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Princess Katherine made her return to public life after months away undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer. She attended Trooping the Colour, the annual public celebration of the Queen's birthday, alongside other members of the royal family. It was Katherine's first major public appearance since she took a step back from royal duties to focus on her health.
Many fans and observers were overjoyed to see Katherine looking well at the event. She wore a pale blue lace dress and matching hat, and smiled as she watched the parade of soldiers from a balcony with other royals. Her appearance put to rest the outlandish conspiracy theories that had surfaced during her months away from the spotlight. Some had claimed, without any evidence, that Katherine was gravely ill or had even died months ago. Her presence at Trooping the Colour proved those theories to be nonsense.
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It was especially refreshing to see Katherine supporting her family and public duties once more, after the personal update she had shared about her cancer treatment journey. In a moving Instagram post weeks prior, she explained the ups and downs of chemotherapy and urged understanding as she takes time to prioritize her health. It was courageous of her to be so open about the challenges of cancer treatment. Her appearance looking happy and radiant gave hope to others going through similar experiences.
Of course, Megan Markle couldn't resist trying to upstage Katherine's return. True to form, sources close to Megan claimed she had nothing to do with the timing, but many saw it as a cynical ploy for attention. Just days before Trooping the Colour, Nacho Figueroa, known to be friendly with Megan, had posted photos on social media promoting Megan's new business venture - American Riviera Orchards.
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The photos showed two jars of raspberry jam and packages of dog biscuits, both supposedly handwritten with notes by Megan. While the jam and biscuits did not seem to actually be for sale yet, the posts were clearly intended to drum up publicity for Megan's brand. Unfortunately for Megan, the timing completely overshadowed Katherine's moment in the spotlight after a difficult period of illness.
Many observers believed Megan deliberately planned the promotional social media push to coincide with Katherine's return, out of jealousy or a desire to one-up her sister-in-law. Megan's team weakly claimed she couldn't control when Nacho Figueroa posted, but anyone with basic marketing sense would not have courted publicity so close to such an important royal occasion. It came across as a tactless bid for attention at Katherine's expense.
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Even those who try to give Megan the benefit of the doubt have to admit her team should have anticipated how it would seem. They undoubtedly knew the date of Trooping the Colour was set well in advance. Avoiding promotional releases within the same week would have been a simple way to keep attention focused on Katherine's recovery milestone, rather than fuel suspicions of intentional upstaging.
At the same time, while the timing was insensitive, it's worth acknowledging that Megan likely did not directly orchestrate the social media post herself. Nacho Figueroa does have his own ideas about what and when to post. However, as the face of the new brand, Megan has to take responsibility for how her promotions are managed. If attention-grabbing around major royal events keeps happening, it's fair for people to remain skeptical of her motivations even if not fully coordinated each time.
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In the end, most fans are just happy Katherine seems on the mend after a long struggle. While distractions will come and go, her bravery and determination to overcome illness through difficult treatment is an inspiration. With continued support from family and the public, hopefully she will stay on a positive path of recovery. As for Megan, this episode reinforced perceptions that she has trouble letting the spotlight shine on anyone but herself - even during a family member's health crisis. In the future, a little more tact and consideration could help change that narrative.
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