Princess Kate apologizes for missing Irish Guards' final rehearsal before King's parade

Catherine, Princess of Wales, wished the Irish Guards good luck for their final rehearsal before the Trooping of the Color parade in honor of the King's birthday.

CBS News has already confirmed that Kate would not attend the Colonel's Review, the official dress rehearsal for the parade on Saturday.

In a letter shared by the Irish Guards on X, the Princess of Wales apologized for not being present in her capacity as honorary colonel of the guards.

“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 wrote in the letter. “Please pass on my apologies to the entire regiment, but I hope to be able to represent you again very soon.”

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.

Kate is currently undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. She has given up her public duties and is not expected to return to work until she gets clearance from her medical team. Kensington Palace has given no indication of when this might take place. She revealed few details about her illness or treatment.

Her husband, Prince William, said last month that Kate was “doing well.”

The king, who is also follow your own cancer treatment, resumed his public functions. He attended this week's commemorations of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe on June 6, 1944.

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.”

Charles will likely travel to the event in a horse-drawn carriage with Queen Camilla and is expected to attend the ceremony seated on a dais, rather than on horseback as he did last year.

Irish guards said they were touched by Kate's letter and wished her well.