Confounding expectations, Kate Middleton has confirmed she will be attending the King’s Birthday Parade on June 15, after all. The Princess of Wales has been absent from Royal duties all year due to her diagnosis with an unspecified form of cancer in early 2024, and this is to be her first public appearance since.
On the eve of the Trooping the Color ceremony — a military parade that marches throughout London in order to celebrate the King’s official birthday — Kate confirmed the surprising news in a statement to the press (via AP News).
“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,” the Princess stated.
Princess Catherine intends to make further public appearances and take on more Royal duties as the British summertime heats up, although she has “a few more months” left to go of her treatment. She stressed that she is “making good progress,” but does suffer “bad days” on occasion.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” Kate added.
Kate Middleton will attend the King’s Birthday Parade, after all
It seems it has long been the intention for the Trooping the Color parade to be Kate’s grand return to Royal duty. Back in March, the official website confirmed she would be in attendance, but when this soon started to draw attention the detail was removed. More recently, it appeared that Princess Catherine would ultimately be unable to make it when she had to cancel her all-important pre-emptive role in proceedings.
As honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards, Kate has a key role to play in the Trooping the Color rehearsal as she is supposed to take the regiment’s salute. She does this every year, but on this occasion she was replaced by a senior military officer. The princess wrote a touching letter in apology for having missed the occasion, writing:
“Being your Colonel remains a great honour, and I am very sorry that I’m unable to take the salute at this year’s Colonel’s Review. Please pass my apologies to the whole Regiment, however I do hope that I am able to represent you all once again very soon.”
She was certainly right about the “very soon” part as it turns out Kate will be representing the Irish Guards the very next weekend at the parade. It seems the Princess of Wales is officially back in action, even though — as she admitted — she is “not out of the woods yet.”
