Will Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis Attend Trooping the Colour This Saturday?

Prince William will be there, but with Princess Kate’s attendance up in the air as she focuses on her health, many wonder if the Wales trio will skip the occasion, too.

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis
(Image credit: Getty/The Prince and Princess of Wales/Matt Porteous)

All it took was one report that the Princess of Wales was “considering” a surprise Buckingham Palace balcony appearance at June 15’s Trooping the Colour if she was feeling well enough and up to it to spark hope amongst an army of royal followers. The public hasn’t seen Kate on royal duty since Christmas Day 2023, when she attended church at St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate with the rest of the royal family—nearly six long months without the woman who many would consider the lifeblood of the institution.

Kate Middleton in green dress and hat and sapphire and diamond earrings at Trooping the Colour

Kate has been a fixture at Trooping the Colour since marrying into the royal family 13 years ago; here she is at the event last year.

(Image credit: Getty)

Of course, Kate has had other pressing items on her mind that are decidedly not royal-related—namely, her health, after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. As to an appearance at Saturday’s birthday parade for her father-in-law, King Charles? Well, according to royal author Katie Nicholl, that prospect is unfortunately “incredibly unlikely”—but don’t rule out the appearance of her kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, regular fixtures at the annual event, who could attend with their father, Prince William.

“She has made it very clear that she wants to stay out of the spotlight,” Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight. “She needs this period and below the radar for her recovery. We’re so used to seeing her up on that balcony.” 

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace watch the RAF flypast during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 02, 2022 in London, England.

Kate, along with other members of the royal family, at 2022's Trooping the Colour celebrating Queen Elizabeth's historic Platinum Jubilee.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Nicholl said she herself had been wondering whether George, Charlotte, and Louis would attend; though we’ve seen George attend a sporting event with his dad, as Kate has remained out of the public eye for the entirety of 2024, so, too, have the kids. “They’ve been up there several times now,” Nicholl said of the three kids’ appearance on the iconic balcony. “They are always impeccably behaved, often entertaining, and they always seem to enjoy it. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if William makes the decision to bring them.”

She added “They’re not working members of the royal family yet, but they will be. Prince George is a future king, so for the public to be able to see George, Charlotte, and Louis on occasions like this is really quite important.”

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis ride in the carriage procession at Trooping the Colour

This vision would melt a million hearts on Saturday.

(Image credit: Getty)

The countdown is on for Saturday’s event, which is the annual birthday celebration of the monarch (despite King Charles’ actual birthday being in November—and the late Queen Elizabeth’s being in April—June was chosen for the event because of the generally favorable weather in London at the time). According to Tatler, the parade will feature 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses, 400 musicians, and, if we have our way, hopefully three very, very adorable Wales children. 

Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.