
Princess of Wales pulls out of Royal Ascot appearance
Kate is said to be disappointed at not attending the famous social and sporting occasion in Berkshire with her husband and the King and Queen.
She has been making a gradual return to public duties since it was announced in January she was in remission from cancer.
Her public appearances have increased in recent weeks and she has attended three high profile events including Trooping the Colour, the annual Order of the Garter service and a visit to a V&A storage facility in London.
But it is understood she is trying to find the right balance as she fully returns to public-facing engagements.
Racegoers had been hoping to see Kate as William was named as one of the figures awarding race prizes during the second day of the meeting.
She was named in the list of guests joining Charles and Camilla in the carriage procession.
The list was quickly amended removing Kate's name after Kensington Palace confirmed she would not be attending.
In March 2024, the Princess announced she was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer in an emotional video message.
She described the 'huge shock' after tests identified cancer following abdominal surgery and the 'incredibly tough couple of months' her family had experienced.
'It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK,' she adds
In June last year, Kate issued a written message saying she is 'making good progress' and has 'good days and bad days', adding: 'I am not out of the woods yet.'
Then, in January this year, the princess revealed she was in remission from cancer after making an emotional return to the hospital where she was treated to comfort fellow patients.
Kate, in a written personal message following a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, south-west London, described her 'relief' and said 'there is much to look forward to'.
In her message signed 'C', the princess said: 'It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focussed on recovery.
'As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal.
'I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.'

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Telegraph
22 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Ascot absence is just a blip in Princess of Wales's remarkable recovery
As the sun blazed down on Royal Ascot on Wednesday, racegoers were abuzz with news that the Princess of Wales would be attending the meeting. The official list of carriages in the Royal Procession had her name on it, along with those of the King, the Queen and the Prince of Wales, in what was expected to be her return to the summer season after her chemotherapy this time last year. In the end, it was not to be. In the hours ahead of the procession, Kensington Palace confirmed that the Princess would be unable to attend. It is said that while she was understandably disappointed not to attend, the Princess was mindful of treading a careful line as she returns to work. It is a salient reminder that life, even for the royals, is not a fairytale. There is no magic wand for health. There is no cause for alarm, we are told, backed by evidence of the Princess laughing and happy at the Garter Day ceremony at Windsor Castle just two days ago. She has, in truth, been staging a remarkable comeback. Since the September video in which she announced that she had finished her chemotherapy, the Princess has surpassed all expectations in her steady march back to work. From a lively anniversary trip to the Isle of Mull to placing a considered spotlight on Britain's creative sector at the V&A last week, she has looked happy, healthy and – as far as the public could see – as if she had never been away. At Trooping the Colour on Saturday, she appeared flawless, standing beside the King in the public eye for hours and watching over her well-behaved children. However, behind closed doors, it seems, things have not been so blissfully uncomplicated. The 'cancer journey', Catherine said in September, 'is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you'. 'Much needed time to heal' Almost exactly a year ago, as she attempted to reconcile her deeply private health issues with her public role, she said she was experiencing 'good days and bad days'. 'Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal,' she said. Since then, the Princess has made a valiant effort to get back into the public eye. At a time when the public would have given her grace in recovery, she has signed up to public engagements (more than 20 this year), and high-profile Royal events at which every camera lens is focused on her face. Her appearance, recently so healthy, has belied how difficult things were last year, and how hard the fight to return to normality has been. The King and his daughter-in-law have walked similar paths this year in very different ways. While the King, as a 76-year-old head of state, has largely ploughed on during cancer treatment, packing his diary with domestic engagements and international travel, the Princess – correctly – has had her mind on other things. With three small children, a future King among them, she is focused on the long term, supporting her husband and being there in all senses for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. She is disappointed to miss Ascot. But the big picture, as she, William and their advisers know, is more important. The watchword at the Palace is 'balance'. Her illness was serious, sources emphasise, and the long-term effects for any patient are unpredictable. The public are kind enough, nowadays, to understand that royals are human and they cannot perform at all times. The summer season at Ascot will survive, with royals aplenty. The presence of the Prince of Wales, who would have no qualms about shouldering criticism to skip the event to be by his wife's side if needed, as well as that of Carole Middleton, the Princess's mother, was reassuring. The Princess is likely to be seen again very soon, at Wimbledon as well as official engagements, before the children break up for their school holidays. 'Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,' she said in September. This year, she has made it look easy – but it is not.


Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I was days away from being paralysed after blaming back pain on being pregnant – a killer disease was eating my spine
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Then one day in late September, she was forced to cut short a walk near her house. 'I was three houses down and screaming in pain,' she recalls. 'My husband had to carry me, push the baby and walk the dog home. It was really bad.' 4 Scans revealed she had cancer that had left holes in her back Credit: Family Handout / Myeloma UK A few days later, in late September, Sheema saw a new GP at her practice. The doctor suspected deep vein thrombosis, when a blood clot gets stuck in a vein, and sent her to A&E for more tests. After a series of scans and some back and forth, Sheema was told in October that she had lesions - holes in her spine, ribs and sternum - caused by myeloma, an incurable blood cancer that occurs in the bone marrow. The disease affects around 33,000 people in the UK. 'Don't ignore pain' She says: 'I was an odd case because I wasn't over 60, or a man, and I didn't fit the criteria for myeloma. 'But nobody should go through so much pain. It took months to be diagnosed, as it was just put down to sciatic pain.' She adds: 'My advice would be, don't ignore pain and keep pushing. Nothing was showing up in my bloods. "Back pain shouldn't go on for months, even if you're pregnant or have a new baby. "Ask for some X-rays or an MRI. You don't think you're going to get cancer at 40, but cancer doesn't discriminate.' Dr Sophie Castell, chief executive at Myeloma UK, the blood cancer charity, says: 'Myeloma has one of the longest times to diagnosis of any cancer. "One of the biggest barriers remains identifying and piecing together the symptoms quickly and before too much damage is done. "Myeloma symptoms, back pain, fatigue, infections, are often vague and can be mistaken for ageing or minor conditions." This is partly because, unlike many cancers, myeloma doesn't form lumps or tumours. Instead, it attacks the bone marrow, the spongy material inside bones such as the spine, pelvis, ribs, and long bones, causing lesions that weaken bones and can lead to fractures. 'I thought was going to die there and then' Over a third of patients see their GP at least three times before diagnosis, and a quarter wait more than 10 months. Sheema recalls her diagnosis: 'I was upset. It was like I was going to die there and then. 'They didn't explain anything. You just don't want to believe it. It didn't make sense. 'The only thing I kept thinking about was that I wanted to take my son to Disneyland.' 4 Sheema is now in remission, though she knows the cancer is incurable Credit: Family Handout / Myeloma UK She sought a second opinion privately, where she was told the damage was so severe that any pressure could leave her paralysed. 'He confirmed that I needed to remain bedbound as any pressure to my spine was going to result in me being paralysed,' she says. 'It took a few days to process," she adds. "My mum had to move in with us because I wasn't able to do anything for my baby. The 10 red flag symptoms of myeloma Myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that occurs in the bone marrow. Despite being the third most common type of blood cancer, myeloma is difficult to detect as symptoms are often linked to general ageing or minor conditions. While it is incurable, myeloma is treatable in the majority of cases. Treatment can lead to periods of remission but the cancer will inevitably come back. Symptoms of myeloma: Persistent or unexplained pain for more than four to six weeks, particularly in the back or ribs Tiredness that doesn't improve with rest (fatigue) Frequent or hard-to-clear infections Easily broken bones or unexpected fractures Experiencing either frequent urination or minimal to no urination Swollen legs or abdomen Nosebleeds or unexplained bleeding or bruising Unexplained weight loss Numbness in the feet, hands, or legs Unexplained shortness of breath Source: Myeloma UK 'I couldn't even carry him. It was awful.' In March 2024, following her fourth round of chemotherapy, one of Sheema's spinal discs collapsed. Living with incurable cancer She required urgent surgery to stabilise her back, and in May, she underwent a stem cell transplant. She says: 'It was difficult. 'I feel like I missed out on the experience of being a new mum. "My son became very close to my mum because I wasn't able to carry him or care for him as I wanted to. 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North Wales Chronicle
4 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Kate misses Royal Ascot for second year as she aims for right balance
Kate is said to be disappointed not to join her husband and the King and Queen at the famous sporting and social occasion in Berkshire. The princess has been making a gradual return to public duties since it was announced in January she was in remission from cancer. Her public appearances have increased in recent weeks and she has attended three high-profile events including Trooping the Colour, the annual Order of the Garter service and a visit to a V&A storage facility in London. But it is understood Kate is trying to find the right balance as she fully returns to public-facing engagements that have featured an element of flexibility since her cancer diagnosis. Kate's mother Carole Middleton was at Royal Ascot despite her daughter missing the event and was photographed making her way through the racegoers with her daughter-in-law Alizee Thevenet around the time it was announced the princess would not be attending. Racegoers had been hoping to see Kate, who missed Royal Ascot for the second successive year, as William was named as one of the figures awarding race prizes during the second day of the meeting. She was named in the list of guests joining Charles and Camilla in the traditional carriage procession. But the list was quickly amended removing Kate's name after Kensington Palace confirmed she would not be attending. The princess revealed in January she was in remission from cancer after making an emotional return to the specialist cancer institution, the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, London, where she was treated to comfort fellow patients. She had been receiving chemotherapy for an undisclosed form of cancer since late February last year with the King beginning his cancer care earlier that month following his diagnosis after treatment for an enlarged prostate. Announcing in September her treatment had ended, Kate described in an emotional video message how the previous nine months had been 'incredibly tough for us as a family' and 'doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus'. William later said in a separate interview how 2024 had been 'brutal'. The princess' measured return to royal duties was welcomed by Queen Elizabeth II's former communications secretary Ailsa Anderson. Speaking before Kate's withdrawal from Royal Ascot she told the latest issue of People magazine: 'She's being sensible, listening to what her body is telling her and easing back into public life.' Charles and Camilla were all smiles when they arrived at racecourse in a carriage that now included William who had been due to travel in the following coach with Kate. The King and Queen will be hoping for better luck with their horses after their much favoured thoroughbred Reaching High was well beaten in the Ascot Stakes on Tuesday. They have entered Rainbows Edge in the Kensington Palace Stakes, a fillies handicap, and their horse is favourite with a number of bookies.