Kate Middleton decides to 'stay behind' in Queen's final hours despite closeness

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, made a personal choice not to travel to Balmoral to be with Queen Elizabeth II during her last moments before passing away. 

The royal family hurried to gather around Queen Elizabeth II in her final moments. After receiving a call from King Charles, Prince William boarded a flight to Scotland, but his wife, Princess Kate, was not accompanying him. 

Instead, William travelled alongside his uncles, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, as well as Duchess Sophie. Kate's absence raised eyebrows, especially given her close bond with the Queen, leading to speculation that King Charles might have influenced her choice to remain home.

 However, according to royal author Robert Hardman in his book, Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story, it was Kate who ultimately decided to stay behind to be with their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

With the royal children just starting at their new school, Lambrook, Kate felt it was essential to provide them with support during this transitional time. While Charles had no role in her decision, he did prevent Meghan Markle from joining Prince Harry at Balmoral to be with the Queen. 

In his memoir, Spare, Harry recounted the moment he learned of Meghan's exclusion, revealing that his father informed him she wasn't permitted to attend because "no other wives were coming," including Princess Kate. 

During this conversation, Charles stated: "He said I was welcome at Balmoral, but he didn't want... her. He started to lay out his reason, which was nonsensical, and disrespectful, and I wasn't having it."

Harry firmly responded to his father's remarks regarding Meghan: "Don't ever speak about my wife that way." 

He further elaborated: "He stammered, apologetic, saying he simply didn't want a lot of people around. No other wives were coming, Kate wasn't coming, he said, therefore Meg shouldn't. Then that's all you needed to say."

The Queen peacefully passed away at 15:10 on September 8. Among the family members present, only Charles, Camilla, and Princess Anne were able to be by her side before her death. 

Meanwhile, Harry departed Luton Airport on a private jet around 5:30 PM and was still in the air when the announcement of the Queen's passing was made at 6:30 PM.