Kate Middleton will not be by her husband’s side when he travels to South Africa for the Earthshot Prize Awards next month, despite her return to royal duties.
The awards, which William co-founded along with Sir Richard Attenborough, honor the year’s top achievements in environmental research.
No reason has been given for Kate’s absence. But her name was not on the roster when the list of this year’s celebrity guests was revealed on Sunday.
A Very Special Event
Organizers selected Capetown for this year’s ceremony in order to highlight an “explosion of innovation” on the African continent in recent years.
The event will be co-hosted by actor Billy Porter and South African broadcaster Bonang Matheba.
Celebrities like Heidi Klum, Winnie Harlow, Nina Dobrev, and Tobe Nwigwe have been tapped as presenters, according to GB News.
The ceremony will stream live, worldwide, thanks to a special partnership with YouTube.
Why Is Kate Middleton Skipping the Earthshot Awards?
Needless to say, it’s the sort of event that Kate normally wouldn’t miss. So why is she staying home this year?
The royals have not made an official statement in connection with Kate’s decision. But the consensus among observers is that Kate is still prioritizing her recovery.
As you’re probably aware, Kate spent much of this year battling cancer.
Fans were thrilled when Kate announced last month that she’d completed chemotherapy. And while that news is certainly encouraging, it doesn’t mean that Kate has recovered completely.
Seemingly in an effort to manage expectations, William later revealed that Kate still has “a long way to go” with her treatment.
Both remarks were made just a matter of weeks ago. So the news that Kate won’t be traveling to South Africa should not come as a shock.
This Won’t Be the First Time That Kate Has Skipped the Earthshots
It’s worth noting that Kate was also unable to attend the 2023 Earthshot ceremony, as well.
The awards were presented in Singapore that year, and Kate stayed home in order to help Prince George prepare for his school exams.
But even though she won’t be on hand for this year’s ceremony, Kate appears to be on the mend.
The Princess of Wales attended Trooping the Colour back in June. And she presented trophies at Wimbledon just a few weeks later.
So it’s safe to assume that Kate will soon be able to resume a full schedule of work and travel.
But in the meantime, it’s good that she’s taking things slowly.