Kate Middleton's Trooping The Colour 2024 Balcony Appearance Sets Marriage Rumors Ablaze

When Catherine, Princess of Wales announced she would be attending the Trooping of the Colour on June 15, 2024, you could almost hear the collective squeals of delight from the world at large. Kate Middleton, as she's more commonly known, has been absent from the public eye since she made her cancer announcement in March 2024. 

The day before England's annual event celebrating the reigning monarch's birthday, Kate released an official statement about her health status along with the news of her first outing. "I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days," she wrote in an announcement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. "I'm looking forward to attending The King's Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer." 

Kate has remained home while focusing on her health and her young children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis —leaving her husband William, Prince of Wales to represent the family. The future King of England has been diplomatic when asked about his wife's health, giving brief answers that she was doing better, and offering consolations that she was unable to attend certain events. What he hasn't, done, however, is address rumors that his marriage may be in trouble — rumors that were ignited once again after watching the couple interact during Trooping of the Colour.

Catherine, Princess of Wales arrived at Buckingham Palace looking fresh, her smile mostly ever-present as she watched the festivities of Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024. She arrived in a carriage with her three young children, while William, Prince of Wales — dressed in his full military uniform — was part of the ceremony of troops riding on horseback. For the final portion of the event, the royal family gathered on a palace balcony to watch various aircraft fly over.

Kate Middleton stood behind her daughter Princess Charlotte (who was giving out serious boss energy) and was sandwiched between her husband and King Charles III. Kate appeared to be in good spirits, chatting with King Charles and Queen Camilla, stroking Charlotte's hair, and leaning over to talk with her son Louis. What she didn't do, however, is seem to have many intimate moments with her husband. The two stood several inches apart, compared to Charles and Camilla, who regularly brushed against each other. On his end, Prince William's smiles were sparse, and he appeared to be distant when it came to interacting with his wife.

When Kate first disappeared from the public in 2019, before her cancer diagnosis was revealed, rumors circulated her absence could be due to an affair Prince William was having with a family friend, Rose Hanbury. Those rumors are still being whispered from ear to ear, especially since Hanbury is still very much a part of the royal family's social circle.

Although there has been no evidence of those affair rumors between William, Prince of Wales and Rose Hanbury being true, they nevertheless have cast a shadow of doubt over the marriage between William and Catherine, Princess of Wales. Their interactions on the balcony at Trooping of the Colour did little to discourage gossip about the state of the royal couple's marriage. However, everything may not be as it appears.

While they may not have looked totally connected on that balcony, The List spoke with Traci Brown, CSP, fraud-busting body language expert, to get her take on the situation. "There's nothing unusual here. PDAs aren't what the royals do," she observed. She also believes that despite the fact that Kate spoke more often to Charles than her husband, the chatting didn't necessarily tell the same story as the couple's body language. "William and Kate aren't acknowledging each other, but seem happier than I've seen them in one of these balcony situations," she said. 

I'm so grateful to see them happy and smiling like this#TroopingTheColour #princessofWales #katemiddleton pic.twitter.com/ChnqCjjMMD

— गाँव कि ज़िंदगी (@zindgivillageki) June 15, 2024

There was one brief moment that gave hope to those who wanted a happy ending for the Prince and Princess of Wales. In a moment of vulnerability, Kate gently leaned into her husband, tilting her head toward his shoulder. William didn't return the affection or openly recognize it in any way, but he also didn't seem surprised or shocked by it, giving a glimmer of hope that perhaps it was a common gesture of intimacy between the two.