Princess Catherine of Wales is slated to attend the birthday celebrations of her father-in-law, King Charles III, in June, marking her first official duty since her recent surgery, according to a statement from the British Army on Tuesday.
While royal officials have yet to formally confirm her attendance, the British Army has announced that Catherine, wife of Prince William, the heir to the throne, will review soldiers on June 8 as part of the annual Trooping the Colour.
King Charles III, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, is also scheduled to review troops at the main event of Trooping the Colour on June 15, as per the army website.
On Tuesday, King Charles III, 75, held an in-person audience with Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt, ahead of the government’s official budget announcement on Wednesday. The British head of state, attired in a blue suit and a light tie, was photographed welcoming Hunt with a handshake at Buckingham Palace in central London.
King Charles ascended to the throne in September 2022, following the demise of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, after her 70-year reign. He was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer last month.
Princess Catherine, popularly known as Kate, was seen in public on Monday for the first time since her abdominal surgery in mid-January, as per photos published by US outlet TMZ. The 42-year-old princess has been recuperating primarily at her Windsor residence, which she shares with William and their three young children, since her hospital discharge on January 29.
TMZ’s photos showed Kate, donning sunglasses, being driven by her mother near Windsor Castle. This sighting comes amidst rampant social media speculation over the princess’s extended absence from public view.
The health issues of King Charles and Catherine have stirred a sense of uncertainty within the royal family, with Prince William himself missing events to care for his family. He also withdrew from a recent memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine II of Greece, due to an unspecified “personal matter”.
Queen Camilla, 76, wife of King Charles, has been the most visible senior royal, filling in for many of her husband’s public duties as he undergoes treatment. However, she is currently on a break until March 11, when she is expected to join other senior royals at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
With Queen Camilla reportedly on holiday this week, all four of the most senior royals are effectively out of action. Prince William, 41, was last seen in public on Thursday during a visit to a London synagogue, where he condemned the rise of anti-Semitism in the UK.
Kate’s last public appearance was on December 25, when the royals attended a Christmas Day church service, approximately three weeks before her hospital admission for abdominal surgery. Royal officials declined to disclose her treatment details but confirmed the condition was non-cancerous.
Kate, one of the most popular and photographed members of the royal family, spent nearly two weeks in the hospital. Kensington Palace stated that she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter on March 31.
Meanwhile, King Charles’s younger son, Prince Harry, has renounced royal duties for a new life in California, while the king’s brother Andrew retreated from the public eye in 2019 following a controversial television interview defending his friendship with the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Veteran royal commentator Richard Kay of The Daily Mail recently remarked that it was “impossible to escape the conclusion that it has suddenly become a threadbare institution” in light of recent events.
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