Kate Middleton ‘considering’ palace balcony appearance at Trooping the Colour ceremony: report
Kate Middleton is not ruling out an appearance at King Charles’s Trooping the Colour ceremony later this month, according to a report.
The Princess of Wales, 42, is currently in the thick of her cancer treatment after revealing her diagnosis to the world in a pre-recorded video in March.
And despite the fact that her name was left out of last week’s official review, the princess is understood to be “considering” making an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony if she feels well enough on the day, the Mirror reports.
Sources told the outlet that the mom of three may join other senior royals to witness the traditional RAF Flypast after the ceremony on June 15.
The Post has reached out to Kensington Palace for comment.
The palace confirmed last week that Princess Catherine will not be at the dress rehearsal for Trooping the Colour on June 8. However, it did not rule out her attendance at the main event the following week.
As colonel-in-chief of the Irish Guards, the royal would typically take the salute at The Colonel’s Review. This year, Middleton will have a trusted stand-in taking over the role.
“The Trooping the Colour is just one of those things that the royals do every year, you’ve got the things that take place before it then you’ve got the actual event,” Grant Harrold, former butler to the King, exclusively told The Post.
“Different royals take different roles, in the past, Kate has taken the Salute at the rehearsal, the Colonel’s Review.”
“The person who is standing in for her, James Bucknall, is obviously someone who they feel is adequate enough to fill in on her behalf,” Harrold added. “Whether that’s her choice, the office’s, or the military, the important thing is that someone is standing in.”
Following news of her impending absence from the rehearsal, Lt. Col. James Shaw — the Brigade Major of the Household Division — issued a special message to the Princess from The Irish Guards.
“We wish the Colonel of the Irish Guards the best of best wishes for her recovery,” Shaw told GB News. “And again, the Irish Guards are hugely proud to have her as their Colonel and want to put on a really special show this year.”
Elsewhere, Harrold noted that it’s currently “unadvisable” for Middleton to make an appearance at the ceremony.
“The fact the Palace doesn’t want her to be seen in public at an event like Trooping the Colour is quite significant,” Harrold said on behalf if Slingo. “They are sending a very clear message that suggests Kate could be out of action for the foreseeable future.”
“While she is hopefully getting better they are doing everything they can to reduce her workload, she’s doing the right thing,” he added.
Charles, for his part, will be attending Trooping the Colour — but he’s expected to arrive to the event in a different fashion.
The monarch — who is receiving outpatient treatment for his cancer — will be driven in a horse-drawn carriage alongside wife Queen Camilla instead of riding on horseback as he’s done in the past.
The event will be the royal family’s second Trooping the Colour ceremony since Charles’s coronation on May 6, 2023.