Kate Middleton pulls out of Trooping the Colour appearance for King Charles

Kate Middleton could have decided against making a surprise appearance at Trooping the Colour balcony to avoid taking spotlight from King Charles.

The Princess of Wales appeared to confirm her absence at the monarch’s upcoming birthday parade on June 15 in a tearful letter to Irish Guards regiment.

Speaking to OK! magazine, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond suggested Kate did the right thing by not choosing to make her first appearance at the event since unveiling her cancer diagnosis.

"I’m a bit conflicted about this. On the one hand it would be an undemanding and necessarily quite remote first appearance for Catherine…and that could suit her well.

“A few moments on the balcony at a highly significant and well publicised event: maximum impact for minimum effort or risk to her health,” the royal expert explained.

“And a statement that the future of the monarchy is secure, after some difficult months of health scares,” she continued.

"On the other hand, this is really the King’s day.. his official birthday celebration.. and marks his own progress in his battle with cancer. So…would it be right for Catherine to draw all the limelight…which she inevitably would?

“Better perhaps to wait for an opportunity to star at one of her own events, to do with the causes she champions. We shall have to wait and see,” added the expert.