hello to you from buckingham palace. the sun was out a little earlier but the clouds have come in and the wind has picked up, but today is still looking like it should be a very special day in the royal calendar. in the next few hours, the princess of wales will make her first public appearance since she was diagnosed with cancer at today �*s trooping the colour. i don't if we can see some live pictures, but the crowds are starting to build up. they arejust out of shot. some anti—monarchy protesters are here, so they have been some shouts of "not my king". but other shouts of the national anthem. quite an atmosphere building up anthem. quite an atmosphere building up here at buckingham palace. later this morning the princess of wales will be in the carriage parade with her children, prince george, princess charlotte, and louis. this is for the birthday celebrations for the king, and then they will make their way to horse guards along with their way to horse guards along with the rest of the family, and around about moo soldiers, or so. they willjoin the rest of the family on the balcony for the fly—past, which finishes off the trooping the colour parade. our correspondent has the latest. a new photo of the princess from the palace. taken close to her home in windsor, a place where she has been able to rest, recuperate, and spend time with her family. it marks the first significant announcement about catherine's health since she announced her cancer diagnosis in march. my work has always brought me a deep sense ofjoy and i look forward to being back when i'm able. but for now i must focus on making a full recovery. the princess has released a deeply personal statement, describing being blown away by the messages of support and encouragement from people across the world, saying they helped her and prince william through some of the harder times. she adds... the princess also says she is looking forward to trooping the colour, the military parade for the king's official birthday. she will ride in a carriage with her children today before appearing on the buckingham palace balcony. she's also hoping to attend some events over the summer. this statement, written by the princess herself, is a message of cautious optimism after what's been an incredibly difficult time for her and herfamily. she's still continuing with treatment, but she now feels ready to attend some public events. but it's being stressed this isn't a return to full public duties, with catherine saying she is taking each day as it comes and allowing herself some much needed time to heal. charlotte gallagher, bbc news, kensington palace. yes, as i say, the weather has somewhat deteriorated over the morning and it was brilliant blue sunshine when i arrived at half past five this morning but i was speaking to the person leading the fly—past earlier and he told me that, even though there is low cloud cover, the fly—past which is due to happen at one o'clock should happen as planned. that is good news. obviously the fly—past is the highlight of trooping the colour each year. but there are many highlights. there are moo soldiers on parade, 250 military horses so it is a real spectacle. and, of course, the royal family. is a real spectacle. and, of course, the royalfamily. when you imagine that back in february we were talking about two senior members of the royalfamily who had talking about two senior members of the royal family who had announced illnesses, the king with cancer, and the following month we found out that the princess of wales had also been diagnosed with cancer but here we are at trooping the colour, and both of those senior members of the royalfamily will be both of those senior members of the royal family will be taking part in the possession today. i would love to bring in the royal biographer, robert hardman who will be with us throughout the morning. it is worth reflecting that the way things were backin reflecting that the way things were back in february, there was absolutely no guarantee that we will have the king and princess of wales hit injune. have the king and princess of wales hit in june. . v have the king and princess of wales hit in june. . �*, , , hit in june. that's right. this is what we could _ hit in june. that's right. this is what we could not _ hit in june. that's right. this is what we could not dare - hit in june. that's right. this is what we could not dare to - hit in june. that's right. this is| what we could not dare to hope hit in june. that's right. this is - what we could not dare to hope for back then. to all intents and purposes, this will look like trooping the colour like last year, all the family together. we must stress, this is not a full return for the princess. it is a reappearance, if you like. but i think all the signs are pointing at the right direction. yes, we have got grim weather, it is coronation weather, really, isn't it? buti think the spirit amongst the crowd, you wait for that moment when they have their first sighting of the princess and i think it will be emotionalfor a lot of princess and i think it will be emotional for a lot of people. princess and i think it will be emotionalfor a lot of people. can emotional for a lot of people. can ou see emotional for a lot of people. can you see why _ emotional for a lot of people. can you see why she would want to be part of this event? although it is a military parade, there is a family feel to it, isn't there? that shot on the balcony, that's often the defining family image of any royal year. it defining family image of any royal ear. . , , ., ., , year. it really is a family gathering- _ year. it really is a family gathering. yes, - year. it really is a family gathering. yes, it - year. it really is a family gathering. yes, it is - year. it really is a family - gathering. yes, it is trooping the colour, but ultimately it is the birthday parade. it is the king �*s birthday, this is his official birthday. i have my doubts if the princess felt up to it whether she would even be here because it puts a lot of attention and focus on her but it is clearly his wish that she is here. let's not forget, it is her regiment that are dripping her colour. this year it is the irish gurads and she is the kernel of the regiment. so there is a personal bond. the windsors are a forces family and we see that in its spectacular form.