Confusion reigns as Catherine reportedly to attend June event, Charles to miss Commonwealth Day
Confusion about the health of the Princess of Wales continued to swirl Tuesday as British officials an‐ nounced Catherine will at‐ tend a Trooping the Colour ceremony in June - her first confirmed official event since undergoing abdomi‐ nal surgery - but appar‐ ently without first consult‐ ing with Kensington Palace.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said Tuesday that Kate, 42, will inspect soldiers on parade during the June 8 ceremony.
The events of the day and on the weekend that follows are annual highlights in the royal calendar and include pomp-filled birthday parades to honour the reigning monarch that usually draw huge crowds each June. The tradition dates back more than 260 years.
But several British media outlets reported that Kens‐ ington Palace was not consul‐ ted about Catherine's sup‐ posed return to duties, with the Telegraph saying the
MOD "jumped the gun," and the Daily Mail quoting a royal source as saying only the palace can announce the Prince or Princess of Wales's attendance at royal events.
"Kensington Palace is not confirming, but if it's true, it would be the first scheduled engagement for the Princess of Wales since that abdomi‐ nal surgery, further quelling the rumours online that per‐ haps the princess is more ill than she seems," GB News royal correspondent Cameron Walker said Tues‐ day morning.
Questions have swirled about the health of Catherine and King Charles since midJanuary, when announce‐ ments were made within hours of each other that Catherine had undergone surgery while Charles would undergo treatment for an en‐ larged prostate the following week.
In late January, the palace said in a statement that Catherine was making "good progress," was back at home in Windsor and was not due to return to public duties un‐ til after Easter. In February, Buckingham Palace an‐ nounced Charles had been diagnosed with cancer, unre‐ lated to his prostate, and would suspend his public du‐ ties.
WATCH | 'Crazy time' for the Royal Family:
Last week, after Prince William - who is Charles's el‐ dest son and Catherine's hus‐ band - cancelled his appear‐ ance at King Constantine's memorial service for "per‐ sonal matters," theories started swirling about his wife's whereabouts. Over the weekend, as it was reported Queen Camilla was taking a week off from royal duties, rumours reached a fever pitch.
On Monday, new photos published in various media outlets appeared to show Catherine in the passenger seat of a car being driven by her mother, further feeding the rumour mill.
If verified, they would be the first official sighting of Catherine since Christmas Day.
Charles to miss Com‐ monwealth Day
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that Charles will miss next week's engagements to mark Com‐ monwealth Day, with Camilla stepping in for the monarch as he continues to undergo cancer treatment.
Camilla will head the group of senior royals in at‐ tendance, which will include Prince William, but not Catherine.
Also on Tuesday, King Charles was photographed meeting with Chancellor Jere‐ my Hunt ahead of Wednes‐ day's budget.
BBC noted that prebudget audiences are "usual‐ ly private, but this time a photograph was issued."
Royal expert Richard Kay recently wrote in the Daily Mail that all the uncertainty about the Royal Family is dri‐ ving them "perilously close" to a crisis.
"All in all we know pre‐ cious little," he wrote last week.
"It is against this backdrop that the stability of the Royal Family, which for all the years of the late Queen's reign we took for granted, suddenly looks to be in jeopardy. Never in modern memory have the royals had so many multiple troubles at the same time."