Kate Middleton Skipping Trooping the Colour Balcony Appearance Would Prompt 1 Tough Question for King Charles
Trooping the Colour is almost here. A big celebration in London, England, is on the way but so might be a tricky question for King Charles III. That is, per a royal historian, only if Kate Middleton, who is undergoing cancer treatment, doesn’t make an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
No Kate balcony appearance could have King Charles looking closer at non-working royals
According to royal historian Dr. Tessa Dunlop, no Trooping the Colour balcony appearance from Kate could raise a tough question for King Charles. Specifically about the small number of working royals.
“This year, that balcony cast will have even slimmer pickings if the Princess of Wales stays away,” Dunlop told The Mirror. “In which case might it be time to review the role of non-working royals?”
The sovereign’s annual birthday parade is on June 15, 2024, in London, England. It typically features carriage rides, a flyover, and a photo op on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
“All those cousins [Princess] Eugenie, [Princess] Beatrice, and Zara [Tindall] who have long behaved with hallmark loyalty,” she said, “would surely relish the prospect of standing shoulder to shoulder with their King. After all, isn’t that what families are for?”
The king, who returned to public duties in April after being diagnosed with cancer in February, is reportedly already considering getting Beatrice more involved with events.
The bottom line is that “whether [Kate] will make a balcony appearance on the big day on June 15 remains the great unknown.”
“My hunch is she will give us a wave,” Dunlop said. “But if she doesn’t—entirely her prerogative—questions about [Prince] Harry and Meghan [Markle] are bound to surface.”
“These are futile,” she added. “Even in 2022, the Sussexes were out of the picture, glimpsed briefly at a window and not invited on the balcony.”
Kate Middleton won’t be at the Trooping the Colour rehearsal
Kensington Palace hasn’t said whether or not Kate plans to make a quick appearance on the balcony during Trooping the Colour. However, they have confirmed she won’t be at the rehearsal.
The practice run, or the Colonel’s Review of Trooping the Colour, is on June 8, 2024. According to the British Army, it’s “identical to The King’s Birthday Parade, with the exception that some additional mounted officers ride on the latter.”
As colonel of the British Army’s Irish Guards regiment, Kate was expected to oversee the rehearsal. However, General James Bucknall will step in as inspecting officer at the practice run as Kate continues her recovery.
Kate is also not expected to greet the emperor and empress of Japan during an upcoming state visit. In stark contrast to previous years, William is slated to welcome the couple at their hotel solo.
Kate’s expected to return to royal duties after being cleared by doctors
So, when is Kate going back to work? The answer is unknown. At the time of writing, Kensington Palace hasn’t issued a return date. It all hinges upon when doctors give her the go-ahead to resume her job as a senior working royal.
A senior royal aide told the Daily Mail that Kate “needs the space and the privacy to recover right now. She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors.”
According to Vanity Fair, the 42-year-old isn’t rushing to return to work. “There is no timeline, and there is certainly no hurry,” a well-placed source told the publication.
“It will be when Catherine feels ready and when she gets the green light from her medical team. But she will 100% be coming back to work, of that there is no question.”
Kate’s also said to have “turned a corner” as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy. “It has been a great relief that she is tolerating the medication and is actually doing a lot better,” a family friend said.
“It has, of course, been a very challenging and worrying time. Everyone has rallied around her—William, her parents, and her sister and brother.”
