Ever since the Princess of Wales suddenly pulled out of appearing at Royal Ascot last Wednesday, the media’s mood has been decidedly vicious towards Kate. I was surprised by the tone of two different pieces written by the Daily Beast’s Royalist columnist, one of which made it sound like Kate is absolutely furious that anyone expects her to do anything at all, and all of the expectations make her want to do even less! The Royalist also said that Kate’s last-minute Ascot cancellation was being taken as a sign of disrespect for King Charles. As if to prove that the knives are out for Kate, the Daily Mail reminded everyone of how QEII always thought Kate was work-shy and lazy. Well, Becky English to the rescue! Sort of. English wrote a new piece which is dripping with sugary sympathy… on the surface. I kind of think that the over-the-top defense of Kate reads as extremely shady, but maybe I’m reading too much into it. Some highlights:
Pulling out of Ascot so suddenly, and no one buys Kate’s half-assed explanations: Royal aides insisted the original [carriage] list had issued in ‘error’ – but their explanation did little to halt speculation as to why, not least because it was clear that Ascot had, at some point, been told she planned to be there. The Palace would only say that the princess was ‘disappointed’ but ‘has to find the right balance as she fully returns to public facing duties’. And while the truth is that no-one still knows exactly why Catherine pulled out so suddenly, the incident has served to remind us that her return to duties remains something of a ‘work in progress’.
Kate’s mysterious abdominal surgery: As I have previously revealed, the princess was seriously unwell in the run-up to her surgery in the first place. And while that is a story only for her to tell – if she ever chooses to do so – I can say that, from what I understand, she is fortunate to even be speaking of recovery. So, while she may be glowing on the outside, the drama over her last minute non-attendance at Royal Ascot last week is, perhaps, a timely reminder that the princess was really very poorly not so long ago.
An important reminder: ‘On some levels I actually think this is a good reminder that she was really seriously ill last year and underwent a significant period of chemo. As anyone who has been through that experience will tell you, you can feel very unwell for a long time afterwards. It can take years [to recover],’ one source says.
Kate’s moveable feast: As someone told me at the time: some weeks you will see her a lot, others not. It’s a moveable feast, and one that continues in the same vein. ‘She wants to find the right balance and work with a greater degree of flexibility than before. This is a woman who plays a very important role in the monarchy [as Princess of Wales and future Queen], but in order for her to do it, both now and in the future, she needs to get this right,’ they said.
What Kate’s summer will look like: That is why, I understand, we won’t see the princess in public this week, but we are ‘very likely’ to see her at Wimbledon, which starts Monday 30 June, in her role as royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. She will also play a ‘significant’ part in next month’s French State Visit at Windsor Castle. Although I am still waiting to hear whether she will attend the state banquet at Windsor Castle (the last time she did so was in November 2023 for the state visit of the South Korean President), I understand she will take part in the official ‘meet and greets’ for President Macron on July 8. After that she and Prince William will decamp to Anmer Hall, their ten-bedroom Georgian home on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where they and their children can enjoy countryside pursuits, long bike rides and sailing. They will also join the King and other senior royals at Balmoral in August.
William & Kate bred their dog as a treat for their kids: It’s one of the reasons, I am told, that she and Prince William have decided to breed from their adored spaniel, Orla. Not only has it been something fun for the children to look forward to, but I am told they are planning to keep one of the pups.
The Wales kids’ education: Several years ago I wrote that George had been put down for William’s old school, Eton, and Charlotte was likely to attend Catherine’s Alma mater, Marlborough. I haven’t heard anything of late to change my view on that.
What will Kate’s autumn look like? Looking ahead to the autumn, while it cannot entirely be ruled out that the princess might undertake a foreign visit this year, I am told it is ‘not expected’ as it stands. Kensington Palace’s main focus will be on the Prince of Wales’ environmental passion project the Earthshot Awards in Brazil this November. Catherine could yet join him – ‘tbc’ is all that I can get at this stage – but my gut feeling is probably not. ‘She’s quite strict now at working out what she needs to be at and what she doesn’t,’ a source says. ‘And people forget that even if they aren’t seeing her in public, she is very hands-on behind the scenes with the team in the office. She has her own projects to pursue, such as her early years initiative. That’s a lifelong commitment for HRH.’ What we are likely to see more of, come the autumn, is travel within the UK: what we in the trade call the classic ‘royal away day’.
What’s strange is that at the end of 2024, Kensington Palace gave tons of briefings about how no one should expect to see Kate more than a few times in the first six months of 2025. Considering that, I was surprised by just how often we did see Kate back in January and February, but you’ve also got to remember how often Meghan was making news, and how much both William and Kate pay attention to the Sussexes’ schedules. Anyway, my gut is telling me that we’ll see Kate at Wimbledon too, and we’ll also see her for the French state visit… but she won’t be allowed at the evening reception, and she definitely won’t get to wear a tiara. Just a hunch! As for her autumn plans… I will be shocked if we see her before mid-October.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
