Kate's Radiance At Trooping The Colour 2025 Made It Hard To Ignore William's Disinterest
Catherine, Princess of Wales, was a vision that overshadowed the rest of the royal family at the June 14 Trooping the Colour 2025 parade. The annual event, which is meant to celebrate the reigning monarch's birthday — King Charles III was actually born on November 14 — was a who's who of the latest royal fashion, with Queen Camilla stepping up her game in a flattering, all-white ensemble and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, finding her best color in an emerald green look. Unfortunately, no one could surpass Kate Middleton, who stole the show in a teal ensemble.
A family all together. The Wales family. #troopingthecolour2025 pic.twitter.com/XfjrubshRu
— 🎩Laird of the Manor🎩 (@LairdOfTheManor) June 14, 2025
The princess wore an aquamarine Catherine Walker coatdress, styled with an extravagant hat from Juliette Botterill Millinery and a pair of nude pumps. The occasion marked one year since Kate returned to the royal spotlight after sharing the news of her 2024 cancer diagnosis. She's back at Trooping the Coloyr, looking dignified and attentive, while her husband, William, Prince of Wales, seemed completely uninterested. Gathered on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the RAF flypast, Kate was beaming as she waved to parade observers. However, William seemed tired and lacked overall enthusiasm. It might be a sign that the royal drama is getting to him.
Prince William's mind might have been on who was missing from the celebration
Obviously missing from the royal family's balcony lineup? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave up their royal duties in 2020 when they stepped down as senior members of the family, after which they moved to Montecito, California. The years since have been fraught with turbulence between Harry and his family, specifically his feud with Prince William and King Charles. The royal family has scorned Harry for weaponizing the media against his familial adversaries, so Harry's bombshell May interview with the BBC might have been the final nail in the coffin for the brothers' relationship. (That could also explain why they weren't invited to the celebration three years in a row and counting.)
As future king, William is dogged with serious decisions on whether he would ever let Harry's family back into the palace. Royal insiders revealed to the Daily Beast on June 13 that William has plans to deny Harry and Meghan's children their HRH (His/Her Royal Highness) titles, despite his brother's hope for his kids to have autonomy to decide whether or not they want to become working royals or stay clear of the spotlight. This decision would certainly cut all ties between Harry and William, and though signs point to William never forgiving Harry, it doesn't make it any less difficult.
Prince William has reached a breaking point with the press
The Prince of Wales understands the sacrifices that have to be made when being part of the most famous family in the world, but recently, William has seemingly reached his wits' end with the publicity — and it's not necessarily to do with his high-profile feud with Prince Harry. The royal is reeling after French paparazzi snapped and published photos of him, his wife, and children, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, and Prince George, during a private family ski trip in May. A source who spoke with The Blast revealed, "William's temper is really boiling over this one, so no one will be all that surprised if he does take action."
His frustration with the press comes after Princess Kate attended her first royal garden party since her cancer diagnosis, of which she announced she is in remission. Over the last year, William has dealt with conspiracies about his wife's health, which may have triggered a trauma response given how his mother, Princess Diana, died while being chased by paparazzi. Days before Kate broke the news of her diagnosis, Sunday Times royal editor Roya Nikkhah surmised to "Good Morning Britain" about how William must be feeling about all the media coverage. "He's seeing sort of the elements of [the press' Diana obsession] in terms of the demands and screeches at his wife over her medical privacy, and that's hurting him," Nikkhah said. The prince has gone through quite a lot of family drama in the last couple of years, so if he needs to stare off blankly during an event, we will cut him some slack.