Here’s When We’ll Likely See Kate Middleton Next Following Royal Ascot No-Show

Following the Princess of Wales pulling out of Ascot on June 18, many are wondering when her next public appearance might be.

The Gist

• Kate Middleton pulled out of a planned Royal Ascot appearance at the last minute on June 18—one week ago today.
• The Princess of Wales is not likely to make any public appearances this week, royal journalist Rebecca English reported.
• However, it appears very likely that the future queen will attend the Wimbledon tennis tournament, which begins on June 30.

After Kate Middleton’s unexpected absence from Royal Ascot on June 18, it left many wondering—when will we see the Princess of Wales in public again?

The future queen said she was “disappointed” to not be joining Prince William and other members of the royal family at the annual horse racing event, but—lest we forget—Kate is still in recovery after her cancer diagnosis last year, though she did say in January of this year that she is in remission. With June 14’s Trooping the Colour, June 16’s Garter Day service, and a planned June 18 appearance at Ascot—that’s a lot for anyone, even if you aren’t still gaining your strength back following a time period where, as The Daily Mail’s Rebecca English reported, Kate was “seriously unwell.”

Laying it all bare, someone who knows the Princess of Wales well said that Kate has been “to hell and back” over the past 18 months, and that her physical recovery is still a “work in progress.”

It’s unlikely that we will see Kate in public this week, English wrote, but the public is “very likely” to see the princess at Wimbledon, which begins on June 30. Kate is royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and made a memorable appearance at Wimbledon last year—only the second time she’d been seen publicly in the entirety of 2024—alongside daughter Princess Charlotte and sister Pippa Middleton.

Kate is also expected to play a “significant” part in the French State Visit in July at Windsor Castle.

While the Princess of Wales looks healthy, English reported that Kate “is fortunate to even be speaking of recovery” and that, “while she may be glowing on the outside,” the Ascot absence “is, perhaps, a timely reminder that the princess was really very poorly not so long ago.” Kate “won’t be rushed on her journey back to full health,” English added.

“On some levels, I actually think this [her absence from Royal Ascot] is a good reminder that she was really seriously ill last year and underwent a significant period of chemo,” a source told English. “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].”

Kate is still finding the balance, and English reported that, when it comes to public appearances, “some weeks you will see her a lot, others not. It’s a moveable feast.”

“And people forget that even if they aren’t seeing her in public, she is very hands-on behind the scenes with the team in the office,” a source said, adding that Kate is “quite strict now at working out what she needs to be at and what she doesn’t.” Ascot, while an important appearance, is largely a social occasion; if there was a need to sacrifice anything, it’d likely be that over a charitable appearance or one connected directly to her work as a royal.

“She wants to find the right balance and work with a greater degree of flexibility than before,” an insider told English. “This is a woman who plays a very important role in the monarchy, but in order for her to do it, both now and in the future, she needs to get this right.”