Kate Middleton and King Charles’ ‘Simmering Tensions’ Explode in Public: ‘He's Going Through...'
A royal source revealed that Kate Middleton's last-minute decision to withdraw from Royal Ascot highlighted her brewing tensions with King Charles.
Kate Middleton pulled out of Royal Ascot on June 17 at the last minute, despite being on the guest list for the carriage procession. The Princess of Wales was allegedly trying to strike a 'balance' between her royal duties and getting enough downtime as she recovers from cancer. However, a royal source has revealed that her sudden withdrawal from the event may not have sat well with King Charles. They claimed her absence made the King appear 'disrespected', drawing attention to 'simmering tensions' behind closed doors.
The source told the Daily Beast, "I am sure she was genuinely unable to come, yet the last-minute nature of the way it was announced makes the King look disrespected. Would she have dared miss Ascot at a moment’s notice when the Queen was alive?" The insider added, "It’s interesting that briefing is now coming out of the Palace saying that the racecourse made a bureaucratic error by publishing the carriage list with her in it, but that doesn’t change the fact that her team didn’t announce she wasn’t coming until late in the day."
Some confusion at Royal Ascot this afternoon after the Princess of Wales was announced as attending.
— Emily Ferguson (@emilyinpalace) June 18, 2025
But Kensington Palace has confirmed she will NOT be coming today as she continues to weigh up engagements after her cancer treatment. pic.twitter.com/0dMzChJBte
As per GB News, Middleton was listed on the official carriage schedule to join Prince William in the second carriage of the ceremonial procession. But less than two hours before the 2 pm start, Kensington Palace confirmed that she would not be attending. Another insider, however, rubbished claims that Charles was upset by her canceling her appearance. They argued, "He [Charles] is going through cancer himself, so he will be entirely understanding. He knows all about good days and bad days, physically and mentally. Charles has been very insistent that the show must go on, come hell or high water."
Asked whether her last-minute no-show highlighted a difference between how William, Middleton, Charles, and Queen Camilla approach their jobs, the source opined, "Kate and William tackle their public duties differently, which is their privilege, for now. Charles has been very clear that he supports their decisions." They also pointed out that the Prince and Princess of Wales are particularly not interested in horse racing. Reportedly, there are also quiet whispers behind Palace doors that had the event been something Middleton truly enjoyed, like Wimbledon, she might have attended it. A friend of the Waleses weighed in, saying that if she wasn’t feeling well, it would be unreasonable to expect her to be paraded in front of the public in hot weather with no air conditioning.
Middleton was diagnosed with cancer in March 2024, just a month after the King's diagnosis. A royal insider also told the Daily Beast that there was a 'real sense of panic' at the Palace on Wednesday, after Middleton dramatically canceled her scheduled appearance at the Royal Ascot. Despite claims that she pulled out of the event to focus on her treatment, the Palace refused to cite a reason for her absence.
