Princess of Wales will NOT be returning to duties in June: Kate Middleton is not taking part in Trooping the Colour rehearsal next month, palace confirms in rare update
The Princess of Wales will not attend the Colonel’s Review – the traditional rehearsal for Trooping the Colour – on June 8, royal officials confirmed today in a rare update as she continues her chemotherapy treatment.
Buckingham Palace also said King Charles III will travel in a carriage with Queen Camilla for Trooping the Colour itself on June 15 and will not be on horseback.
Charles, 75, will conduct the review of soldiers at his official birthday parade from an Ascot Landau carriage with Camilla, which is understood to be an adaptation based on doctors’ advice while the monarch continues to have treatment for cancer.
For the Colonel’s Review, Lieutenant General James Bucknall, the former commander of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, will be the inspecting officer on behalf of Kate.
The Princess, 42, who is also undergoing cancer treatment, would have been due to take the salute in normal circumstances in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards.
But Kate continues to stay away from public royal duties during her chemotherapy while she rests at home, and will only return when doctors give her the all-clear.
It comes after the Army removed a claim made in March on its website that Kate would be appearing at Trooping the Colour and had begun selling tickets – which caused confusion after Kensington Palace said it had not confirmed her attendance.
The confirmation comes after the Army removed a claim made in March on its website that Kate would be appearing at Trooping the Colour (pictured) and had begun selling tickets
Tickets had gone on sale via the Army website in March advertising Kate reviewing a ‘practice’ parade for the first time on June 8 in her role as honorary colonel of the Irish Guards
MailOnline understands the attendance of other Royal Family members at Trooping the Colour events will be confirmed nearer the time of each one.
Trooping the Colour: 1,400 soldiers and 200 horses at parade for Sovereign’s birthday
Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign for more than 260 years.
The parade sees more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians join each June in a display of military precision and fanfare.
Crowds line the streets with flags as the parade travels from Buckingham Palace down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, with Royal Family members on horseback and in carriages.
A royal salute greets the Sovereign as they arrive at Horse Guards Parade before they inspect the troops, wearing the ceremonial uniform of red tunics and bearskin hats.
The escorted Regimental Colour, or flag, then travels down the ranks of soldiers, with the commanding officer directing the soldiers with more than 100 words of command
The Foot Guards march past the Sovereign before heading back to the Palace at the head of the soldiers.
The display finishes with a flypast by the Royal Air Force which is watched by royals from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. There is also a 41-gun salute fired from Green Park.
During Trooping the Colour, which takes place on Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall, the King will carry out the review of the Guardsmen and officers from the carriage
The change from last year’s ceremony, where Charles inspected the troops on horseback, reflects earlier Buckingham Palace briefings where it was highlighted that each engagement by the King would be reviewed and adaptations made when advised by doctors.
Earlier this year on March 5, the Ministry of Defence removed a claim made on its website that Kate would attend events to mark Trooping the Colour.
Tickets had gone on sale via the Army website advertising Kate reviewing a ‘practice’ parade for the first time on June 8 in her role as honorary colonel of the Irish Guards.
It also announced that Charles would be reviewing his own official birthday parade on June 15 at Horse Guards.
But within minutes of the tickets going on sale, there were warnings that the MoD may have ‘jumped the gun’.
Kensington Palace sources made clear that they were ‘not consulted’ on the MoD announcement and said that any confirmed attendance by the Princess would be made ‘only’ by themselves.
Buckingham Palace also confirmed at the time that planning for future engagements was continuing despite the King’s cancer treatment, yet stressed that changes could be made nearer the time depending on his health.
The confusion added to a sense of unease around the Royal Family at that point, over fears that two of its most senior members would be largely out of action for substantial periods.
This also came before Kate revealed in an emotional video on March 23 that she was undergoing treatment for cancer.
