Kate Middleton returned to her royal duties this Saturday for the Trooping the Colour event after being diagnosed with cancer in March. The Princess of Wales looked happy and waved to the cheering crowds in London. She mentioned she might attend more royal events later this summer.
While the royal family is glad to see Kate and King Charles back to their duties, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were noticeably absent. Reports suggest they weren’t invited, which isn’t surprising given recent events.
Despite their absence, Meghan Markle still managed to draw attention. Just hours before Kate’s public appearance, Meghan released a new product through her lifestyle brand, leading many to accuse her of trying to steal the spotlight from Kate.
Rumors about Kate Middleton’s return to public life started over a week ago. On Friday, she confirmed the good news.
In a detailed statement, Kate announced she would be attending the Trooping the Colour, her first royal event since her abdominal surgery in January and the cancer treatment she’s been undergoing.
“I have been overwhelmed by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. It really has made a huge difference to William and me and has helped us through some tough times,” Kate said.
She continued: “I am making good progress, but anyone going through chemotherapy knows there are good days and bad days. On the bad days, you feel weak and tired and need to rest. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of it.”
“My treatment is ongoing and will continue for a few more months. On the days I feel well, I enjoy engaging with school activities, spending time on things that give me energy and positivity, and doing some work from home.”
“I’m excited to attend The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join some public events over the summer, but I know I’m still recovering.”
She added: “I’m learning to be patient and deal with uncertainty. I take each day as it comes, listen to my body, and allow myself time to heal. Thank you for your understanding and to everyone who has bravely shared their stories with me.”
On Saturday, Kate Middleton was seen arriving at the Trooping the Colour event. She was in a car with her husband, Prince William, and their three children. She wore a white dress with a black bow, a white hat, and had her hair in a bun. She waved to the crowd and looked very happy.
In an interview with GB News, Schofield said the princess looked “absolutely incredible” and “well” during the event.
“She looked stunning, like Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. I don’t know if that was the inspiration, but she looked so sophisticated and smart. It’s what we expect from her,” Schofield said.
“She was very engaged with the children in the carriage. You can tell she’s had a lot of special time with them lately. This family is very close and beautiful,” she added.
Kate Middleton later joined her husband, children, King Charles, and Queen Camilla on the Buckingham Palace balcony. After a tough year, things felt a bit more normal.
Kate mentioned she plans to attend more royal events this summer, but she will likely be careful not to rush back into her duties.
For years, the royal family has dealt with issues involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The couple has been distant from the royal family, with their last appearance being at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022.
Reports say King Charles has invited Harry and Meghan to Balmoral this summer so their children, Archie and Lilibet, can spend time with their cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. However, it wasn’t surprising that Harry and Meghan didn’t attend the Trooping the Colour event.
Royal expert Tom Quinn mentioned there were talks about inviting Harry and Meghan to Trooping the Colour. However, the idea was quickly dropped because even if they accepted, it was felt that their presence might cause issues.
“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 not clear if Harry and Meghan watched the royal family reunite on the Buckingham Palace balcony. The couple has been busy with other activities.
A few weeks ago, they visited Nigeria for a three-day tour to promote the Invictus Games. Unfortunately, the royal family reportedly had strong, negative opinions about this trip.
Meanwhile, Meghan has started a new business venture by creating a luxury brand.
Meghan launched her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, in March. In the announcement video filmed at their Montecito mansion, Meghan showcased her cooking while walking around the beautiful home.
The first product was a lemon-filled gift basket with fresh fruit jam, sent to 50 of her friends, many of whom are celebrities. PR expert Mayah Riaz said Meghan could earn a seven-figure sum within the first year of launching her brand.
“So far, the jams have been sent to only 50 people. This suggests it will be an exclusive and limited edition item,” Riaz told the Mirror.
“It’s already reported that a single jam jar could cost three figures. This is not unusual for a celebrity brand,” she added.
The PR expert said, “I think Meghan’s brand, American Riviera Orchard, could make her a million dollars in under a year. By the end of next year, it might even make several million.”
Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, plans to sell products like oils, home fragrances, kitchen utensils, and homeware. The brand got a lot of attention when it was announced, gaining hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers in just 24 hours.
However, since then, there hasn’t been much news, and Meghan hasn’t said when the brand will launch. Interest is fading, and royal expert Tom Quinn shared some sad details about Meghan’s company.
Quinn told the Mirror that Meghan was very upset by the public’s reaction to her lifestyle brand. Many people criticized her for releasing her jam, which was expensive and not seen as special.
“The problem is Meghan’s new online brand, American Riviera Orchard. Meghan was in tears when the brand launched, and her new jam was mocked for being pricey and not very unique. She now feels like everything she does is unfairly criticized,” Quinn said.
Quinn also mentioned that Prince Harry thinks people are being unfair to her. Additionally, Quinn said Meghan wasn’t ready for any setbacks with American Riviera Orchard.
“She is very sensitive about any criticism of her luxurious lifestyle in the US. She believes it should be admired, not criticized.”
It’s well-known that Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle were not close friends when they were both working as senior members of the royal family. Things got worse after Meghan and Harry left the royal family and accused them of various things in interviews, the Netflix series, and Harry’s book. Their relationship is now said to be very strained.
Recently, Meghan Markle has been accused of trying to steal the spotlight from her former royal colleague, Kate Middleton.
On Saturday, June 15, just hours before the Trooping the Colour event, Argentinian polo player Nacho Figueras, a close friend of Meghan and Prince Harry, announced the Duchess’s brand’s new raspberry-flavored jam on his Instagram Story.
The timing of this announcement upset many royal fans, who took to social media to express their anger.
One user on X (formerly known as Twitter) wrote, “Trying to steal the spotlight from the royal family is shocking and disgusting.” Another said, “This is narcissism at its finest,” while a third added, “Meghan can never outshine Princess Kate, not then, now, or ever.” A fourth person commented, “Who buys jam anyway? It’s so easy to make at home with fresh fruit and sugar!”
Despite the backlash, a source close to Meghan told the Daily Beast that she had nothing to do with the timing of the post.
The source said, “While it’s likely that gift packages came with notes asking for social media coverage, you can’t control what Nacho Figueras does. The timing of his post was probably his own idea.”
The source also mentioned, “The American Riviera Orchard campaign has been very successful and cost Meghan nothing. It’s a great social media campaign. The only issue is that there doesn’t seem to be anything actually for sale yet. So, what is it all for? I guess we will find out.”
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