Kate Middleton’s Ongoing Recovery Has Reportedly “Not Been Plain Sailing”

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Mindful of taking care of her health and “not overdo things,” the Princess of Wales didn’t attend a planned appearance at Royal Ascot this year.

The Gist

• Though she makes it look effortless and easy, Kate Middleton’s cancer recovery has “not been plain sailing,” GB News reported.
• The Princess of Wales pulled out of attending day 2 of Royal Ascot at the last minute on June 18 amid a busy week with Trooping the Colour and the annual Garter Day service.
• The future queen reportedly told Royal Ascot that she would not be taking part in the carriage procession beforehand, but an incorrect version of the program was printed—forcing a clarification to be made.

Kate Middleton may make it all look easy as she continues her gradual return to public duty after her cancer diagnosis and treatment last year—but that doesn’t mean that it is.

This week, the Princess of Wales was said to be “disappointed” to pull out of attending day 2 of Royal Ascot at the last minute; she would have attended the annual horse racing event alongside her husband, Prince William, and other members of the royal family. Following major abdominal surgery in January 2024, the future queen was diagnosed with cancer, a diagnosis she shared publicly in March of last year. Kate was absent from public life for much of 2024, and announced in September that she’d completed cancer treatment before sharing in January 2025 that she was in remission.

Since then, Kate has begun to resume a normal program of royal duties, attending events she missed last year like March’s Commonwealth Day service and this week’s Garter Day service. But she has still been seen less than she was in 2023, before her diagnosis—and, though she makes it look effortless, a source told GB News that her recovery has “not been plain sailing.”

The outlet cited royal aides as saying that Kate is “continuing to balance her return to public life,” and this week had been a big one before her absence from Royal Ascot on June 18—on June 14, she attended Trooping the Colour, and on June 16, the aforementioned Garter Day service. Three high-profile events in just five days’ time—plus Father’s Day thrown in there, as well—sounds like a heavy load for anyone to carry.

“Catherine knows she should not overdo things,” the source told GB News. “She is grateful that her recovery has gone well, but things have not been plain sailing.”

“She had a busy day at Trooping the Colour at the weekend, and if she’s feeling slightly under the weather, it’s better that she takes it easy,” the insider continued.

GB News reported that Kensington Palace notified Royal Ascot of the Princess of Wales’s decision to withdraw from the royal carriage procession on Wednesday, but an “administrative mixup” happened when Ascot executives released the day’s procession list—which listed both William and Kate in the second carriage behind King Charles and Queen Camilla—which caused a need for an announcement that she would actually not be attending. Per GB News, Ascot officials acknowledged an “inaccurate version” of the day’s program had been “issued in error.”

“Unfortunately, an inaccurate version of the carriage list was issued in error after that notification,” The Daily Mail reported (via GB News). “The correct list was then circulated.”

Kate continues to manage her recovery and pace herself, seeking to “find the right balance” in her schedule, a source told GB News. According to The Mirror, the Prince and Princess of Wales aren’t expected to attend any other days of Royal Ascot this year.

Per The Mirror, a source at Royal Ascot said, “Obviously it’s a great disappointment the Princess of Wales not being able to attend, but everyone is, of course, mindful of her schedule and we look forward to welcoming her next year.”

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