— family and we see that in its spectacular form. family and we see that in its sectacular form. , , spectacular form. the focus will be on the princess, _ spectacular form. the focus will be on the princess, but _ spectacular form. the focus will be on the princess, but we _ spectacular form. the focus will be on the princess, but we have - spectacular form. the focus will be on the princess, but we have to . on the princess, but we have to remember that the king is also continuing his own cancer treatment. adaptations this year. last year he was was back but this year he will be in a carriage.— be in a carriage. yes, quite a debate in _ be in a carriage. yes, quite a debate in the _ be in a carriage. yes, quite a debate in the palace. - be in a carriage. yes, quite a debate in the palace. the - be in a carriage. yes, quite a l debate in the palace. the king be in a carriage. yes, quite a - debate in the palace. the king was keen to carry on riding, as he did last year. let's face it, he is now 75. the late queen was a fine horsewoman but she stopped riding on this parade in her 60s. last year he was on a fairly risky horse and i don't think we want to see that again, particular in his present condition. queen camilla has prevailed, as has common sense and the doctors, and he is in a carriage. the doctors, and he is in a carriage-— the doctors, and he is in a carriaue. ~ ., , ., carriage. we have spoken to the ma'or carriage. we have spoken to the major who _ carriage. we have spoken to the major who is _ carriage. we have spoken to the major who is leading _ carriage. we have spoken to the major who is leading the - carriage. we have spoken to the - major who is leading the procession. they are very pleased to have both of them back this year. it was a real reminder of the relationship between the royal family and the military, and they could not be more pleased that she, and he, are back. yes, absolutely. this is the household division for a reason. there has always been a bond between the royal family and the forces. there is a particular bond with the guards and the household cavalry and they are the centrepiece today. they have been rehearsing this for months. you know, they want their colonel and chief to be with them, and he is going to be. the colonel and chief to be with them, and he is going to be.— and he is going to be. the crowds are building _ and he is going to be. the crowds are building up. _ and he is going to be. the crowds are building up. there's - and he is going to be. the crowds are building up. there's also - are building up. there's also republic demonstrations. a reminder that not everybody is a supporter of the royal family. that not everybody is a supporter of the royalfamily. i think the that not everybody is a supporter of the royal family. i think the shouts of the national anthem are drowning them out. , , , ., ., them out. yes, my first thought on seeinu the them out. yes, my first thought on seeing the republic _ them out. yes, my first thought on seeing the republic lot _ them out. yes, my first thought on seeing the republic lot was - them out. yes, my first thought on seeing the republic lot was that i them out. yes, my first thought on seeing the republic lot was that it| seeing the republic lot was that it was quite brave. it is a free country, absolutely essential that everyone is allowed to have their say at any given time and there is always a significant minority who believe we should have an elected head of state. that is their view. as you say, i think they will be vastly outnumbered but we live in a democracy. vastly outnumbered but we live in a democra . ., vastly outnumbered but we live in a democracy-— democracy. you will be with us throughout _ democracy. you will be with us throughout the _ democracy. you will be with us throughout the morning. - democracy. you will be with us j throughout the morning. there democracy. you will be with us - throughout the morning. there are two official birthday is because june is supposed to be warmer but it doesn't feel warm today, i have to say. i doesn't feel warm today, i have to sa . ~' , , doesn't feel warm today, i have to sa . ~ , , ., ., say. i think it is still warmer than his real birthday _ say. i think it is still warmer than his real birthday in _ say. i think it is still warmer than his real birthday in november! i say. i think it is still warmer than l his real birthday in november! for the moment, thank you. plenty more from here outside buckingham palace. the horse guards parade starts at 11am, the horse guards parade starts at "am, so the carriages will be leaving here shortly before them. that is when we will get that first glimpse of the princess of wales, her first official public appearance since before christmas. so that will be quite a moment. thank you to sarah campbell, our royal correspondent at buckingham palace. we'll have live coverage of that moment, and the rest of trooping the colour, over the next few hours here on bbc news. we're at the half—way point in the general election campaign here in the uk. the politicial parties will be out campaigning again this weekend. it's now three weeks until the next government is formed. our political correspondent, hannah miller is in the newsroom. are we really only half way through? it seems longer, but how do things stand at the moment? yes, three weeks to go, it does feel like a long time. it is worth saying, though, that some people will start voting this week when the postal votes start coming in. if we take a look and run through where the parties are at, labour broadly are pretty happy with how their campaign is going. they are miles ahead in the polls. i think over the coming days we can start to see their leader, keir starmer, campaigning in some more ambitious seats, which is an indication, really, of their confidence and their sense that they can afford to be a little bit more ambitious than they may have been going into the campaign. but he has faced some challenging questions about what he stands for, about the plans for the party around taxation. and also particularly about whether he has changed his plans, what he said he would do when he became a labour party leader, compared to what he is putting to the country now. he was asked about that by nick robinson. we had to change the labour party, and drag it closer to the country. and i did that, having thought long and hard about the last four elections because we lost in 2010, 2015, 2017, 2019, and i took the view that that was because we have drifted too far from working people, our central purpose. as for the conservatives, some of them do tell us that they don't think it is as bad as the polls suggest for them when they are out on the doorstep, talking to people. but we have heard from some quite senior ministers over the past week, and seen their language shift. i kind of change in their tactics, if you like. rather than necessarily talking about winning for the conservative party, they are talking about what would happen if labour were to have a huge majority, which is essentially conceding that it looks like they are not hugely likely to win at this point. they have also faced a surge in support from reform uk, nigel farage �*s party, which threatens to take some people who previously have voted conservative, who might now look at voting for reform uk instead. i asked the veterans minister this morning why that is. it is asked the veterans minister this morning why that is.