Kate Middleton To Make Official Return From Surgery Recovery At Trooping The Colour

Kate Middleton is set to make her royal comeback in June at Trooping the Colour, marking her first official duty since her abdominal surgery in January.

The update comes amid the buzz around town after she was spotted being chauffeured by her mother near Windsor in her first appearance since the surgery.

The Ministry of Defence has announced that Kate will be in attendance at the military parade scheduled for Saturday, June 8, at Horse Guards Parade in Westminster. 

Noting that the Princess of Wales, serving as Colonel of the Irish Guards, will lead the inspection during the dress rehearsal, preparing for the main event on June 15, the MoD wrote on its website:

“Trooping the Colour reviewed by Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales also includes 250 soldiers from the Foot Guards who will line the processional route along The Mall. The soldiers will be inspected by Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, Colonel Irish Guards.”

Tickets for the pre-Trooping the Colour spectacle are already up for grabs for £5 to £15 on the website, creating excitement for the upcoming event traditionally reviewed by the monarch. 

However, despite Kate's anticipated first official duty post-surgery, Kensington Palace has not confirmed her attendance yet. 

On that, Daily Mail reported that Palace officials were not looped in on the Ministry of Defence's update. Usually, announcements about Prince William or Kate's event attendance come from the Palace, not the MoD. 

It is worth noting that only the Palace holds the authority to announce Kate’s attendance at a royal event. Since confirmation is not expected until closer to the time, the anticipation surrounding her potential participation has become more heightened.

Just before MoD’s claim about her participation in the formal royal event, Kate looked solemn in her first public appearance while seated in the passenger seat of an SUV driven by her mother, Carole Middleton.

Despite the serious demeanor in a pair of sunglasses, the 42-year-old appeared to be in good health. Recall that in January,  Kensington Palace revealed that Kate was hospitalized at the London Clinic and was on the road to recovery after undergoing abdominal surgery. A statement issued at the time read:

“The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in the hospital for ten to fourteen days before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”

After emphasizing Kate’s appreciation for “the interest this statement will generate," the Palace’s note expressed her hope that "the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private."

It conclusively shared, “Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share. The Princess of Wales wishes to apologize to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”

Despite the statement from the Palace, various theories and memes speculating about Kate's whereabouts during her recovery from abdominal surgery surfaced on social media. In light of that, a representative for Kate promptly issued a press release claiming:

"Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands."

The spokesperson also affirmed that Kate was doing well while taking the necessary time to ensure a full recovery. 

Another insider previously spoke out about Kate's well-being, responding to concerns raised by a journalist from a Spanish news program who claimed she was in a coma due to health complications from the surgery.

"There is absolutely no truth to the report that Kate was in a coma. She is recovering at home," the source asserted.