Kate Middleton Tells Irish Guards She Is ‘Very Sorry’ to Miss Trooping the Colour Amid Cancer Battle

Miranda Siwak
·3 min read
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LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 05: Catherine, Princess Of Wales is seen during the opening of Evelina London's new children's day surgery unit on December 5, 2023 in London, England. The new facility will transform care for children and young people who need surgery by providing everything they need in one place, delivering a family-focused experience which will enable the organisation to treat up to an additional 2,300 children a year. Housed in the state-of-the-art Children's Day Treatment Centre, the unit has two brand new operating theatres. Families will benefit from a one-day service, with pre-surgery checks, the operation, and recovery all taking place seamlessly in one purposely designed space, on the same day. (Photo by Ian Vogler - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Ian Vogler - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Princess Kate Middleton sent her regards to the Irish Guards for her forthcoming absence at Trooping the Colour.

“I wanted to write and let you know how proud I am of the entire Regiment ahead of the Colonel’s Review and Trooping the Colour,” Kate, 42, wrote in a personal letter shared via the Irish Guards’ X page on Saturday, June 8. “I appreciate everyone trooping this year has been practicing for months, and dedicating many hours to ensuring their uniforms and drill are immaculate.”

She continued, “Being your Colonel remains a great honor and I’m 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.”

Kate, who is the honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards, further sent her “very best wishes” and “good luck” to the soldiers participating in the upcoming festivities.

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Kensington Palace confirmed earlier this month that Kate will not attend Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration of monarch King Charles III’s birthday, amid her cancer battle.

“We continue to wish Her Royal Highness well in her recovery and send Her our very best wishes,” the Irish Guards noted on Saturday in response to receiving the Princess of Wales’ letter.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 17: King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave alongside Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince George of Wales on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023 in London, England. Trooping the Colour is a traditional parade held to mark the British Sovereign's official birthday. It will be the first Trooping the Colour held for King Charles III since he ascended to the throne. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Kate Middleton joins Prince William King Charles III, Queen Camilla and her kids on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour 2023. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Trooping the Colour occurs next weekend on Saturday, June 15, in which Charles, 75, will watch a military parade and flypast from the Buckingham Palace balcony. The king, who is currently batting an undisclosed type of cancer, is typically joined by wife Queen Camilla, son Prince William, daughter-in-law Kate and grandchildren Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 5.

Kate previously confirmed in March that she had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer several months earlier. She is currently undergoing a preventative round of chemotherapy treatment.

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“William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time,” Kate said in a March announcement video. “I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirits. Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too, as is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you.”

Kate — who shares her three children with William, 41 — has canceled all of her public-facing duties in order to recuperate. The palace noted in March that Kate will only return to her royal engagements after being medically cleared by her physicians.

“[Kate’s team is] reevaluating what she’s going to be able to take on when she comes back,” a source exclusively revealed in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “She may never come back in the role that people saw her in before.”

William, meanwhile, has carried on with his solo engagements and repeatedly stressed that his wife is “doing well” amid her treatment.

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