Kate Middleton Will Not Attend Traditional Trooping the Colour Rehearsal Next Month, Palace Confirms
The update comes weeks after Prince William said his wife was "doing well"
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Kate Middleton at Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023.Kate Middleton will not attend the key dress rehearsal for Trooping the Colour in June.
On May 30, Kensington Palace confirmed that the Princess of Wales, 42, will not carry out her usual role of Inspecting Officer at the traditional Colonel's Review on June 8. Instead, the honor will fall to Lieutenant General James Bucknall, KCB, CBE.
Princess Kate, 42, has maintained a low profile since revealing on March 22 that she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. However, she has recently been spotted out with her family and solo running errands, sources recently told PEOPLE.
Whether or not she attends Trooping the Colour on June 15 remains to be seen. PEOPLE understands the participation of royal family members will be confirmed closer to the date.
Prince William said earlier this month that his wife is "doing well," though palace sources say she is not expected to return to work until she has been given the all-clear to do so by her medical team.
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The Wales family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023.Related: Kate Middleton and Prince William Seen in New Photo After Surprise B&B Stay Last Year
It's also understood that King Charles, 75, will attend Trooping the Colour amid his own cancer treatment, and conduct the review while seated in an Ascot landau carriage alongside Queen Camilla. The King rode on horseback at the patriotic event last June for the first Trooping of his royal reign and revived an equestrian tradition for the first time in 37 years. His late mother Queen Elizabeth last rode in the procession on her beloved horse Burmese in 1986 and opted for a carriage in the years that followed.
King Charles resumed forward-facing duties in late April after Buckingham Palace announced his cancer treatment in February, and his wife Queen Camilla has said he is "thrilled" to return to public work.
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Prince William at the Colonel's Review before Trooping the Colour on June 10, 2023.Related: Kate Middleton and Prince William Seen in New Photo After Surprise B&B Stay Last Year
The Trooping news comes after King Charles and Prince William canceled public engagements last week after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on May 22 that a general election will be held in July. At the time, Buckingham Palace said the royals would postpone outings "which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign," and some wondered if Trooping would be off.
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Kate Middleton at Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023.Members of the British royal family are constitutionally non-political and traditionally leave the public space during campaigns to keep the public’s attention on the election and the key issues it presents. However, the political activity doesn’t negate all outings, and the Ministry of Defense verified that the King's birthday parade is date-specific to the national calendar and should therefore proceed.
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King Charles and Queen Camilla on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at Trooping the Colour in June 2023.Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Trooping the Colour is the British Army's parade for the sovereign's official birthday, linked to the special occasion since 1748 and usually held in June. The Ministry of Defense has confirmed that Trooping will take place as previously planned on June 15, steadying speculation amid Princess Kate and King Charles' cancer diagnoses as well as the upcoming general election in the U.K. on July 4.
The Irish Guards, which Princess Kate supports as colonel, is up to "troop its colour," or ceremonially present its regimental flag, this year, as the duty rotates between the five regiments of the Household Division's Foot Guards each year. The Colonel's Review usually takes place a week before Trooping, and is a formal state ceremonial parade.
An army source previously told PEOPLE that "the purpose of the Colonel's review is to decide that they are ready for the monarch," and Prince William, 41, saddled up for the duty in June 2023 when it was the Welsh Guards' turn last year.
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