Prince William's urgent promise to Kate before she pulled out of Ascot
The Princess of Wales is balancing her recovery from cancer with attending public engagements - and the heir to the throne is right by her side every step of the way
Princess Kate left royal watchers concerned this week when she withdrew from the Royal Procession on the second day of Ascot. The princess seemed to pull out of the event at the eleventh hour but Buckingham Palace sources were quick to reveal this was due to an administrative error.
The Duchess of Cambridge announced her cancer diagnosis back in March 2024 following abdominal surgery that January. Kate then took time out of the public eye as she underwent preventative chemotherapy and at the start of the year, announced she was in remission from cancer and focussing on her recovery.
The royal recently made public appearances at Trooping the Colour and the Order of the Garter service and there was expectation she would accompany Prince William to the Berkshire racecourse in the traditional carriage procession from Windsor Castle this week. But Palace sources went onto say that while Kate was "disappointed" not to attend, finding the right equilibrium in her schedule was crucial for her recovery.
Prince William has also been keen to find the right balance between carrying out public engagements and supporting his wife. When he visited Surplus to Supper, a surplus food redistribution charity in Surrey, last year he promised a member of staff he would "look after" Kate as she urged him to "take care" of her. "I will do, I will," William said repeatedly, during the discussion with Rachel Candappa, which saw him place his hand on her shoulder.
William, Kate and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis had previously retreated to the family home Anmer Hall in Norfolk when she shared her cancer news in an emotional video. Last weekend, the family of five marked Father's Day with two photos shared on the couple's social media account, with the accompanying caption reading: "Happy Father's Day, Papa (before and after!) We love you! G, C & L" along with a heart emoji.
And while Kate, who is now in remission, has been focussing on her recovery, she has been working on passion projects including her Early Years Initiative. The mother-of-three spent time studying research on improving the lives of babies, with The Princess's Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood funding a four-month long trial of a baby observation tool which could be used by health visitors to improve how they spot signs of social and emotional development in young children.
Back to Royal Ascot's second day and in his wife's absence, William travelled in the first royal carriage alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Saud. Donning a traditional morning suit, he awarded Billy Lee, rider of Ombudsman, the winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes, with a trophy.
The five-day event in Berkshire is expected to attract a total of 250,000 spectators with extravagant fashion on display at today's Ladies Day.
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