Prince Harry ‘regrets leaving royals & will hate missing Trooping the Colour – but Meghan Markle isn’t interested’

THE Royals were one big happy family on the Buckingham Palace balcony as the Princess of Wales made an emotional one-off appearance.

This was a brave return to public life for Catherine, who has valiantly battled cancer for the last three months.

She did not have to be at Trooping the Colour and no one would have blamed her for staying away.

But she still chose to attend.

It is a measure of just how much her duty and family mean to her.

I have not seen the Princess of Wales in person since her last public engagement on Christmas Day, more than six months ago.

Yesterday she looked very well and, crucially, very healthy too.

While the photo released on Friday by Kensington Palace was a solemn snap, yesterday Catherine beamed with joy – her smile will undoubtedly warm the nation’s heart.

Accompanied by William, who has soldiered on alone while supporting his sick wife, and her adorable children, the whole group looked relaxed and united throughout one of the most important days of the year for the Royal Family.

It was also lovely to see Catherine exchanging words with her father-in-law King Charles.

Both of them battled hard to return to their duties and even through a long lens you can tell they have genuine warmth for each other.

The only downside was the classically British weather.

It was cold.

It was wet.

My jacket and my camera were soaked.

Next Thursday will be the longest day of the year but the driving rain made me feel like I was in the middle of January.

Yet the moment the Princess emerged to wave and smile, it made bearing the downpour worthwhile.

There were a lot of smart outfits on show – it was a military parade after all – but the Princess of Wales’ stunning white dress was a cut above everyone else’s.

Almost every camera there was fixed on her and with exceptional taste she picked out a dress that could be seen down The Mall by thousands of well-wishers.

This was a remarkable return by a remarkable woman and I'm sure it would’ve meant the world to have her family by her side.

So it’s no surprise that she didn’t stop smiling throughout.

TROOPING the Colour is a ceremonial event performed at Horse Guards Parade on Whitehall every year to celebrate the official birthday of the monarch.

It dates back to Charles II in the 17th century.

At the start of it, the monarch is greeted by a Royal salute and the National Anthem.

The parade then commences and concludes with a second Royal salute.

King Charles and other members of the Royal Family later gather on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past by the Royal Air Force.

The King traditionally has two birthdays: Charles' actual birthday on November 14, as well as an official birthday marked every summer by the Trooping the Colour ceremony.

The celebration takes place in June — monarchs originally celebrated their official birthdays on the second Thursday in June, but the date was changed to the second Saturday in June in 1959.

The event is called Trooping the Colour for military personnel to recognise what their regiments' colours looked like, it was necessary for the colours trooped in front of the soldiers.

The purpose of this was so that they would be familiar with their unit in battle.

This was achieved by young officers marching in between ranks of troops formed up in lines with their colours held high.

• November 2016 - Harry formally reveals he is in a relationship with Suits actress Meghan Markle.
• September 2017 - Meghan tells Vanity Fair the couple are in love and happy together.
• September 2017 - The couple make their first public appearance together holding hands at the Invictus Games in Toronto.
• November 2017 - Prince Charles issues a statement revealing Harry and Meghan are engaged.
• May 2018 - Harry and Meghan tie the knot, becoming Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
• October 2018 - The couple announce they are expecting their first child while on their first overseas tour in Australia.
• March 2019 - Harry and Meghan set up their own household, splitting their joint operation with Prince William and Kate.
• May 2019 - Meghan gives birth to a baby boy named Archie.
• October 2019 - Harry reveals his rift with his brother William in a bombshell documentary.
• January 2020 -  The couple stun the Queen by announcing plans to quit senior roles and settle in North America. After ten days of talks at Sandringham,  it's agreed the couple will no longer be working royals and will give up their "Royal Highness" titles.
• March 2020 - Harry and Meghan carry out their last official engagement and move to California.
• September 2020 - Netflix announces a huge deal with the couple.
• February 2021 - Buckingham Palace announces the couple's split as working members of the monarchy is permanent and they will lose their royal patronages.
• March 2021 - The palace says it is "very concerned" about allegations of bullying made by former staff of Harry and Meghan, launching a probe.
• March 2021 - Meghan tells Oprah Winfrey Archie wasn’t made a prince after “concerns and conversations” about “how dark” his skin would be when he was born. She claims Kate "hurt her feelings" and made her cry before her wedding. Harry says Charles has stopped taking his calls and he has been "cut off" financially.
• January 2023 - Harry publishes his tell-all memoir Spare, launching scathing attacks on William, Kate and Camilla. He says he and William once got into a physical fight over Meghan.
• April 2023 - Harry has a "heart-to-heart" talk with his dad before agreeing to come to the Coronation in London.
• September 2023 - Harry rejects an offer to spend the anniversary of the Queen’s death at Balmoral with his father.
• February 2024 - Prince Harry flies to the UK to be with his father as royal experts claim their four-year rift could be put aside. They meet for half an hour before Harry flies home. He does not meet William.