Kensington Palace shares William update after Kate leaves him 'sad, subdued'

Prince William recently stepped up as his wife Princess Kate was unable to join him at the Royal Ascot.

On Wednesday, June 18, the Prince of Wales arrived alone to join King Charles and Queen Camilla for the royal procession, just under two hours after Kate Middleton withdrew from the event at the last minute.

Later in the day, the official Instagram account of the Prince and Princess of Wales shared updates from the outing.

“A brilliant afternoon of racing at Royal Ascot. Congratulations to William Buick, the Gosdens and the impressive Ombudsman on winning The Prince of Wales’s Stakes!” read the caption to a carousel of images from the event.

One photo showed the future king presenting the trophy for the Prince of Wales’ Stakes to jockey William Buick, trainers Gosdens, and their horse Ombudsman.

Though William was seen smiling in several photos, it was a stark contrast to his recent joint appearances with his wife.

Body language expert Judi James told the Daily Express, “While his father, the King, chatted happily to their guest in the carriage, using some animated, good-humoured body language displays, William seemed to sit back quietly with a slight slumped posture, looking subdued and rather reflective without Kate at his side.”

Princess Catherine’s appearance had previously been confirmed by Ascot, but it was later clarified as an error after Kensington Palace issued a statement confirming her absence just two hours before the event.

After a full weekend attending Trooping the Colour and the Garter Day service, it appears Kate is continuing to pace herself amid her cancer recovery.

“She’s being sensible, listening to what her body is telling her and easing back into public life,” Queen Elizabeth’s former spokeswoman Ailsa Anderson told People magazine.