Why Princess Kate’s health update was made at exactly 6pm
Kate Middleton gave an important announcement regarding her ongoing battle with cancer this evening.
Princess Kate will be appearing at Trooping the Colour, Kensington Palace has announced. The palace confirmed the news at exactly 6pm today (June 14), less than 24 hours before celebrations are due to begin.
The princess has remained completely out of the spotlight this year after undergoing preventative chemotherapy for an undefined type of cancer. She publicly revealed her battle in a video address in March.
The mother-of-three, sitting in the gardens at Windsor, asked for privacy as she made her recovery. Kensington Palace has consistently shut down any speculation over where she is, and when she will be making a comeback to public duty.
The more recent question has centred over whether or not Kate will attend the Trooping the Colour celebrations tomorrow (June 15). And now it has been confirmed she will be attending along with her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
In terms of timing, royal announcements are always made at 6pm to coincide with the usual 6pm broadcast of news - therefore believed to be reaching the maximum amount of people.
Princess Kate statement in full
I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times.
I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.
My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.
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, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet.
I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.
Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.
Throughout history, consideration has often been given to the timing of major royal announcements so they could coincide with news broadcasts or newspaper publication times.
This afternoon, media organisations, including Express.co.uk were given the news with a 6pm embargo, meaning it couldn't be shared before then but allowing them a couple of hours to prepare stories or television broadcasts.
Kate’s last public appearance was on December 25, when she attended the Christmas morning service at Sandringham with other royal family members.
Tomorrow's Trooping the Colour, the King's birthday parade, and is one of the most prominent events in the royal calendar. Spectators can expect an extravagent display of pomp and pageantry, as thousands of troops march down the capital’s Mall.
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The Royal Family come out in celebration of the major event, often seen in carriages and more commonly for their bold appearances on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the RAF flypast.
The event, a tradition that has spanned centuries, marks the birthday of the monarch. King Charles's official birthday is November 14, but the reigning monarch will always have two birthdays - one of which being in June.
