London:
Confusion reigned Tuesday over the British military's announcement of Catherine, the Princess of Wales's first official duty since undergoing surgery during her father-in-law King Charles III's birthday in June.
The British military initially said Catherine, who is married to heir to the throne Prince William, would assess soldiers on June 8 as part of the annual Trooping the Color ceremony.
Kate and William's office at Kensington Palace did not formally confirm her appearance and the military later removed a reference to it from its website.
That came just 24 hours after Kate was seen in public for the first time since undergoing abdominal surgery in January, according to photos published by US outlet TMZ.
The military's website said the king, who is being treated for cancer, was attending the main military parade on June 15, which marks his official birthday.
Charles, 75, held a personal audience on Tuesday with Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt, who will present the government budget on Wednesday.
The British head of state, wearing a blue suit and light tie, was photographed shaking hands with Hunt as he welcomed him to Buckingham Palace in London.
Charles, who became king in September 2022 after the death of his mother Elizabeth II, was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer last month.
The 42-year-old princess has been recovering mainly at the home she shares with William and their three young children in Windsor, west of London, since leaving hospital on January 29.
The photos published by TMZ showed Kate wearing sunglasses while being driven in a car by her mother. The celebrity news site said the images were taken near Windsor Castle on Monday.
Social media is rife with conspiracy theories about the princess's extended absence from the spotlight. Rather than quash the rumors, Joe Little, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, said the photo had “sparked more speculation.”
“It is a difficult situation because we are all entitled to our privacy when we are not feeling well,” he told AFP.
“But if you are a member of the royal family, it is quite complicated and difficult to maintain, then of course there is a huge amount of public interest.”
Royal deficit
Charles and Catherine's illnesses have created a sense of uncertainty around the royal family.
William himself missed events to care for his family. He also withdrew from a recent memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine II of Greece, due to an unspecified “personal matter.”
Charles' wife, Queen Camilla, 76, has been the most visible senior royal, taking on 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 William and other senior royals at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
She's reportedly on vacation this week, which essentially means all four top royals are out of action.
William, 41, was last seen in public on Thursday visiting a synagogue in London, where he condemned the rise of anti-Semitism in Britain.
He also attended the BAFTA film awards ceremony in London last month.
Kate's last public appearance was on December 25, when the royals attended a Christmas Day church service – about three weeks before she was admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery.
Royal officials declined to say what she was being treated for but said the condition was not cancer.
She spent almost two weeks in hospital and Kensington Palace said it was unlikely she would resume her public duties until after Easter on March 31.
The princess, commonly known as Kate, is one of the most popular members of the royal family.
She and William have taken on more royal duties since his younger brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan left for the United States in 2020, and the king's brother Prince Andrew stepped back over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)