Catherine, Princess of Wales, rode in a carriage with her children to Trooping the Colour, waving and smiling to the throng, which was overjoyed to see her in public with her family after such a lengthy hiatus. As always, she looked stunning, wearing a white dress with a black bow and a white hat atop her bun.
According to royal historian Michael Cole, the Princess’ dress is reminiscent of 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. He also commended Kate.
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“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 memorable moment for both the royals and the assembled audience. This year, only a few working royals appeared on the balcony. Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice were not spotted, and neither Prince Harry nor Meghan Markle were present.
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.
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“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’s unclear whether Harry contacted his father. He, however, forgot to recognize King Charles’ birthday and even ignored Father’s Day on social media.
Just hours before Trooping the Colour, Meghan’s Argentinian polo player friends Nacho Figuerasa announced the Duchess’s brand’s new raspberry-flavored jam on Instagram. Many others thought Meghan’s move to market her jam immediately away was “surprising,” “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.
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“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 royal protocol, that you don’t have a diary clash,” Fitzwilliams remarked. “Meghan’s public relations advisers would not have recommended her to do this. This is sort of a joke. It’s quite bizarre. If she had only emailed the jam to a friend, she should have urged him not to share it, because doing so clearly makes them objects of mocking.”
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.”
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According to the source, Harry and Meghan are hoping Kate’s return to royal duties will relieve some of the burden on them and “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,” a confidant 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.
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“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.”
