Why Kate Middleton Might Not Be Seen in Public Again Until Later This Year

Kate Middleton’s triumphant appearance at Wimbledon on Sunday, July 14 might have to tide royal fans over for a while because it was likely her last event until later this year. The Prince and Princess of Wales’ summer vacation with their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, has officially begun.

Kate Middleton's Wimbledon Dress May Have Been a Nod to Her Cancer Battle

Like most of this year, the family hopes to stay “below the radar” at their country estate, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk because Kate is continuing treatment for her cancer, according to Vanity Fair. The only major travel they have planned is time spent with King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Balmoral Castle in Scotland in August. That extended royal break will leave fans very thirsty for a Kate sighting come the fall — and it may not happen until the kids go back to school.

Kate’s approach to her calendar moving forward is about “ under-promising and over-delivering ” when it comes to her future appearances. A Telegraph source noted in June, after her Trooping the Colour event, that “a powerful emotional message, a surprise photograph, and a full-scale outing to come that no one would have expected her to manage” will be par for the course. The palace wants to make sure that they are prioritizing the Princess of Wales’ health first by allowing her to pick and choose which events she feels up to attending.

“There were two dates she really wanted to make,” a Kate insider told Vanity Fair. “She wanted to be at Trooping to support the King and at Wimbledon because she goes every year, and it brings her great joy.” With the Princess of Wales taking the rest of the summer off, the internet critics might get louder in her absence. The issue that the palace needs to keep an eye out for is the recurring narrative that she will “not appear in public for the rest of the year.”

A Daily Beast insider said in May ahead of her Trooping the Colour cameo, “Lots of people involved in planning need to know what all the principals are doing a long way in advance. I am told that Kate’s diary for this year is empty.” Even if her fall calendar is bare, there are likely a few dates she’s keeping her eye on, including her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey. People need to be patient because a cancer battle is exactly that — a battle. And as Kate said in her statement, there are “good days and bad days” — let’s take those cues from her.

Before you go, click here to see all of Kate Middleton’s best hair looks as a royal.