Princess of Wales ‘considers’ look on Buckingham Palace balcony

The Princess of Wales is considering making an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the Trooping the Colour ceremony, it was claimed today.

Royal officials confirmed yesterday that Kate will not attend the Colonel’s Review on June 8 – which is the traditional rehearsal for Trooping the Colour, held on June 15.

But the Daily Mirror reported that the Princess is understood to be considering walking onto the famous balcony in a fortnight’s time if she is feeling well enough.

Kate, 42, who is also undergoing cancer treatment, would have been due to take the salute on June 8 in normal circumstances in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards.

But she continues to stay away from public royal duties during her chemotherapy while resting at home, and will only return when doctors give her the all-clear.

Lieutenant General James Bucknall, former commander of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, will be the inspecting officer on Kate’s behalf for the Colonel’s Review.

Buckingham Palace also revealed yesterday that King Charles III will travel in a carriage with Queen Camilla on June 15 and will not be on horseback.

Charles, 75, will conduct the review of soldiers at his official birthday parade from an Ascot Landau carriage with Camilla, which is understood to be an adaptation based on doctors’ advice while the monarch continues to have treatment for cancer .

It comes after the Army removed a claim made in March on its website that Kate would be appearing at Trooping the Colour and had begun selling tickets – which caused confusion after Kensington Palace said it had not confirmed her attendance.

It comes after the Army removed a claim made in March on its website that Kate would be appearing at Trooping the Colour and had begun selling tickets – which caused confusion after Kensington Palace said it had not confirmed her attendance. 

MailOnline understands the attendance of other Royal Family members at Trooping the Colour events will be confirmed nearer the time of each one.

During Trooping the Colour, which takes place on Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall, the King will carry out the review of the Guardsmen and officers from the carriage. 

The change from last year’s ceremony, where Charles inspected the troops on horseback, reflects earlier Buckingham Palace briefings where it was highlighted that each engagement by the King would be reviewed and adaptations made when advised by doctors. 

Earlier this year on March 5, the Ministry of Defence removed a claim made on its website that Kate would attend events to mark Trooping the Colour.

Tickets had gone on sale via the Army website advertising Kate reviewing a ‘practice’ parade for the first time on June 8 in her role as honorary colonel of the Irish Guards.

It also announced that Charles would be reviewing his own official birthday parade on June 15 at Horse Guards. 

But within minutes of the tickets going on sale, there were warnings that the MoD may have ‘jumped the gun’.

Kensington Palace sources made clear that they were ‘not consulted’ on the MoD announcement and said that any confirmed attendance by the Princess would be made ‘only’ by themselves.

Buckingham Palace also confirmed at the time that planning for future engagements was continuing despite the King’s cancer treatment, yet stressed that changes could be made nearer the time depending on his health.

The confusion added to a sense of unease around the Royal Family at that point, over fears that two of its most senior members would be largely out of action for substantial periods.

This also came before Kate revealed in an emotional video on March 23 that she was undergoing treatment for cancer.

At that point, Kate was recuperating from what was described as ‘planned abdominal surgery’ and it was seen as unlikely that she would return to duties until after Easter.

Until her cancer announcement, her absence from public events and the scant detail given about her condition and recuperation had led to wild social media conspiracy theories about what might be wrong with her.

On Tuesday, the Army confirmed that Trooping the Colour will go ahead despite the upcoming General Election – confirming the Daily Mail’s story the previous week.

The celebration traditionally involves the royal family gathering on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after a display of pomp and military pageantry.

Usually the monarch rides down from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade via The Mall to inspect the troops. He then rides back to the palace for the traditional balcony appearance with the wider Royal Family and flypast by the RAF.

Queen Elizabeth II attended the event in a carriage after 1987.

Last week, the Royal Family postponed engagements ‘which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign’ after Rishi Sunak last week called a surprise summer General Election for July 4.

But they have continued with garden parties at Buckingham Palace and the King and Queen’s D-Day 80th anniversary appearances in Portsmouth and Normandy in June are expected to go ahead as scheduled.

Today, Charles met Rohitha Bogollagama, High Commissioner for Sri Lanka, as he presented his credentials at Buckingham Palace in a private audience along with his wife Deepthi Bogollagama.

Yesterday, Charles and Camilla went a tour of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) in London, where they met former students including David Harewood, Cynthia Erivo and Daniel Mays.

On Tuesday, the British Army announced that almost 1,000 soldiers and around 240 horses from the Household Division will perform a ‘khaki rehearsal’ of the parade in London today.

The rehearsal will take place on Horse Guards Parade in front of an audience of more than 1,000 people as a test for soldiers and horses who have yet to rehearse publicly.

Lieutenant Colonel James Shaw, the Brigade Major of the Household Division, will confirm the troops are of the required standard before they perform at The Major General’s Review on Saturday, The Colonel’s Review on June 8 and Trooping the Colour on June 15.

The Army said the Number 9 Company, Irish Guards, has been chosen to troop their colour, which means the regiment will march its ceremonial flag through the ranks at the King’s official birthday event.

The Band of the Irish Guards with the Pipes and Drums will march the troops onto the parade ground, led by regimental mascot Turlough Mor, an Irish Wolfhound also known as Seamus.

The music is set to have a ‘distinctly Irish theme’, including Celtic folk tunes and new music composed for the parade.

The annual Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British sovereign for more than 260 years.

Charles marked his first Trooping as King last year, riding onto Horse Guards in Whitehall as the nation’s head of state six weeks after his coronation.

During the celebrations, Charles and Camilla waved from the Buckingham Palace balcony as thousands of well-wishers in The Mall sang the National Anthem and gave three cheers.

The King and Queen were surrounded in 2023 by the family’s core group of working royals, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children.

Also on the balcony were the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.