At Trooping the Colour, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, rode in a carriage with her children, waving and smiling to the crowd that was joyful to see her in public alongside her family after the long absence. As always, she looked impeccable, choosing a white dress adorned with a black bow, complemented by a white hat atop her bun.
Royal expert Michael Cole said the Princess’ outfit was a nod to a movie star. “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 told GB News, praising Kate.
“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 a remarkable moment, both for the royals and the gathered public. This year, not many working royals made an appearance on the balcony. Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice were not seen, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were also not in attendance.
Royal expert Tom Quinn noted that there have been talks about inviting Harry and Meghan to Trooping the Colour. However, it was believed that even if they had accepted the invitation, it might 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.
Whether or not Harry got in touch with his father is not known. He, however, failed to acknowledge King Charles’ birthday and even ignored Father’s Day on social media.
Mere hours before Trooping the Colour took place, Meghan’s friend Nacho Figuerasa, an Argentinian polo player, revealed the Duchess’s brand’s new raspberry-flavored jam via an Instagram Story. Many found the timing totally inappropriate, labeling Meghan’s decision to promote her jam right there and then as “shocking,” “disgusting,” and “narcissism.”
“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,” a source close to Meghan 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 stated that the notion of Meghan 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.
“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.”
However, besides this, it has been revealed by people close to the Sussexes that they try to make amends with Harry’s family. They are said to be very interested in Kate’s battle with cancer and that they reached to her following her planned abdominal surgery but only learned that she had cancer from the video she posted.
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 added that Harry and Meghan hope Kate’s return to royal duties will alleviate some of the pressure on them and potentially “trigger a truce.”
“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,” they added.
When it comes to the Sussexes‘ relationship with King Charles, it is not very good either. The issue is that Charles doesn’t see his grandchildren either. He has only seen Archie several times, while Lili only once.
“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 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.”
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