— morning why that is. it is the frustration _ morning why that is. it is the frustration with _ morning why that is. it is the frustration with politics, - morning why that is. it is the i frustration with politics, right? politicians making commitments and, you know. _ politicians making commitments and, you know, they are not fulfilled in the way— you know, they are not fulfilled in the way people would like to see them _ the way people would like to see them fulfilled. if you look at things— them fulfilled. if you look at things like immigration, which is a huge _ things like immigration, which is a huge challenge for any government, you know. _ huge challenge for any government, you know, we had figures out two days _ you know, we had figures out two days ago— you know, we had figures out two days ago seeing a reduction in applications for visas, and that will materially bring down migration. but people have not seen it for as _ migration. but people have not seen it for as fast — migration. but people have not seen it for as fast as they wanted to. often _ it for as fast as they wanted to. often elections in the uk turned to a two horse race. what we're seeing this time around is people looking elsewhere, a little bit more to some of the smaller parties in a way that they haven't always previously in a general election. there is an early indication of a bit of an uptick support for the liberal democrats, too. their leader, ed davey, doing a lot of campaign stands early on in the campaign, and now talking a little bit more about his policies. but perhaps a sense that people are continuing to look to them and think about voting for them as well. there are still three weeks to go, and they say that a week is a long time in politics. they say that a week is a long time in olitics. , ., ., ., in politics. indeed they do. hannah, thank you- — the labour leader sir keir starmer and wes streeting, shadow secretary of state for health and social care are campaigning in nottinghamshire today and will be talking about their plans for the nhs. let's cross to nottinghamshire and gary 0' donoghue is following the labour campaign bus today. health is the focus for labour today, isn't it?— health is the focus for labour toda , isn't it? , ., ., today, isn't it? yes, we are heading today, isn't it? yes, we are heading to an event — today, isn't it? yes, we are heading to an event somewhere _ today, isn't it? yes, we are heading to an event somewhere in _ to an event somewhere in nottinghamshire, we can't tell you where that is at the moment. they are going to be highlighting their policies on the health service. of course, this is pretty solid territory for the labour party. they always cull well on health service issues, usually ahead of the conservatives, so this is the kind of thing they want to be talking about. after their manifesto launch on thursday, officially no great surprises there. but a list of things they want to do with the nhs, including these 40,000 extra appointments and operations each week 2 million a year, they say, to try and address the question of waiting lists and waiting times. of course, this week they were handed a bit of a gift on that one because we saw that 34,000 rise in the waiting list, and overall taking the numbers well over 7.5 million. it is territory where they think they are strong. however, there are some problems. some of these specific measures are costed and funded, but when it gets to the big picture, reforming the health service, transforming the health service, increasing the number of staff more thanit increasing the number of staff more than it has ever been increased before, staff costs a lot of money and there is some vagueness about how that transformation is going to be paid for in the long term. of course, labourtalks be paid for in the long term. of course, labour talks about creating wealth, economic growth and like all parties it talks about closing tax loopholes and somehow they will be billions of pounds available from that, but when they are doing this kind of messaging about the big picture, it does raise the question about how it is going to be paid for if tax is not going to go out, or spending is not going to be cut, or if they are not going to borrow more. it if they are not going to borrow more. , , , �* �* more. it is interesting in his bbc interview yesterday, _ more. it is interesting in his bbc interview yesterday, keir - more. it is interesting in his bbc| interview yesterday, keir starmer said that he was prepared to make enemies in order to grow the economy. enemies in order to grow the economy-— enemies in order to grow the econom . , ., �*, enemies in order to grow the econom . , . h ., economy. yes, that's right. he was talkin: in economy. yes, that's right. he was talking in relation _ economy. yes, that's right. he was talking in relation to _ economy. yes, that's right. he was talking in relation to the _ economy. yes, that's right. he was talking in relation to the planning l talking in relation to the planning system and trying to push things through much quicker on that, on environmental and housing issues. he may have to do the same when it comes to the health service. you will remember of course tony blair said he had the scars on his back from trying to reform public services in this country, so it is not easy, even for labour leaders, when it comes to these huge changes, evenif when it comes to these huge changes, even if you have huge majorities. but the pressure is there, and of course it will be because the nhs is one of those issues which is always top of the voters agenda at elections and in between elections, it is something that touches everyone so it will be one of those things that, if he becomes prime minister in less than three weeks' time, he will bejudged on this. if he doesn't bring these lists down, if he doesn't increase the numbers of staff, if he doesn't make it easier to get you