Kate Middleton unable to attend Prince William’s polo match after sharing difficult update on her recovery

Kate Middleton was absent from Prince William’s latest event following a demanding week of official duties, including a high-profile state visit with France’ President. The Princess of Wales, 43, continues her recovery from cancer and was unable to attend the 2025 Out-Sourcing Inc. Royal Charity Polo Cup, held at Guards Polo Club in Windsor.

The charity polo cup raises funds for causes and organizations supported by both Prince William and Princess Kate. The royal couple has long acknowledged the importance of using their platform to benefit those in need, making their presence at such events a meaningful tool for fundraising.

Kate’s absence from the charity polo event

This marks the second consecutive year that Princess Kate has missed the event. Around this time last year, she was undergoing chemotherapy as part of her cancer treatment and was also unable to attend.  The last time Kate was seen enjoying the polo event was back in 2023, when she was photographed smiling, toasting with champagne, and sharing moments with Prince William and other guests.

With this year’s edition, Prince William has now participated in 14 Royal Charity Polo Cups. The 2025 edition is expected to raise approximately $19 million in donations.  Princess Kate publicly revealed her cancer diagnosis at the beginning of 2024, announcing that she would be stepping away from public life to focus on her treatment and health. By September, she shared that she had completed her chemotherapy, and by January of this year, she revealed she was in remission. She also noted that she would gradually begin resuming public duties.

Kate’s absence from this week’s polo event was largely due to her full schedule of official engagements, which left her in need of rest. On July 8, she and Prince William welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for a three-day state visit. The royal couple received them on behalf of King Charles III as a gesture of diplomatic honor and international representation.

William and Kate also took part in the carriage procession, military inspection, and the private luncheon at Windsor Castle, where they were joined by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.  On Tuesday, the couple attended a glamorous state banquet in honor of the French president, where Princess Kate wore her tiara for the first time since 2023 and was seated beside Macron.

Last week, Kate opened up about the challenges of life after cancer treatment, candidly sharing her personal experience.   “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”.

She added:   “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”.   “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”You have to find your new normal and that takes time… and it’s a roller coaster, it’s not smooth, like you expect it to be,” Kate explained. “But the reality is you go through hard times”