2024 has been a tough year for the royal family after Kate Middleton and King Charles III announced they have cancer.
Kate was scheduled to be part of the Trooping the Colour parade on June 15, but her participation was canceled because Kensington Palace said it wasn’t certain if she could attend. Now it’s confirmed that Prince William and King Charles will participate in a practice session on June 8, but Kate will not.
As the new leader of the Irish Guards, Kate was supposed to attend a practice ceremony to inspect the troops next weekend. But The Irish Sun reported that Lieutenant General Sir James Bucknall, a former military leader, will take her place. People close to Kate said she didn’t expect to make it to the event after starting chemotherapy in February.
Lieutenant Colonel James Shaw, who oversees both ceremonies, sent his best wishes to Kate. He said, “We totally understand and our thoughts and best wishes are with Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales. We are even more determined to make the Colonel’s Review the best yet for her. We are so proud to have The Princess of Wales as the Colonel of the Irish Guards.”
Kate became the leader of the Irish Guards in March 2023, after Prince William became the leader of the Welsh Guards. During 2023, Kate visited the Guards, wore their special brooch at events, and even participated in training activities. She was supposed to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with them in 2024 but couldn’t due to her illness.
Though Kate will miss the June 8 practice session, she might still appear on the palace balcony with her family for the main event. According to the Daily Mirror, palace sources haven’t ruled out the possibility that she will attend events after June 8 if she feels well enough.
