London: The British Ministry of Defence appears to have made an embarrassing mistake in advertising that Catherine, Princess of Wales, would attend a Trooping the Colour ceremony in June, apparently before consulting palace officials.

The announcement on the ministry’s website drew attention because the June appearance would be the first major official duty confirmed for Catherine, 42, since she underwent abdominal surgery.

But army officials seemed to have jumped the gun because Prince William and Catherine’s office, Kensington Palace, hasn’t confirmed any scheduled public events for her. It’s up to palace officials, not government departments, to announce and confirm the royals’ attendance at events.

The announcement caused confusion amid intense media attention on the state of Catherine’s health. The royal has been out of the public eye since January when palace officials announced that she had been admitted to a private London hospital for unspecified planned abdominal surgery. They didn’t provide more details but said that she wouldn’t return to public duties until after Easter.

British media reported that the army did not seek approval from Kensington Palace before publishing the details. They announced the event based on the expectation that Catherine, in her role as colonel of the Irish Guards, would inspect the troops this year at the annual military ceremony.

The ceremony, an annual highlight in the royal calendar, officially celebrates the reigning monarch’s birthday with a parade that usually draws huge crowds to London’s Horse Guards Parade and along The Mall, the promenade outside Buckingham Palace.

This year, the Irish Guards are trooping their “colour” – or regimental flag – at the ceremony, so Catherine as the troops’ figurative chief would normally have led the inspection.

Palace officials may not confirm the royal’s attendance until nearer the time.