Prince William Is In Good Spirits Alongside Carole Middleton Amid Kate Middleton’s Absence from Royal Ascot

The Princess of Wales’s planned appearance on June 18 was canceled at the last minute.

The Gist

• Prince William attended day 2 of Royal Ascot solo on June 18 after his wife Kate Middleton pulled out of attending at the last minute.
• The Prince of Wales, instead of riding in the second carriage in the procession, rode in the first carriage alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla in the absence of the Princess of Wales.
• He also mingled with his mother-in-law, Carole Middleton, who wore a butter yellow look that she previously wore to the same event in 2011, the same year Kate married into the royal family.

After Kate Middleton unexpectedly pulled out of attending day 2 of Royal Ascot alongside her husband Prince William, he certainly wasn’t left on his own for the iconic British horse race.

Originally planning on riding in the second of four carriages in the daily Ascot carriage procession alongside Kate, after her absence was announced, the Prince of Wales was moved up to carriage No. 1 alongside his father King Charles and stepmother Queen Camilla. The future king drank a beer as he also enjoyed the company of Kate’s mom Carole Middleton and her sister-in-law Alizée, who is married to Kate’s younger brother James Middleton and who was at Ascot for the first time.

William and his mother-in-law Carole “appeared in good spirits” as they mingled at Ascot, one of the highlights of the British summer social season every year. Those in the know tell People that the Princess of Wales is “easing back into public life” following her 2024 cancer diagnosis and 2025 announcement that she is in remission. Kate had already undertaken two major events in the past week alone—June 14’s Trooping the Colour and the Garter Day Service on June 16.

During the day at the races on June 18, William presented the trophy for the Prince of Wales’ Stakes, which went to Ombudsman, a horse ridden by jockey William Buick. And Carole, in addition to chatting with her son-in-law, also mingled with the King as they took in the races together from the royal box.

Kate was also absent from Royal Ascot in 2024, as she was receiving cancer treatment at that time. Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary Ailsa Anderson told People that, up to the present day, Kate is “being sensible, listening to what her body is telling her, and easing back into public life.” Kate was “disappointed” she couldn’t make Ascot today, according to reports.

Carole wore a yellow floral dress from ME + EM and matching hat by Jane Corbett, according to Tatler, and Alizée donned a mint gingham outfit by Longchamp for her debut appearance at the event. Carole, like her daughter, is apparently a fan of the re-wear—she previously wore her butter yellow look to Royal Ascot as far back as 2011, the same year that Kate married into the royal family the April prior. An Ascot frequenter, Carole and William shared a memorable moment in 2024 when William helped his mother-in-law when her heel got stuck in the grass at the racetrack.