Talk about a royal Olympic surprise!
Kate Middleton made a rare appearance alongside a scruffy-looking Prince William in a pre-recorded video dedicated to the British Olympic team, which Kensington Palace posted on Instagram Aug. 11, hours before the Closing Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"From all of us watching at home," began the Princess of Wales, "congratulations to Team GB."
Kate sported a white and black striped sweater similar to one she wore in a March video in which she announced she was undergoing cancer treatment. The princess, who has largely remained out of the public eye since speaking out about her health battle, wore her long brown hair straight and loose and parted in the side.
William, standing next to his wife, wore a teal Team Great Britain polo shirt and also sported facial hair publicly for the first time in more than a decade.
"Well done on all you have achieved," he said in the video. "You've been an inspiration to us all."
Their post's caption also read, "Well done @teamgb, what an incredible journey! Every athlete showed immense dedication, heart and passion. You made us all so proud! Here's to celebrating every triumph at @paris2024 and looking forward to more from @paralympicsgb_official later in the summer."
The British Olympic team collectively earned 65 medals, including 14 gold, at the Games, ranking in third place behind China and the United States, whose athletes pushed the country to No. 1 with 126 medals, including 40 gold.
Kate and William's video also included messages from British celebs such as David Beckham, who played a key part in helping London win their 2012 Olympics bid, as well as Snoop Dogg, who served as an special NBC Olympics correspondent during the 2024 Games. The American rapper thanked the athletes "on behalf of big Snoop Dogg, the prince and his lovely wife."
Look back at moments from the 2024 Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony...
Zaho de Sagazan
The singer-songwriter kicked off the closing ceremony with a performance of "Sous le Ciel de Paris."
Leon Marchand
Team France's star swimmer carried the torch from Paris' Jardin des Tuileries to the Stade de France for the Closing Ceremony.
Nick Mead & Katie Ledecky
The gold medal-winning rower and the swimmer, who added four medals including two gold to her ever-growing list of Olympic accolades, served as Team USA's flag bearers.
Tara Davis-Woodhall & Trinity Rodman
The gold medalists—Davis-Woodhall for long jump and Rodman for soccer—walk into the Stade de France alongside Team USA.
Tigst Assefa, Sifan Hassan & Hellen Obiri
The medal ceremony for the final track and field event of the 2024 Olympics, the women's marathon, took place at the Closing Ceremony, with Team Netherlands' Hassan winning gold, while Assefa of Team Ethiopia took home silver and Team Kenya runner Hellen Obiri won bronze.
Golden Voyager
A Golden Voyager descents into the Stade de France during the Closing Ceremony.
Alain Roche
The Suiss Pianist played "Hymn to Apollo" while suspended into the air at the Stade de France.
Stade de France
The pyrotechnics display inside the Stade de France after the assembly of the Olympic rings.
Phoenix
The French indie rock band serenaded the Olympians with hits like "1901" and "Lisztomania"
Simone Biles & Karen Bass
The gymnastics star had a special role during the Closing Ceremony, joining the Los Angeles mayor to welcome the Games to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics.
Tom Cruise
The Mission: Impossible star brought his stunt A-Game to the Closing Ceremony as he dropped into the Stade de France from the open roof.
Tom Cruise
But a freefall into the stadium wasn't his only stunt as Simone and Karen handed him the Olympic flag to deliver to Los Angeles.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
As the Olympic flag touched down in the U.S.A., the rock group kicked off a trio of performances in Venice Beach.
Finneas & Billie Eilish
The siblings and longtime collaborators performed her hit "Birds of a Feather" as part of the Venice Beach concert welcoming the Olympics to Los Angeles in 2028.
Snoop Dogg
The 2024 Olympics Special Correspondent took on a second role during—rounding out the LA28 handoff.
Yseult
The French singer-songwriter performed the Frank Sinatra hit "My Way" to officially end the Closing Ceremony.
Stade de France
The 2024 Olympics officially concluded with a dazzling light show that lit up the Parisian sky.