Kate Middleton Vanished from Royal Ascot Plans — But Her Private Meeting Has People Talking
The Princess of Wales has quietly returned to work after she pulled out of Royal Ascot last week.
Kate, 43, had been expected to attend the Berkshire racing festival with her husband Prince William – and was even announced in the official carriage procession – before Kensington Palace confirmed she would not be attending after all.
MailOnline understands that the Princess was ‘disappointed’ not to be in attendance ‘but she has to find the right balance as she fully returns to public facing engagements
On Wednesday this week, the Princess privately received Melinda Gates – the former wife of Microsoft Founder Bill – at Windsor Castle, marking her return to official duties.
Kate was joined by her husband for her first engagement back in their role as patrons of the Royal Foundation, according to the Court Circular – which officially lists the royal family‘s engagements.
The Royal Foundation is Kate and William’s primary philanthropic and charitable vehicle, and focuses on areas such as the early years and mental health.
American philanthropist Melinda is also the founder of Pivotal Ventures, which aims to advance equality among women in the US – though the purpose of their meeting is as of yet unclear.
It’s not known whether the Princess and Melinda have previously joined forces in the past – but she crossed paths with William in 2014 when he presented her with the Chatham House prize.
Earlier on Wednesday, Prince William also held an investiture at the castle and granted former England manager Gareth Southgate a knighthood.
Last week, the Princess of Wales pulled out of attending Royal Ascot at the last minute as she continues to ‘find the right balance’ following her battle with cancer.
Racegoers had been hoping to see the Princess after the Prince of Wales was named as one of the figures awarding race prizes during the second day of the meet.
Ascot officials had confirmed at 12pm that the Princess was due to be in the second carriage in the royal procession with William, in a published carriage list.
But less than half an hour later, Kensington Palace confirmed just before 12.30pm that Kate would not be attending – and a revised carriage list was published by Ascot.
Royal aides insisted the original list had issued in ‘error’, according to the Daily Mail’s Rebecca English.
‘On some levels I actually think this is a good reminder that she was really seriously ill last year and underwent a significant period of chemo. As anyone who has been through that experience will tell you, you can feel very unwell for a long time afterwards. It can take years [to recover],’ one source said.
‘She wants to find the right balance and work with a greater degree of flexibility than before.
‘This is a woman who plays a very important role in the monarchy [as Princess of Wales and future Queen], but in order for her to do it, both now and in the future, she needs to get this right,’ they said.
