LONDON – Confusion reigned on March 5 over an announcement by the British Army of the first official duty of Catherine, Princess of Wales, since she underwent surgery during King Charles III’s birthday celebrations in June.

The British Army initially said that Catherine, who is married to Prince William, the heir to the throne, would review soldiers on June 8 as part of the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony.

The Prince and Princess’ Kensington Palace office did not formally confirm her appearance, and the army later removed a reference to it from its website.

That came just 24 hours after she was spotted in public for the first time since she underwent abdominal surgery in January, according to photos published by US outlet TMZ.

The army’s website listed the King, who is being treated for cancer, as attending the main military parade on June 15, which marks his official birthday.

King Charles, 75, on March 5 held an in-person audience with Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt, who delivers the government’s budget on March 6.

The British head of state, dressed in a blue suit and a light tie, was photographed shaking hands with Mr Hunt as he welcomed him at Buckingham Palace in London.

King Charles, who became king in September 2022 following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was diagnosed with an unspecified cancer in February.

Catherine, who is the King’s daughter-in-law, has been recovering mainly at the home she shares with Prince William and their three young children in Windsor, west of London, since leaving hospital on Jan 29.

The photos published by TMZ showed her wearing sunglasses while being driven by her mother in a car. The celebrity news site said the photos were taken on March 3 near Windsor Castle.

Social media has been alight with conspiracy theories over the Princess’ prolonged absence from the spotlight.

Rather than suppressing rumours, Mr Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty Magazine, said the photograph had “generated more speculation”.

“It’s a tricky situation because we’re all entitled to our privacy when we are unwell,” he told AFP.

“But when you are a member of the royal family that is quite complicated and difficult to maintain, there is naturally a huge amount of public interest.”

Royal shortage

The illnesses of King Charles and the Princess of Wales have given rise to a sense of uncertainty around the royal family.

Prince William himself missed events to look after his family. He also pulled out of a recent memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine II of Greece, over an unspecified “personal matter”.

King Charles’ wife, Queen Camilla, 76, has been the most visible senior royal, stepping in to cover many of her husband’s public duties during his treatment.

She is now on a break until March 11, when she is expected to join Prince William and other senior royals at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

The Queen is reported to be on holiday this week, effectively meaning that all four of the most senior royals are out of action.

Prince William, 41, was last seen in public on Feb 29 during a visit to a London synagogue, where he condemned the rise of anti-Semitism in Britain.

He also attended the Bafta film awards ceremony in London in February.

The Princess of Wales’ last public appearance was on Dec 25 when the royals attended a Christmas Day church service – about three weeks before she was admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery.

Royal officials refused to say what she was being treated for but said the condition was non-cancerous.

She spent almost two weeks in hospital and Kensington Palace said she was unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter on March 31.

The Princess, widely known as Kate, is one of the most popular members of the royal family.

She and Prince William have taken on more royal duties since his younger brother, Prince Harry, and Harry’s wife Meghan left for the United States in 2020, and the King’s brother, Prince Andrew, stepped back from royal duties because of his friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. AFP