/religiously aggravated harassment.

Some 163 people have now been arrested by Merseyside Police in connection with the disorder, with 117 charges brought and 88 people sentenced to a total of 182 years and four months in prison between them.

Read more from Sky News:
‘Reckless’ man jailed after brandishing AK-47 in video
King breaks from tradition for annual Christmas message

‘Despicable scenes’

Detective Inspector Paula Jones said: “The actions of the people who took part in the disorder were extremely serious and many officers were injured during the despicable scenes as bricks, bins and other missiles were thrown at them.

“Spencer was involved in the violence and will now spend a significant amount of time in prison.”

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People who have experienced homelessness become walking tour guides – as rough sleeping crisis gets worse

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People who have experienced homelessness become walking tour guides - as rough sleeping crisis gets worse

The founder of an organisation which helps people affected by homelessness has told Sky News that Britain’s rough sleeping crisis is continuing to grow.

Zakia Moulaoui, who started Invisible Cities eight years ago, says many of the resources set up to help the homeless are also seeing their ability to help squeezed when they are needed most.

Invisible Cities is a community interest company that trains people who have experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city.

It encourages guides to offer personal tours, highlighting stories of real people and raising awareness of social justice.

Speaking at one of its training sessions in Manchester, Zakia said the Christmas period was often the hardest for those experiencing homelessness.

“Having started Invisible Cities in 2016 and compared to now, there’s definitely a rise in the number of people on that journey of homelessness, not only rough sleeping or street homeless, but at any one point in hostels, sofa surfing, in shelters and things like that,” she said.

“At the same time, organisations that exist to support people are more and more strained, funding is smaller and people are at capacity.”

More on Homelessness

What does the data say?

Figures released in November showed that, for the second year in a row, England reported an increase in rough sleeping.

The number was up 27% on the previous year.

The number of people sleeping rough is now 61% higher than it was 10 years ago, and 120% higher than when data collection began in 2010.

Stephen Agnew, who became homeless as a ten-year-old and spent three decades sleeping rough, now works as one of the Invisible Cities tour guides.
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Stephen Agnew was made homeless as a 10-year-old

‘It’s been a rollercoaster ride’

Stephen Agnew, who became homeless as a 10-year-old and spent three decades sleeping rough, now works as one of the Invisible Cities tour guides.

He said: “It has been a rollercoaster ride, it has been ups and downs, but it has been amazing to come out the other end from where I was as a kid to become a tour guide and to get my own place.

“It is just such a different aspect to my childhood.”

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Homeless mum of three: ‘I have nowhere to go’

Invisible Cities currently works with guides in Manchester, York, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Cardiff and has plans to expand to more cities.

Its aim is to help build confidence and public speaking skills in guides and also offer tourists the chance to see a side of a city they otherwise might not have.

Sky News joined tour guide Andy Mercer for a walk around Manchester. After a period sleeping rough, he lived in a friend's garage before finding a way out of homelessness.
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Andy Mercer

‘It helps if you have a goal’

Sky News joined tour guide Andy Mercer for a walk around Manchester.

After a period sleeping rough, he lived in a friend’s garage before finding a way out of homelessness.

He said: “It helps if you have a goal. If you really have nothing and somebody offers you an opportunity, then have a go.

“If you think you might be good at it, if you like talking to the public, then it might be worth having a go.”

As for the tourists he guides around Manchester, he said they “appreciate the fact that I seem to enjoy it because it brings back good memories”.

In his tours, he recounts his stories of the city’s nightlife scene from the 1980s onwards. He says he aims to draw attention to the link that often exists between alcoholism and homelessness.

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