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Catherine, Princess of Wales, shared her regrets for not being able to attend the Colonel's Review on June 8 ahead of Trooping the Colour on June 15.

The Irish Guards shared photos of a letter penned by the former Kate Middleton on the social media site X.

In the note, the Kate wrote in part, “I wanted to write and let you know how proud I am of the entire Regiment ahead of the Colonel’s Review and Trooping the Colour.”

“I appreciate everyone trooping this year has been practicing for months, and dedicating many hours to ensuring their uniforms and drill are immaculate,” she added. “Being your Colonel remains a great honour, and I am very sorry that I’m unable to take the salute at this year’s Colonel’s Review.”

Kate concluded her statement by sending “very best wishes” and “good luck” to the Irish Guards.

“Please pass by my apologies to the whole Regiment, however, I do hope that I am able to represent you all once again very soon,” she added.

In the post, the Irish Guards shared their own regards for Kate, writing in part, “The Irish Guards were deeply touched to receive a letter from our Colonel, Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales this morning.”

“We continue to wish Her Royal Highness well in her recovery and send Her our very best wishes,” the post continued.

With the annual British tradition of Trooping the Colour approaching on June 15, the royal family has announced details into what the event will look like this year amid the health struggles of King Charles III and Kate.

Charles, who announced he had been diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, is set to participate in the Trooping the Colour by conducting his review of the troops while seated in a carriage, alongside with Queen Camilla, Buckingham Palace confirmed to NBC News on May 30.

The attendance and participation of other members of the royal family for the June 15 event hasn’t been finalized, according to Buckingham Palace.

Kate won't participate in the Colonel's Review on June 8, which occurs the weekend before Trooping the Colour, Kensington Palace said in a May 30 statement to NBC News. The event serves as a dress rehearsal for the larger parade.

“This year General James Bucknall K.C.B., C.V.O will carry out the role of Inspecting Officer on behalf of HRH The Princess of Wales at Colonel’s Review as she continues her recovery,” a spokesperson for the palace said. 

Kate was given the honorary title of colonel of the Irish Guards in 2023, and would normally take part in the ceremonial military event.

Trooping the Colour has marked the English sovereign's birthday for more than 260 years. It's held annually in June, regardless of when the monarch's birthday actually is.

What is Trooping the Colour?

More than 1,400 soldiers, 400 musicians and 200 horses take part in the ceremony at Horse Guards Parade in London, where the military presents regimental "colours," or flags, according to the royal family.

Members of the royal family take part in the day's events, before heading back to Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past by the Royal Air Force, according to the royal family.

Leading up to the ceremonial event, the full parade is conducted two additional times — once on June 1 for the Major General's Review and again on June 8 for the Colonel's Review.

The Major General's Review is similar to the King's Birthday Parade, but doesn’t include guardsmen lining the street on the mall and additional mounted officers, according to the Household Division.

The Colonel's Review is also similar to main parade, according to the Household Division, but includes the guardsmen lining the street. However, it does not the additional mounted officers.

The change from last year, where Charles inspected the troops on horseback, comes after the palace said the king's engagements may be altered when advised by his medical team to prioritize his recovery.

Buckingham Palace announced in February that Charles had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer, and the king resumed his public facing duties earlier this month.

About a month after Charles' announcement, Kate revealed she had cancer in a video posted in March. She said she was undergoing "a course of preventative chemotherapy," but did not specify what type of cancer she had.

Kate said the news of her cancer diagnosis came as a "huge shock," and added that she and her husband, Prince William, wanted to "manage this privately for the sake" of their family.

William and Kate share three children: George, 10, Charlotte, 9, and Louis, 6.

“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment,” she said in the video announcement.

“But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.”

CORRECTION (June 4, 2024, 11:49 A.M.): A previous version of this story misspelled the Princess of Wales' first name. It is Catherine, not Catharine.

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