Kate Middleton Skips White Tie Event at Buckingham Palace Attended by Prince William and King Charles

Buckingham Palace’s annual Diplomatic Corps reception is one of the most highly-anticipated royal events of the year. The white-tie party ty...

Buckingham Palace’s annual Diplomatic Corps reception is one of the most highly-anticipated royal events of the year. The white-tie party typically sees members of the British royal family dressed to the nines, including rare tiara appearances for its royal women. However, this year, Princess Kate has skipped out on the festivities altogether.

Prince William arrived to the stately gathering by himself on Tuesday night. He wore a traditional black tux, white dress shirt, and white bowtie for the occasion. King Charles III and Queen Camilla also made appearances, with the monarch in a traditional black tux and Camilla in a navy blue velvet gown and an aquamarine-and-diamond tiara that formerly belonged to Queen Elizabeth II.

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Prince William at the 2024 Diplomatic Corps reception.

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King Charles and Queen Camilla at the 2024 Diplomatic Corps reception.

Kate’s absence from the glittering affair comes as no surprise, considering that the princess has been slowly taking on public duties since she announced the end of her chemotherapy treatment in September after getting diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.

“Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus,” Kate said in a video message at the time. “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.”

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Kate attends the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in December 2023.

Although Kate ultimately missed the annual reception, she did apparently take the time to attend another work event. People reported that she quietly held a meeting at Windsor Castle with her Early Years team on November 19. “The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron, the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, this morning held an Early Years Meeting at Windsor Castle,” an entry in the Court Circular reportedly said.

Kate has long been a champion of early childhood development, having established the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021 to advance research on children’s development in the early stages of their life.

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