On Monday, Kate Middleton appeared in public for the first time since January surgery (file photo)
Catherine, Princess of Wales, will attend birthday celebrations for her father-in-law King Charles III in June, the military said on Tuesday, her first official announcement since undergoing surgery.
Royal officials have not officially confirmed her attendance, but the British Army said Catherine, who is married to heir to the throne Prince William, will review soldiers on June 8 as part of the annual Trooping the Color parade.
According to the army website, the king, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, also plans to review troops during the main event of the military parade on June 15.
King Charles, 75, met with Finance Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday ahead of the government’s official budget on Wednesday.
The British head of state, wearing a blue suit and light tie, was photographed shaking Hunter’s hand as he welcomed him at Buckingham Palace in central London.
King Charles, who becomes king in September 2022 after the death of his mother Elizabeth II after 70 years of reign, was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer last month.
According to photos published by US media TMZ, Kate appeared in public on Monday for the first time since undergoing abdominal surgery in mid-January.
Since being discharged from hospital on January 29, the 42-year-old princess has been recovering primarily at the home she shares with William and their three young children in Windsor, west London.
Photos posted by TMZ show Kate wearing sunglasses and being driven by her mother, which the celebrity news site said were taken near Windsor Castle on Monday.
The sighting comes as social media is awash with conspiracy theories about the princess’ long absence from the spotlight.
royal shortage
King Charles and Catherine’s illness has created a sense of uncertainty for the royal family, and William himself has missed some events as he looks after his family.
He also withdrew from a recent memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine II of Greece, over unspecified “personal issues.”
King Charles’s 76-year-old wife, Queen Camilla, is the most high-profile senior royal and has taken on many public duties while her husband undergoes treatment.
But she has now rested until March 11, when she is expected to join other senior royals at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
She is reportedly on vacation this week, which effectively means all four most senior royals are out of action.
William, 41, was last seen in public on Thursday when he visited a London synagogue, where he denounced the rise of anti-Semitism in Britain.
He also attended the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Film Awards in London last month.
Kate’s last public appearance was on December 25, when the royal family attended a Christmas church service – about three weeks before she was admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery.
Royal officials declined to say what treatment she was receiving but confirmed her condition was not cancer.
She spent nearly two weeks in hospital and Kensington Palace said she was unlikely to return to public duties after Easter on March 31.
The princess, widely known as Kate, is one of the most popular and photographed royals.
King Charles’ younger son Prince Harry has stepped down from royal duties to start a new life in California, while the king’s brother Andrew retired from the public eye in 2019 after a disastrous TV interview in which he defended himself Friendship with late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Richard Kay, the Daily Mail’s senior royal commentator, said recent events made it “inevitable to conclude that it has suddenly become a dilapidated institution”.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
