Prince William recently said that Princess Kate is “doing well” as she continues her preventative cancer treatment.

Kate may return to the public eye for Trooping the Colour (Image: Getty)

The Princess of Wales could make a surprise return to public life with an appearance at Trooping the Colour on June 15, an expert has claimed.

Kate has been out of royal action since December as she took time off for major abdominal surgery and then her cancer diagnosis.

She is still undergoing treatment, but royal historian Dr Tessa Dunlop believes Kate may surprise everyone by stepping out on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the event.

The expert told The Mirror: “Whether [Kate] will make a balcony appearance on the big day on June 15 remains the great unknown.

“My hunch is she will give us a wave, but if she doesn’t (entirely her prerogative) questions about Harry and Meghan are bound to surface.

Princess Kate announced her cancer diagnosis in March (Image: Getty)

“These are futile, even in 2022 the Sussexes were out of the picture, glimpsed briefly at a window and not invited on the balcony.”

With Kate and King Charles both recovering from their cancer diagnoses, many fear that there could be a thin cast of royals on the day.

Kensington Palace has confirmed that Kate won’t participate in the final dress rehearsal for the King’s birthday celebrations on June 8, but are yet to give any information on whether she will make the main event a week later.

Dr Dunlop suggested that non-working royals such as Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice could help fill the gaps.

She added: “This year that balcony cast will have even slimmer pickings if the Princess of Wales stays away.

The scenes from 2023’s Trooping the Colour (Image: Getty)

“In which case might it be time to review the role of non-working royals? All those cousins Eugenie, Beatrice, and Zara who have long behaved with hallmark loyalty would surely relish the prospect of standing shoulder to shoulder with their King. After all, isn’t that what families are for?”

In May, Prince William provided an update on Kate’s recovery, saying she is “doing well” while on a visit to St Mary’s Community Hospital in Hugh Town.

William spoke to Tracy Smith, administrator at the hospital.

She said after the meeting: “I asked William about his wife Kate and he said, ‘she’s doing well, thanks,’ and I suggested they might like to come for a visit and bring the children.”

William told her: “The children are very jealous that I am here… Maybe we might come later in the year.”