The Princess of Wales will miss her first Colonel’s Review as she continues her recovery in private, the palace has confirmed. The ceremonial military event, which takes place the weekend before Trooping the Colour, would have seen the princess take the salute as Colonel in Chief of the Irish Guards. Instead, Lieutenant General James Bucknall will carry out the role of Inspecting Officer at Trooping the Colour on behalf of the princess next month as she continues to receive treatment for cancer.
It follows earlier confusion after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was forced to remove a statement from its website in early March, published without approval from Kensington Palace, which said the princess would attend Trooping. A few weeks later, it revealed that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy and would be convalescing at the family home in Windsor. Bucknall will carry out the review as Colonel of the Coldstream Guards, having served as a Coldstream Guards Officer for more than 45 years.
He has attended every monarch’s birthday parade since 2009. Meanwhile, the King is to take part in the Trooping the Colour ceremony but will inspect the soldiers from a carriage rather than on horseback. The monarch has recently returned to public-facing duties while still receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, and will now take part in one of the highlights of the royal calendar.
The celebration, which traditionally involves the royal family gathering on the balcony.
