Kate Middleton is receiving the sweetest of messages from a special source after Buckingham Palace confirmed the Princess of Wales will skip the iconic Trooping of the Colour as she continues preventative cancer treatment.
On Thursday, May 30, Lieutenant Colonel James Shaw—the Brigade Major of the Household Division, a section of the British Army that organizes and performs the Trooping the Colour celebration—issued a special message from The Irish Guards to Middleton.
"We wish the Colonel of the Irish Guards the best of best wishes for her recovery," Shaw told GB News. "And again, the Irish Guards are hugely proud to have her as their Colonel and want to put on a really special show this year."
Earlier that same day, Buckingham Palace announced that Middleton would not serve as Inspecting Officer at the traditional Colonel's Review on June 8, People reported at the time.
The traditional review serves as the final rehearsal before the annual Trooping the Colour event, also known as King Charles' extravagant birthday parade. Shaw is going to be taking over royal duties for Middleton in her absence.
On Sunday, March 17, Kensington Palace posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing Irish Guards raising their hats and giving three cheers to the Princess of Wales, who last year attended the event for the first time as the Guards' Colonel after taking over the role previously held by her husband, Prince William.
Princess Kate did not attend the parade this year either—at the time it was said she was recovering from her reportedly "planned" abdominal surgery and brief hospitalization. The event occurred before Middleton announced to the world that she was also undergoing preventative treatment for an unspecified type of cancer.
While the Princess of Wales is not expected to return to public-facing royal duties until at least the fall—if at all this year, as she is reportedly waiting on the "green light" from her doctors—Middleton is said to be considering a possible cameo appearance of sorts at the Trooping the Colour celebration.
According to recent The Daily Mail reports, Kate is “considering” making an appearance on the famous Buckingham Palace balcony alongside her family “if she is feeling well enough."
And as royal biographer Katie Nicholl reported in Vanity Fair, Middleton's condition has improved as of late.
“It has been a great relief that she is tolerating the medication," a source told Nicholl.
