Kate Middleton has made a last-minute decision to pull out of a planned appearance at the Royal Ascot horse racing event.
The Princess of Wales was scheduled to attend the second day of the prestigious sporting spectacle in Berkshire, southeast England, but opted out as she continues her cancer recovery.
Kate said she was “disappointed” to miss the event but is still trying to strike the right balance between returning to public life and managing her recovery, a Kensington Palace source told The Telegraph, a British newspaper.
The Daily Beast has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
Kate has already participated in three public engagements in the past week, including the Trooping the Colour ceremony on June 14, which celebrates the birthday of the British sovereign. Kate attended the event alongside the rest of the royal family and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Kate had been listed in Royal Ascot’s official program as taking part in Wednesday’s carriage procession, where she was set to ride in the second carriage alongside Prince William.
Her mother, Carole Middleton, still attended the event on Wednesday, while King Charles and Queen Camilla led the royal procession for the second day in a row.
The princess also missed last year’s Royal Ascot as she was undergoing cancer treatment, which was found following major abdominal surgery. Kate announced in January that she is now in remission and is focused on fully recovering.
“I’m gutted but completely understand,” Jane Price, a Royal Ascot attendee, told The Mirror about Kate’s last-minute withdrawal. “It’s such a hot day, and she [Kate] has been so busy recently—I think anyone would need a break. I had cancer at 31. How she’s managed at 43 with three young children is quite remarkable.”
Prince William still participated in the event, riding in the second royal carriage alongside British golfer Justin Rose and his wife.
Back in April, William and Kate also pulled out of the traditional Easter Sunday church service and a wider royal family gathering at Windsor Castle. Instead, the couple—who are next in line to the throne—chose to spend time with their children at their Norfolk home. It marked the second year in a row that they skipped the Easter Matins Service amid Kate’s health news.
