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Princess of Wales to appear in June for royal ceremony, first confirmed official duty since surgery

By Sylvia Hui, The Associated Press

British government officials on Tuesday announced the first major official duty for Kate, the Princess of Wales, since she underwent abdominal surgery, saying she will attend a Trooping the Color ceremony in June.

Prince William’s wife has been out of the public eye since January, when palace officials announced that she was admitted to a private London hospital for planned surgery. They did not provide more details but said she would not return to public duties until after Easter.

The Ministry of Defense said Kate, 42, will inspect soldiers on parade during the June 8 ceremony. William and Kate’s office, Kensington Palace, has not confirmed any scheduled public events for Kate.

The ceremony’s events, annual highlights in the royal calendar, are birthday parades to honor the reigning monarch and usually draw huge crowds. The tradition dates back more than 260 years. The spectacle is held at central London’s Horse Guards and along The Mall, the promenade outside Buckingham Palace.

The royal family has been under media scrutiny in recent weeks because both Kate and King Charles III cannot carry out their usual public duties due to health problems.

Royal officials say Charles is undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, which was discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate. The monarch has canceled all his public engagements while he receives treatment.

Kate was discharged from the hospital on Jan. 29 after two weeks for her undisclosed condition. Palace officials have said she wished her personal medical information to remain private.

Speculation about her health mounted last week when Prince William at the last minute pulled out from a memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece, because of what officials called a “personal matter.”

Palace officials did not elaborate but reiterated that Kate continues to do well in her recovery.

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