The Irish Guards plan to pay tribute to Princess Kate Middleton during their annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration, even though she won’t be in attendance.

The soldiers are “planning to send her best wishes and give three cheers to her at the end of their celebratory parade at Mons Barracks in Hampshire,” according to an article published by People on Friday, March 15.

A separate source told Us Weekly that “the Irish Guards will all have Kate in their thoughts.”

In December 2022, King Charles III named Kate, 42, as the honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards, a role previously held by her husband, Prince William. However, even before Kate was given the title, she traditionally attended the celebration alongside William, 41, and handed out shamrocks to the guards for them to pin onto their uniforms. This year, as Kate recovers from an abdominal surgery that she underwent on January 16, Lady Ghika, wife of the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel, Major General Sir Christopher Ghika, will be handing out the shamrocks in her place.

Kate’s absence from the celebration will likely continue to fan the flame of conspiracy theories that have flooded the internet regarding her whereabouts since her surgery. While Kate has been spotted two different times, concerns about her recovery continued to run rampant. To make matters worse, the mom of three posted a photo on her and William’s social media accounts of herself sitting in a chair, surrounded by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Internet detectives quickly began to pick apart the photo and claimed it had been altered. The following day, Kate admitted to editing the image.

“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” the princess wrote via the official Kensington Palace X account. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”

Speculation regarding Kate’s absence from the spotlight have ranged from plastic surgery to a medically induced coma. However, one of the more prominent theories has many people believing that William, 41, has been having an affair with Kate’s former friend, Rose Hanbury, and it’s taken a toll on her.

“Kate taking her wedding ring off [in a recent family photo] just intensified all the drama surrounding their marriage and the rumors of William’s affair with Rose,” a source exclusively told In Touch on Thursday, March 14. “You can’t blame her for being at her wits end with the rumors about Rose and William completely haunting her. It’s hurtful, especially because she’s still recovering from major surgery.”

Despite the speculation, royal representatives continue to insist that Kate is simply recovering from surgery and is “doing well.”