Kate Middleton breaks silence after missing Trooping the Color rehearsal

Lina PortmanJune 8, 2024

4 2 minutes read

article

Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince George of Wales on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Color on June 17, 2023 in London, in England. It's unclear

Kate, Princess of Wales, has apologized to Irish guards for missing Trooping the Color rehearsal while she was being treated for cancer.

The Princess of Wales, wife of Prince William, is the honorary colonel of the guard.

“I wanted to write to you and let you know how proud I am of the entire regiment ahead of the Colonel's Review and Color Parade. I appreciate that everyone participating in the Troop this year has been training for years. months and spend many hours ensuring their uniforms and drills are impeccable,” Kate’s letter read.

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, smiles as she arrives to attend the 'Together at Christmas' Carol service at Westminster Abbey in London December 8, 2023. (Photo by CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

“Being your colonel remains a great honor and I am truly sorry that I will not be able to receive the salute at this year’s colonel’s review,” she continued. “Please pass on my apologies to the whole regiment, but I hope to be able to represent you again very soon. Please send my best wishes and good luck to everyone involved.”

This review is a dress rehearsal for the annual military parade held each June to mark the official birthday of the monarch. King Charles III will oversee the ceremony on June 15.

It's still unclear whether Kate will attend the ceremony next week. She was treated for an unspecified type of cancer which she announced in March after speculation proliferated on social media about her health as she had not been seen in public for several months. She revealed few details about her illness or treatment.

RELATED: Health of Kate Middleton: Kensington Palace takes stock of her return to work

The king returned to his public duties while continuing to undergo his own cancer treatment. He attended this week's commemorations of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe on June 6, 1944.

Doctor weighs in on Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, has announced that she has been diagnosed with cancer. LiveNOW's Andrew Craft discussed the news with Dr. Jeannine Villella, director of the Northwell Health Cancer Institute.

Trooping the Color is a 460-year-old tradition in which troops in full uniform parade before the king with their ceremonial flag, also known as “the color.”

“The Irish Guards were deeply touched to receive a letter this morning from our Colonel, Her Royal Highness, Princess of Wales,” the Irish Guards said on X, formerly Twitter. “We continue to wish Her Royal Highness a speedy recovery and send her our best wishes.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.