Why Kate Middleton pulled out of Royal Ascot at the last minute
18 June 2025, 13:02 | Updated: 18 June 2025, 13:11
The Princess of Wales was expected to attend Royal Ascot today alongside her husband, Prince William, before cancelling the outing just minutes before.
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The Princess of Wales unexpectedly withdrew from her scheduled appearance at Royal Ascot today (Wednesday, June 18) despite having been officially listed to ride in the second carriage of the royal procession alongside her husband, William the Prince of Wales.
This breaking news came just 20 minutes after the mother of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - who is also known by her maiden name Kate Middleton - was confirmed to be attending the races by organisers, who released an official programme confirming her place in the procession.
However, it was royal correspondent Chris Ship broke the news on social media that the Princess had pulled out of the event at the last minute.
He wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Prince William will be at @Ascot today as expected but the Princess of Wales has decided, at the last minute, not to attend today. Ascot had previously named her in the second carriage."
While no specific reason was given, Chris added: "It’s understood she’s decided to find the right balance as she returns to public engagements," following her recent cancer treatment.
Her absence comes just a day after she appeared at the annual Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle, where she was seen smiling and engaging warmly with members of the Royal Family.
- Read more: What are Kate Middleton's royal titles?
That appearance followed her appearance at Trooping the Colour over the weekend, where she joined Prince William and their three children on the Buckingham Palace balcony to mark King Charles III official birthday.
The Princess of Wales has been slowly returning to work following the announcement in March 2024 that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy.
Her diagnosis came as a shock to the public, but in January 2025, they were delighted to hear that she had completed treatment and was in remission.
Despite being in remission, Catherine has spoken about the challenges of recovery and the importance of taking things step by step.
"I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty," she said in a previous message: "I'm taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to heal."
