The Ministry of Defence in England says it will remove from its website an announcement that the Princess of Wales will review a Trooping the Colour ceremony in June.
It came after a day of confusion when MoD officials first publicised tickets for the event, only to be contradicted by Kensington Palace.
Within minutes of the tickets going on sale, there were warnings that the MoD may have “jumped the gun”.
Kensington Palace sources made clear that they were “not consulted” about the announcement and said that any confirmed attendance by the princess would be made “only” by themselves.
It has been said that the princess, who is recuperating after undergoing planned abdominal surgery in January, would be out of action until after Easter, which falls on March 31.
The “practice” parade that the MoD said Kate, 42, would review in her role as honorary colonel of the Irish Guards takes place some ten weeks later, on June 8.
There was also confusion about the attendance of the King, 75, at his own official birthday parade.
The Army website, run by the MoD, said he would be reviewing the final Trooping ceremony, on June 15 at Horse Guards Parade.
Buckingham Palace said planning for future engagements was continuing despite the King’s cancer treatment, yet stressed that changes could be made nearer the time depending on his health.
For now, he is undertaking a very limited number of in-person engagements and certainly not anything with large crowds, on doctors’ advice.
The confusion added to the sense of unease around the royal family, given that two of its most senior members will be largely out of action for a substantial period.
Insiders have said, given the high profile of the occasions, that it is likely that both the monarch and his daughter-in-law would do everything in their power to attend. Kate’s absence from public events and the scant detail given about her condition and recuperation has led to wild social media conspiracy theories about what might be wrong with the princess.
On Monday, however, she was photographed by paparazzi being driven to Windsor by her mother, Carole Middleton, the first time she has been seen in public since Christmas Day.
The pictures were published on US gossip website, TMZ, but not in the UK where Kensington Palace has appealed for her to be able to recover in private.
Kate’s uncle has slammed the conspiracy theories about his niece’s health and urged the public to “give her a bit of space”.
Gary Goldsmith, who entered the Celebrity Big Brother house on Monday, said that people “should leave her [Kate] alone right now because there’s a reason why they’re not talking about it”.
Trooping the Colour – the celebration of the sovereign’s “official” birthday – is one of the biggest events in the royal calendar.
The regiment trooping the colour – in other words, holding the regimental flag – varies each year, with the 2nd Battalion Irish Guards given the honour this year.
In the run-up, two reviews are held, one of which is the colonel’s parade.