Trooping the Colour: Will King Charles And Kate Middleton Attend?

Royal officials have finally confirmed whether the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, will be present at the upcoming Trooping The Colour rehearsals on June 8 amid her cancer treatment.

Buckingham Palace also recently released a statement regarding King Charles III's attendance at the main event on June 15 due to the king's ongoing cancer treatment.

Despite the upcoming general election, Trooping the Colour will proceed as planned, continuing its 260-year tradition of celebrating the Sovereign's official birthday.

Royal officials recently announced that the Princess of Wales will not attend the Colonel's Review, the traditional rehearsal for Trooping the Colour, on June 8 as she continues her chemotherapy treatment.

Usually, Kate would take the salute in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards. However, in the princess' absence, Lieutenant General James Bucknall, former commander of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, will act as the inspecting officer for the Colonel's Review on Kate's behalf.

Prior to the recent announcement, royal fans had anticipated Kate's participation due to her absence from the public eye since her cancer diagnosis was revealed.

The recent announcement follows confusion in March when the Army's website retracted a claim that Kate would attend Trooping the Colour events. Tickets had been sold on the Army website, promoting Kate's role in reviewing a "practice" parade on June 8 as honorary colonel of the Irish Guards.

However, shortly after ticket sales began, concerns arose that the MoD may have acted prematurely. Kensington Palace clarified that they had not been consulted on the MoD's announcement and emphasized that any confirmed attendance by the Princess would be officially announced by them.

Kate, who announced her cancer diagnosis in March, remains absent from public royal duties while she undergoes chemotherapy and rests at home, with plans to return once she receives medical clearance.

Buckingham Palace has also announced that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will travel by carriage instead of horseback for the Trooping the Colour on June 15.

During Trooping the Colour, held at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall, the king will review the Guardsmen and officers from the carriage at his official birthday parade from an Ascot Landau carriage, with Camilla by his side, following medical advice due to his ongoing cancer treatment.

This shift from last year's ceremony, where Charles inspected the troops on horseback, aligns with previous Buckingham Palace briefings indicating that the king's engagements would be adapted based on doctors' recommendations.

The news about Trooping the Colour follows King Charles and Prince William canceling public engagements last week after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on May 22 that a general election would occur in July.

Buckingham Palace previously stated that the royals would postpone appearances to avoid diverting "attention from the election campaign," leading to speculation about Trooping the Colour's status.

As members of the British royal family are constitutionally non-political, they traditionally avoid public activities during election campaigns to keep the focus on key issues.

However, this political activity does not halt all royal events. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the king's birthday parade is a fixed date on the national calendar and will proceed as scheduled on June 15.

For over 260 years, Trooping the Colour has celebrated the official birthday of the British Sovereign. More than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians participate in a grand display of military precision and pageantry each June.

The parade begins at Buckingham Palace, proceeding down The Mall to the Horse Guards Parade, with members of the Royal Family traveling on horseback and in carriages. Upon arrival at the Horse Guards Parade, the Sovereign is greeted with a royal salute before inspecting the troops, who wear ceremonial red tunics and bearskin hats.

The Regimental Colour, or flag, is then escorted down the ranks of soldiers, with the commanding officer issuing over 100 commands. The Foot Guards then march past the Sovereign and lead the soldiers back to the Palace.

The event concludes with a Royal Air Force flypast, viewed by the Royal Family from the Buckingham Palace balcony, and a 41-gun salute from Green Park. Crowds line the streets with flags.