Kate Middleton has finally made her royal comeback, although it will most likely be a while before she fully returns to royal duty. The Princess of Wales’s appearance at Trooping the Colour left royal fans cheering worldwide, finally seeing the future queen reunited with her family in public.
This year, only senior royal family members and their children—and a few others—were at the Buckingham Palace balcony. Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice were not seen, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were also absent.
It’s well known that their relationship with the Prince and Princess of Wales is at rock bottom, even though some reports suggest that both sides are trying to mend the broken relationship. While the Duke and Duchess weren’t in attendance, it appears that Harry and Meghan now want to make amends for real. According to one insider, the couple has a master plan drawn up.
Kate Middleton had stayed quiet and out of the spotlight ever since announcing her shock cancer diagnosis in mid-March.
Kate Middleton said she’s “making good progress” before Trooping the Colour
Last Friday, she finally broke the silence as she announced she would attend Trooping the Colour, her first royal engagement since last year.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. On those bad days you feel weak tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well,” Kate Middleton said.
“My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.”
She concluded: “I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal. Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.”
Kate Middleton rode in a carriage with her children to all royal fans’ joy as she was seen in public for the first time in months. She wore a white dress with a black bow and a white hat, with her hair in a bun, which, according to Michael Cole, was a clear nod to a movie star.
Kate Middleton praised for first royal outing after cancer diagnosis
Speaking with GB News, he said the outfit was a “clear tribute” to Audrey Hepburn’s famous costume in the 1964 film My Fair Lady.
“The gown was by Jenny Packham, but it was a very clear tribute to Cecil Beaton, who designed the black and white Royal Ascot scene for the film of My Fair Lady, with Audrey Hepburn playing the role,” Cole said, praising the princess for her appearance.
“Courage is grace under pressure; it’s often defined as that, and I think we saw that with Kate,” he continued.
“My goodness, it’s harrowing enough coping with cancer for anybody, but for somebody to have to do that, knowing that the eyes of the world are upon her, a thousand lenses, looking at her at the same time as she’s undergoing preventative chemotherapy for the undisclosed cancer from which she is suffering – what an ordeal.”
The balcony appearance during Trooping the Colour has always been an extraordinary moment, both for the royals and gathered members of the public.
This year, the royal line-up was fewer than in previous years. Some argue that it’s because the only ones welcome on the balcony are working royals, their children, and certain royal figures from older generations who still carry out some royal duties on behalf of the king.
Royals had “brief discussion” about inviting Prince Harry & Meghan Markle
While they are not longer working royals, reports suggested that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could have had a shot of coming to the big celebration.
According to royal expert Tom Quinn, there have been discussions about inviting Harry and Meghan to Trooping the Colour. However, they felt that even if the Sussexes had accepted an invite, it could have backfired.
“There was a brief discussion among the senior Royals about inviting Harry and Meghan to Trooping the Colour, but the idea was quickly dismissed because even if the couple accepted the invitation there is a feeling that they cast a dark shadow over everything,” Quinn told the Mirror.
It is not known whether Harry and Meghan watched the royal family reuniting on the Buckingham Palace balcony. However, on social media, Harry failed to acknowledge King Charles’ birthday and even ignored Father’s Day.
Tensions between son and father are high, and the same goes for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship with Prince William and Kate Middleton.
On Saturday, June 15, just hours before Trooping the Colour, Argentinian polo player Nacho Figuerasa, a close friend of Markle and Prince Harry, revealed the Duchess’s brand’s new raspberry-flavored jam via an Instagram Story.
Meghan Markle was accused of stealing the spotlight from Kate Middleton
The announcement’s timing left many royal fans angry and took to social media. Words like “shocking,” “disgusting,” and “narcissism” could be read on social media, but not long after, a friend of Meghan Markle’s came to her rescue, saying she had nothing to do with the post.
“While I am sure the gift packages came with notes requesting social media coverage, you can’t tell Nacho Figueras what to do. So I think it’s certain the timing of his post was his own idea,” the source told the Daily Beast.
“The larger point here is that the American Riviera Orchard campaign has been phenomenally successful and cost Meghan nothing.”
In an interview with The Sun, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said that the “idea” of Meghan ever doing something like that on the day of Trooping the Colour is “silly.”
“What’s so odd is that she did anything on the day of Trooping the Colour at all, it doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “I don’t think it’s been thought out. This makes no public relations sense. It’s ridiculous.”
