Key Moments Princess Kate Might Miss Amid Cancer Treatment

Princess Kate's absence for cancer treatment will likely rule her out of key royal moments from King Charles III's birthday parade to Wimbledon.

The Princess of Wales had abdominal surgery in January and was later diagnosed with cancer following postoperative tests.

It is hoped that her original surgery removed the cancerous tissue but she has been undergoing what she described as "preventative chemotherapy" since late February.

Trooping the Colour

Princess Kate will have to decide whether she is well enough to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Color, King Charles III's birthday parade.

Each year, there is a military procession through London for the British monarch which includes a carriage ride by royals around the palace.

Prince William and potentially Charles, if he's well enough, will join the military parade on horseback on Saturday, June 15, while ordinarily, Kate would be in a carriage with her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

If she pulls out, that will also put a question mark over George, Charlotte and Louis' attendance as they would have to tag along with other family members.

Her absence would potentially create a somber backdrop to the day, but there is still significant sympathy and understanding in Britain of Kate's desire to keep her peace as her recovery continues.

Colonel's Review

One week before The King's Birthday Parade, Kate was originally due to conduct the Colonel's Review, a rehearsal for the main event.

It was set to be a major milestone in her journey as honorary colonel of the Irish Guards and when the tickets were put on sale in March her name was still on the promotional material.

However, following a rash of news stories suggesting her attendance had been confirmed, her name was removed from marketing.

Wimbledon

Kate is a tennis lover and as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is a regular at Wimbledon each year.

She would almost certainly attend the Grand Slam tournament, between July 1 and July 14, were it not for her chemotherapy treatment.

That makes the event an interesting barometer for how the princess is feeling about life in the public eye since it could have the potential to offer light relief.

If there were anything likely to draw Kate back to work ahead of time it would surely be Wimbledon.

Any public appearance, however, would garner major media coverage since she has not been seen at a public event since Christmas Day and that in itself would introduce an element of pressure.

The palace may also simply want to avoid mixed messaging and raising expectations of a more substantial return to work.

The Japanese State Visit

The emperor and empress of Japan are also due to visit Britain in late June, and ordinarily, both Kate and Prince William would likely play a role in welcoming them.

That feels unlikely against the backdrop of Kate's health issues, though it is possible the Prince of Wales will still be involved.

A past Buckingham Palace announcement read: "Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan have accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom in late June 2024. The King and Queen will host the State Visit at Buckingham Palace."

Ascot

Finally, Kate has in past years been a regular at Ascot for horse racing, where it is hoped King Charles will make an appearance this year.

As with Wimbledon, it would likely be an enjoyable day out for the princess and she would be surrounded by family to help her brave the searing glare of publicity.

However, no matter how welcome her appearance at a public event would be to Brits, with whom she is very popular, it may still be felt that her attendance would be too much in a context where Kate has asked for space and privacy to focus on her health.

If she swerves all those events, then during August the royals spend their holiday at Balmoral, in Scotland, meaning any return to work would likely be pushed back to autumn at the earliest.

She is, however, under no significant pressure to rush back currently as the public appears willing to respect the time she has requested.

Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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