Kate Middleton's Recovery Is Taking A New Approach After Backing Out Of Royal Ascot 2025

Catherine, Princess of Wales shocked the world in March 2024 when she revealed that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy treatment for cancer. She subsequently underwent several months of treatments, while still making occasional public appearances, before sharing the good news in January 2025 that her cancer was in remission. However, concerns have been raised over her health after she chose not to attend the Royal Ascot that June. The five-day royal horse race event held annually in Berkshire, England, kicked off June 17 and ran through June 21. King Charles III, who is also currently undergoing cancer treatment himself, carried on royal tradition by appearing at the regal event daily.

Kate Middleton and her husband William, Prince of Wales, were slated to attend on June 18. However, the Princess of Wales unexpectedly canceled at the last minute, which reportedly sent palace staff into a tailspin. "Everyone was wandering around going, 'What is going on?' One minute she was going, and the next she wasn't," an unnamed source who used to work at the palace, and is still close with other employees, told The Daily Beast. "This is one of the biggest days of the year in the royal calendar; you don't just miss Ascot on a whim, so there was a real sense of panic."

The source explained that Kate's unexplained cancellation felt like a retread of her highly publicized absence from the spotlight in the months before her cancer announcement. Countless wild theories and rumors began to crop up the first time around. Speculation regarding Kate's health has always been a hot topic online, where even celebrities and public figures often feel like weighing in on the slew of rampant chatter.

Catherine, Princess of Wales looked radiant at Trooping the Colour 2025 on June 14, and she glowed at the Order of the Garter event on June 16. Even for someone not recovering from cancer treatments, big public outings can take a toll, and it seems Kate Middleton simply needed a break — which really does make sense considering that the princess reportedly always planned to stay relatively lowkey in 2025.

Ailsa Anderson, the former spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth II, told People, "She's being sensible, listening to what her body is telling her and easing back into public life." Meanwhile, an unnamed former royal staff member told The Daily Beast, "Kate is recalibrating her entire life, her entire work-life balance," and that the string of public engagements in June was a lot for her, after the tumultuous past few years. "It's all taken its toll, and if she needs more time to recover, William will fight tooth and nail to see she is given it."

This sort of balance is likely the best way for Kate to maintain her health. The List spoke with a psychologist on Kate's cancer-free health journey in March 2025. Dr. Sula Windgassen, PhD, aka The Health Psychologist, explained prioritizing her physical and emotional wellness over her duties as a royal and a public figure is key. "When recovering from cancer, it is really important to help your body find a balance again," Dr. Windgassen shared. "Your immune system has been taxed and disrupted, so has your neuroendocrine system. ... In order to help come back to an equilibrium during the healing process, you have to gently reintegrate into life as usual." If that means skipping a royal carriage procession at a horse race, so be it.