Exact reason Kate Middleton pulled out of Royal Ascot after 'miscommunication'
Princess Kate unexpectedly withdrew from the Royal procession on the second day of Royal Ascot, leaving many Royal enthusiasts and racegoers surprised as they had hoped to catch a glimpse of the princess.
Kate's no-show meant Prince William had to attend the prestigious event alone, accompanying King Charles and Queen Camilla in the leading carriage of the procession.
The sudden absence of Kate caught many off guard, especially since her name was listed in the day two programme and had been promoted by the Royal Ascot social media accounts. The Palace later explained that Kate's non-appearance was due to a "miscommunication".
The mix-up started when the Royal Ascot Twitter and Instagram accounts appeared to confirm Princess Kate's presence in the first carriage with King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Prince William. Shortly after, Kensington Palace released a statement indicating that Kate would not be attending.
At the time, the Palace indicated that the princess' attendance had not been confirmed with Royal Ascot, and her inclusion in the official programme and the announcement by racing officials at the festival for the Royal procession were the result of a "communications error", reports the Mirror.
The Princess was announced to be part of the Royal procession at noon, but her absence was confirmed by Kensington Palace at 12.20pm, less than two hours before the procession was set to start at 2pm.
A spokesperson for the royals confirmed: "We notified Ascot that Her Royal Highness would not be attending. Unfortunately an inaccurate version of the carriage list was issued in error after that notification. The correct list was then circulated."
This announcement came amid news that the Prince and Princess of Wales are unlikely to attend any more days of the Royal Ascot.
Due to Kate's unexpected withdrawal, a quick change in the carriage lineup became necessary, with Lord Soames being bumped in order to slot Prince William into the lead carriage.
William took his place alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Saud from Saudi Arabia during the prestigious parade, quickly sending out revised lists to address the blunder.
It's believed that the Duchess of Cambridge's absence is down to her efforts to diplomatically balance her public duties since her cancer went into remission.
An insider from the palace stressed that there has always been an understanding for 'flexibility' with respect to the Princess of Wales' schedule.
The source pointed out that Kate has been keeping busy, highlighting her attendance at three recent engagements: the VandA East Storeroom exhibition unveiling in London, the Trooping the Colour ceremony for the King's birthday over the weekend, and Garter Day celebrations in Windsor just this Monday.
An insider at Royal Ascot expressed their feelings, saying: "Obviously it's a great disappointment the Princess of Wales not being able to attend, but everyone is of course mindful of her schedule and we look forward to welcoming her next year."
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