Army Withdraws Its Claim Kate Middleton Will Attend King’s Birthday Parade In June

Mar 07, 2024

Early 2024 saw the British royal family rocked by news of serious health issues. Buckingham Palace announced on Jan. 17, 2024, that King Charles III was scheduled for hospital treatment the following week for an enlarged prostate. The next day, his wife, Queen Camilla, said Charles felt “fine” and was “looking forward to getting back to work.” 

That same day, Kensington Palace revealed in a statement that the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, had undergone abdominal surgery that had been scheduled the day prior at the London Clinic. It said the surgery had been “successful” and that the princess would remain at the hospital for a 10 to 14-day recovery period. However, the statement added that Kate is unlikely to resume her usual royal duties until after Easter.

News of the pair’s hospitalization led to an outpouring of well wishes and support from their supporters across the world. This came as no surprise as both Charles and Kate are among some of the most popular members of the royal family.

Charles ascended the throne after the death of Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept. 8, 2022. As king, Charles worked hard to ensure the royal family remained in good standing with the public, moving with the times to keep the institution from being viewed as archaic, antiquated and out of touch.

Another reason why the royal family remains popular is Kate. Since her marriage to Prince William in April 2011, she’s captured the hearts of the public with her duty to the British crown, her kind and attentive nature, and her fashionable sense of style. Kate is known for her poise, elegance and charm. 

Read on to find out more about how the royal family is faring in this challenging time.

On Jan. 26, 2024, King Charles III was admitted to the London Clinic, where he underwent specific treatment. He was discharged after three nights. However, the palace announced that all his prior engagements would be postponed to allow him sufficient time to rest and recuperate. In the following days, Queen Camilla again stated that Charles had been “doing his best” since the treatment before the pair made their first public appearance together on Feb. 4, 2024, at Sandringham Church. There, Charles gave the crowd a reassuring wave, raising the people’s spirits. However, this reassurance was short-lived as Buckingham Palace disclosed devastating news the following day.

It revealed that, during Charles’ prostate treatment, “diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer,” while stressing it was not prostate cancer. It said the king had “commenced a schedule of regular treatments” while his public-facing duties were postponed on the advice of his doctors. However, the 75-year-old monarch would “continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual,” it added.

Meanwhile, Kensington Palace did not elaborate on what specific health issue Kate Middleton was suffering from but stressed it was not cancer-related. The public was quick to offer their well-wishes for a speedy recovery as the media jumped into high gear, with reports the princess had slipped into a coma being resoundingly refuted as “total nonsense.” Scores of photographers were assigned to the London Clinic in an attempt to garner photos of the princess upon her departure. They were, however, unsuccessful, as news would later surface that Kate had left the hospital without her exit being spotted. 

Twelve days later, on Jan. 29, 2024, the palace released another statement revealing that Kate had returned to her residence in Windsor Castle to continue recuperating from the surgery and that she was “making good progress.”

After leaving the hospital, Kate settled into her home at Adelaide Cottage in Home Park, Windsor. There, she recuperated comfortably among family and leaned on their loyal staff, including long-time nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo. Meanwhile, Prince William reportedly took the lead in caring for their three children, switching to “100% family first, day job second” mode, according to a Sunday Times source. 

According to the National Health Service (NHS), it's generally expected that those recovering from abdominal surgery may need to wait two to three months before moving around comfortably. They must also avoid lifting heavy weights above two or three kilograms. Standing and sitting exercises are recommended to help rebuild the core area. However, the abdominal area can take up to two years to return to its original strength for full recovery. 

While Kate’s return to her royal duties will no doubt depend on the advice of her doctors, some estimated her recovery would take longer than suggested, even up to nine months, according to one expert. Others instead lauded the princess for taking the time she needed to rest and recuperate, with one royal household insider telling People:

“It is sensible to take the time. … That is a great example to the rest of us, as you’re often told to get back to work as soon as possible, which can be damaging. It is good for all of us to see her taking the time, recovering properly and then coming back. We can all learn from that.”   

Meanwhile, others found optimism in the fact that William has already made a partial return to his royal duties, after he attended a fundraiser alongside Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise for London’s Air Ambulance on Feb. 7, 2024. There, he became the first member of the family to personally speak about his father and wife since their health issues came to light.

It was fitting for Prince William to make a return to his royal duties after taking a break to care for his wife and family at the charity fundraiser for London’s Air Ambulance, which he cheekily referred to in a speech at the event.

“It's fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather ‘medical’ focus. So I thought I'd come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all!” William said.

He continued to keep the mood light with some gentle humor while playfully prodding superstar guest and “Top Gun” actor, Cruise.  

“If you wouldn't mind not borrowing either of the new helicopters for the next ‘Mission Impossible’, it would be appreciated,” he joked.

“We have all seen on our screens that, how can I put it, you seem to have a different take on normal wear and tear to the rest of us.” The speech wasn’t all laughs, however, as the prince also spoke about his family’s recent health issues in public for the first time.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the kind messages and support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days. It means a great deal to us all,” the prince said. 

 The public was touched by Prince William’s words and described him as “kind,” “well-spoken” and “caring.”

“This man is so soft spoken and kind. He is a blessing to the Royal Family,” one user remarked, while another said, “Such a nice, kind and gracious man, his mother taught him well.”

Another comment read:

“It's heartening to see Prince William speak out following the news of King Charles' cancer diagnosis. His words likely provide comfort and strength to not only his family but also to the public concerned about the health of their monarch.”

As the public eagerly awaited the Princess of Wales’ return, one party caused a stir when it jumped the gun on announcing her attendance at a future event. The British army was forced to amend its website after it claimed Kate would appear at Trooping the Colour on June 8, 2024. The army had initially announced Kate’s appearance at the event based on her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards, which is also the regiment trooping its colour this year. The army was selling tickets to the event on its website, initially including a photo of Kate and a line claiming her attendance.

The claim caused confusion as Kensington Palace is the only party that is able to give the official word on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ engagements, and it had not confirmed Kate’s appearance. The army also had not sought its approval before publishing the information. As of now, Kensington Palace continues to assert that Kate will not be returning to her public duties until after Easter.

Trooping the Colour marks the official birthday of the British Sovereign every year and is also known as the King’s Birthday Parade. Crowds line the streets to watch the parade move from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall hoping to catch a glimpse of members of the royal family as they ride on horseback or in carriages. The spectacle ends with a Royal Air Force fly-past that is witnessed by the royal family from the Buckingham Palace balcony.

The attendance of senior royals is usually confirmed closer to the date of the event, which in 2024 is due to start on June 1 and end with King Charles reviewing the troops in the final parade on June 15. While Buckingham Palace has yet to confirm Charles’ attendance, this section on the army website will not be changed.

What did you think of the army’s blunder? We’d love to hear your thoughts and well wishes for King Charles III and the Princess of Wales during this challenging time. Feel free to let us know your messages and pass this along to your family and friends who may want to do the same.