Meanwhile, the royal expert added that Harry and Meghan are known for distracting attention away from royal events.
“The Sussexes have never cared about the royal protocol, that you don’t have a diary clash,” Fitzwilliams continued. “Meghan would not have been advised to do this by any of her public relation consultants. This is something of a joke. It’s very, very odd. If she just sent the jam to a friend, she should have asked him not to post it, because otherwise it clearly makes them objects to mockery.”
Harry & Meghan ‘reached out’ to Kate Middleton before Trooping the Colour appearance
Even though their relationship has been at the bottom, Harry and Meghan reportedly reached out to Kate Middleton after her abdominal surgery. Further, it is said that the couple found out about Kate’s cancer through the news.
While neither Harry nor Meghan have met with Kate Middleton since her cancer diagnosis was announced, it appears now that they want to do their best to mend the relationship.
According to a Closer source, the Sussexes have followed Kate’s recovery with “huge interest.” However, their communication with the palace, Prince William, and Kate has been “very limited.”
“They have had enough information to know that people are excited about the idea of a comeback for Kate, and they’re both relieved and happy to hear that she’s on the mend and may soon be well enough to return to her duties,” the source told Closer.
“They’ve jointly reached out to send well wishes, but they’re still not really in a place with Kate to warrant much of a response,” the insider said, adding that this “hasn’t stopped them from trying to connect.”
The source continued by saying that Harry and Meghan hope that when Kate is back on royal duty, it will take some “heat off” the two, which hopefully will “trigger a truce.”
Meghan “ready to let the anger and bitterness go”
“Meghan’s desperate to come across as the bigger person and end this feud between them — appearing like some sort of royal savior could only do her image good,” an insider told Closer.
“And, despite all their bad blood, her heart does go out to Kate — she can only imagine how hard this situation must be for her. Meghan has made it clear she’d love nothing more than to move past all the nonsense and find a way towards healing for everyone’s sake. She’s ready to let the anger and bitterness go,” the insider added.
While Harry and Meghan’s relationship with Prince William and Kate Middleton is non-existent, the Duke and his father, King Charles, are not on the same page either.
Reports differ on their feud, but what is clear is that the king misses not only his son but certainly his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
According to royal expert Tom Quinn, King Charles plans to visit the Sussexes in the US and is very frustrated that he can’t see Archie and Lilibet more.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan have been reluctant to take their children to the UK for security reasons.
“Charles has had discussions about an official visit to the United States at some time in the future, and there is no doubt if it goes ahead he would build in time to visit his youngest son and his grandchildren, but there are mountains of planning to be overcome before that becomes even a remote possibility,” Tom Quinn told the Mirror.
King Charles gave Harry & Meghan invite to Balmoral, report
“King Charles has privately visited many other countries – he made an unpublicized visit to Transylvania for example, to check up on his rental properties – so it’s certainly possible that he would make a discreet private visit to Harry and the children in California. He is desperate to see them and hates the idea that Archie and Lily will not remember him as the warm friendly grandfather he wants to be.”
King Charles and Prince Harry had a brief meeting in early February, as the king’s son wanted to visit and support his father amid his cancer diagnosis in January. Also, Harry reportedly declined to stay at Buckingham Palace when he was in London for an Invictus event in early May, and it is hard to see what could repair the relationship.
However, King Charles appeared to have tried one last thing. Reports suggest he invited the Sussexes and their children to Balmoral this summer.
While the royal family will be relaxing at Balmoral in August, the fact that King Charles is said to plan to invite Prince Harry and Meghan Markle isn’t going down well with everyone. Prince William refuses to speak with his brother, and Kate MIddleton is said not to want anything to do with Harry or Meghan.
Still, one more person appears appalled by King Charles’s plan.
“Harry and Meghan will make their excuses and decline”
According to Tom Quinn, Queen Camilla is not a fan of her husband’s possible invite and dreads that they will visit.
“King Charles will issue the traditional invitation to Harry and Meghan to spend part of the summer at Balmoral, but safe in the knowledge that Harry and Meghan will make their excuses and decline,” Quinn told the Mirror.
“Relaxing at the 50,000-acre private estate might be just the place to let bygones be bygones, but Camilla will be dreading anything that threatens the calm her husband needs to continue his recovery from cancer.”
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