The military has backtracked on claims that the Princess of Wales will attend the Trooping the Color in June, following allegations that officials had ‘jumped the gun’ without consulting the palace.
Tickets had gone on sale through the army website advertising Kate, 42, who reviewed a ‘practice parade’ for the first time in her role as honorary colonel of the Irish Guards on June 8.
It was also announced that Charles, 75, would host his own official birthday parade on June 15 at Horse Guards.
But within minutes of the tickets going on sale, there were warnings that the Ministry of Defense may have ‘jumped the gun’.
Kensington Palace sources clarified that they had ‘not been consulted’ about the MoD announcement and said any confirmed presence of the Princess would be ‘only’ by themselves.
The Princess of Wales appeared last year during Trooping the Color on June 17 in London
Kate, Prince William, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte look to the sky during last year’s Trooping the Color event
Kate is seen making her last public appearance on Christmas Day before stepping out of the spotlight
Buckingham Palace confirmed that planning for future engagements was continuing despite the King’s ongoing cancer treatment, but stressed that changes could be made over time depending on his health.
He is conducting a very limited number of in-person appointments and certainly not anything with large crowds, per the advice of doctors.
The confusion has increased the sense of unease surrounding the royal family, with two of its oldest members largely out of action for significant periods.
Insiders have said, given the profile of the occasions, it is likely that both the monarch and his daughter-in-law will do everything in their power to attend.
Royal expert Phil Dampier said: ‘I am sure the Princess of Wales will be well enough to attend Trooping the Color and Kensington Palace has said she is recovering well from abdominal surgery.
‘We’ll probably see her at Easter and then hopefully a lot of the wild rumors circulating online will die down. That said, it doesn’t help if you get confused about these types of announcements.”
Kate is recovering from what is described as a ‘planned abdominal operation’ and is unlikely to return to work until after Easter.
Her absence from public events and the few details given about her condition and recovery have led to wild conspiracy theories on social media about what could be wrong with the princess.
The Ministry of Defense is said to have ‘jumped the gun’ when the military published event details for Trooping the Color
The Ministry of Defense said Trooping the Color will be ‘reviewed’ by the Princess on June 8 this year
Gary Goldsmith entered the Celebrity Big Brother house as a contestant last night
However, on Monday she was photographed by paparazzi as she was driven to Windsor by her mother, Carole Middleton, the first time she had been seen in public since Christmas Day.
The photos were published on US gossip website TMZ, but not in Britain, where Kensington Palace has called for her private recovery.
Trooping the Color – the historic celebration of the sovereign’s ‘official’ birthday – is one of the biggest events in the royal calendar, with more than 1,400 soldiers from the Household Division and the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery taking part.
The regiment that uses the color – in other words, holds the regimental flag – varies each year, with the 2nd Battalion Irish Guards receiving the honor in 2024. In the run-up to the King’s birthday parade, two discussions will be held, one of which is the Colonel’s parade.
Last year, Prince William handed over the role of honorary colonel of the Irish Guards to his wife – now Colonel Catherine – who would normally personally lead the inspection.
Tickets for the event have been advertised on the Ministry of Defense website, with the listing stating that Trooping the Color has been ‘reviewed by Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales’.
They added: ‘For Trooping the Colour, judged by Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, seated, standing and wheelchair tickets will all be on sale from 4 March 2024.’
Meanwhile, King Charles and Queen Camilla will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samona later this year, and then in Australia and New Zealand, as recently confirmed by the Australian Prime Minister.
“But both the King and Kate will act on the advice of their doctors and do not want them to worry about events in a few months’ time,” Dampier said.
“If an announcement is made and then withdrawn, it only fuels conspiracy theories. So it is essential that all departments dealing with these events talk to each other.’
It comes as a clip of Kate’s uncle Gary Goldsmith speaking to Fern Britton on Celebrity Big Brother criticized those speculating about Kate’s recovery.
‘I don’t think this is fair. “I don’t like all these conspiracy theories,” he said.
“And if she wants to say what she has, she has a platform to do so – it’s not for us to speculate or ask questions.
“I love that she puts family first in a lot of her decision-making. I think that is very important.’
This week, Goldsmith slammed wild conspiracy theories about his niece’s health as she recovers from surgery.
Kate spent almost a fortnight in Marylebone’s The London Clinic following abdominal surgery, but was discharged on January 29.
Goldsmith, who entered the Celebrity Big Brother house as a contestant last night, previously described his royal niece as ‘beautiful’ and branded the racism claims against her as ‘bull****’.