Kate Middleton Skips Prince William’s Annual Polo Match for the Second Year in a Row
Following this week’s state visit and hopefully ahead of a Wimbledon appearance, the Princess of Wales skipped the Royal Charity Polo Cup on July 11.

The Gist
- As she adjusts to her new normal post-cancer treatment, Kate Middleton missed a summer favorite event, the Royal Charity Polo Cup, when it took place on July 11.
- The Princess of Wales also missed the event in 2024 as she underwent cancer treatment.
- Prince William took part in the match on Friday, which marked the 14th time he’s participated in the polo event, which raises money for charities that the Prince and Princess of Wales support.
As her Wimbledon attendance hangs in the balance amid her continual return to her new normal, Kate Middleton skipped a favorite summer tradition—a day at polo—as her husband Prince William took part in the Royal Charity Polo Cup on July 11.
The match took place in Windsor—nearby William and Kate’s home at Adelaide Cottage—and fundraises for causes that the Prince and Princess of Wales support, helping those charities do the important work they do. The Princess of Wales typically attends the yearly polo match, but was absent last year as she underwent chemotherapy treatment and also skipped this year just days after speaking about how life post-cancer treatment can be “really, really difficult.”

After being diagnosed with cancer in early 2024, the future queen announced her diagnosis on March 22 of last year, though the type and stage remains unknown to the public. She completed chemotherapy treatment last September and announced in January of this year that she was in remission.
Though 2025 seems to be far more normal work-wise than the year that preceded it, “You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to,” Kate said during a visit to Colchester Hospital. “And actually, someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment, I think, is really valuable.”
She added, “You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult.”

Kate’s comments came after she unexpectedly pulled out of attending Royal Ascot on June 18, which fell after two back-to-back appearances at Trooping the Colour on June 14 and the annual Garter Day service on June 16.
“You have to find your new normal, and that takes time,” Kate said on July 2, adding that “it’s a rollercoaster. It’s not smooth, like you expect it to be.”
“But the reality is, you go through hard times,” she added.

The Princess of Wales is typically present at the Royal Charity Polo Cup, cheering her husband on from the sidelines; her last appearance there was in July 2023, before her diagnosis. According to People, the match this year marks the 14th time William has participated in the polo cup, and this year’s event is expected to take the total amount raised to over $19 million.

Kate’s next appearance is expected to be at Wimbledon, which wraps up this year on July 13. It would follow an appearance earlier this week at the French state visit honoring President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, First Lady Brigitte Macron, which took place on July 8.