For a moment, I worried that another “Kate Missington” fiasco was unfolding before our very eyes yet again. Last year, the Princess of Wales’s disappearance was largely fueled by palace/courtier incompetence across the board. Kensington Palace’s staffers refused to give regular briefings on Kate’s health, and everyone’s squirreliness around “the state of Kate” led to conspiracies, manipulated photos and outright lies. When Kate suddenly pulled out of Royal Ascot yesterday, my biggest fear was that the royal courts have learned absolutely nothing from 2024 and that this could end up being Kate Missington 2.0. But guess what? They did learn something – well, at least they learned how to brief anonymously and give the nod to “nothing to see here, she’s fine, she’s just tired y’all” articles. Speaking of, the Telegraph published this: “Ascot absence is just a blip in Princess of Wales’s remarkable recovery; Catherine continues to tread a careful line as she makes her way back to health, but signs are good.”
As the sun blazed down on Royal Ascot on Wednesday, racegoers were abuzz with news that the Princess of Wales would be attending the meeting. The official list of carriages in the Royal Procession had her name on it, along with those of the King, the Queen and the Prince of Wales, in what was expected to be her return to the summer season after her chemotherapy this time last year. In the end, it was not to be. In the hours ahead of the procession, Kensington Palace confirmed that the Princess would be unable to attend.
It is said that while she was understandably disappointed not to attend, the Princess was mindful of treading a careful line as she returns to work. It is a salient reminder that life, even for the royals, is not a fairytale. There is no magic wand for health.
There is no cause for alarm, we are told, backed by evidence of the Princess laughing and happy at the Garter Day ceremony at Windsor Castle just two days ago.
She has, in truth, been staging a remarkable comeback. Since the September video in which she announced that she had finished her chemotherapy, the Princess has surpassed all expectations in her steady march back to work…However, behind closed doors, it seems, things have not been so blissfully uncomplicated. The “cancer journey”, Catherine said in September, “is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you”.
With three small children, a future King among them, she is focused on the long term, supporting her husband and being there in all senses for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
She is disappointed to miss Ascot. But the big picture, as she, William and their advisers know, is more important. The watchword at the Palace is “balance”. Her illness was serious, sources emphasise, and the long-term effects for any patient are unpredictable. The public are kind enough, nowadays, to understand that royals are human and they cannot perform at all times.
The summer season at Ascot will survive, with royals aplenty. The presence of the Prince of Wales, who would have no qualms about shouldering criticism to skip the event to be by his wife’s side if needed, as well as that of Carole Middleton, the Princess’s mother, was reassuring.
The Princess is likely to be seen again very soon, at Wimbledon as well as official engagements, before the children break up for their school holidays.
I hope that Kate is feeling OK and that she’s able to get the rest and recovery she needs. I appreciate that it doesn’t look like the royal courts are going to be playing the same games this time around – someone high up gave the authorization for this story, letting people know that Kate is not about to go missing for months again. It’s a sleight of hand though, because Kate was already scheduled to go missing for months, because of her “summer vacation.” Still, we should only worry if she misses Wimbledon entirely.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
