The Princess of Wales has pulled out from her scheduled appearance at this year’s Royal Ascot. Princess Catherine continues her return to royal duties following the cancer diagnosis.
According to a BBC report, Princess Catherine is working to strike the right balance between her health and resuming public engagements. She was expected to join the traditional carriage procession in Wednesday’s event in Berkshire.
She was due to attend alongside her husband, the Prince of Wales. King Charles III and Queen Camilla also were scheduled to attend.
Kensington Palace Confirms Absence of Princess of Wales
Kensington Palace HAS confirmed that the Princess would not be attending the prestigious horse racing event while the King, Queen and Prince William led the royal carriage procession. The three arrived in the first carriage with Prince Saud bin Khalid Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were originally scheduled to travel in the second carriage with professional golfer Justin Rose and his wife, Kate Phillips. Prince William to present race prizes on the second day of the event.
Family of Princess of Wales Attend the Ascot
Despite the absence of the Princess of Wales, her mother, Carole Middleton, attended the event who arrived with her daughter-in-law, Alizée Thevenet.
Several other senior royals were also in attendance, including Prince Edward and Princess Anne.
Catherine was last seen in public on Monday, smiling and in conversation with fellow royals at the Order of the Garter service in Windsor. She also appeared at the Trooping the Colour celebrations on Saturday and visited the V&A East Storehouse museum on 10 June.
Princess of Wales Focuses on Recovery From Cancer
Catherine, in January, announced she was in remission from cancer. She had returned to the hospital where she received treatment. In March, she disclosed her cancer diagnosis publicly and later revealed in September that she had completed chemotherapy.
“Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus,” she said at the time.
Catherine did not attend Royal Ascot last year either due to her cancer diagnosis. Then, she had expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support following her diagnosis, saying she was “making good progress” but was “not out of the woods yet.”
What is Royal Ascot?
Royal Ascot remains one of the standout events on the British summer social calendar, held over five days at the Berkshire racecourse. It attracts more than 250,000 visitors each year.
The event starts with the Royal Family’s arrival in carriages. This year’s procession holds special significance, celebrating its 200th anniversary. The tradition began in 1825 during the reign of George IV, who was accompanied by the Duke of Wellington.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
