King Charles issues statement on event Princess Kate unexpectedly skipped

The royal family reunited in full force this week as relatives and close friends gathered over four days for the Royal Ascot.

King Charles and Queen Camilla attended the prestigious racing event in Berkshire from Tuesday, June 17 to Friday, June 20, joined by Charles’ siblings, nieces, and close friends.

Prince William made an appearance on Tuesday to present the Prince of Wales’s Stakes award. But his wife, Kate Middleton, was noticeably absent after seemingly pulling out at the last minute.

On Friday, the official Royal Family Instagram account shared a photo roundup from the five-day event.

“This week, The King and Queen, alongside Members of the Royal Family, have attended @AscotRacecourse,” read the caption.

Alongside photos of the monarch and Queen Camilla, the post featured appearances by Princess Anne, Duchess Sophie, Prince Edward, and Duchess Birgitte.

The outings included several special milestones for the family — among them, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s 26th wedding anniversary (June 19), and the Duchess of Gloucester’s 79th birthday.

However, Princess Catherine missed the events as she continues to scale back her public appearances and “find the right balance” amid her gradual return to royal duties following her cancer remission.

She came off of a busy weekend, attending the Trooping the Colour ceremony as well as the Garter Day service. 

As for her last-minute U-turn, sources clarified that Kensington Palace had informed the event administrators well beforehand that Kate would not be attending. However, her name wasn’t removed from the list until the eleventh hour, leading to confusion.