After Kate Middleton's sudden decision to cancel her appearance at Royal Ascot, Prince William attended the prestigious event without his wife. Royal sources said the Princess of Wales was "disappointed" to miss the event, and royal fans were likely anticipating Princess Kate's Royal Ascot outfit. And according to a former royal employee, the Prince of Wales will "feel the void" at Ascot without his wife, too.
"William holding the fort on his own isn't unusual," former royal butler Grant Harrold said on behalf of Spin Genie. "He's very well versed in attending engagements solo and he very much gets on with the job at hand. He'll be so comfortable doing these events, but obviously Kate is his partner."
Harrold continued, "He will definitely feel the void of not having her at Ascot with him today. It's like The King and Queen, they want that physical support alongside them, they want the united partnership. They value each other as part of that partnership, just like William and Kate do too."
Luckily, Harrold—who was King Charles's butler for 6 years—believes Prince William will find support in other family members. "Naturally, however, it's nice for William to enjoy a fun day out alongside his family," the former royal employee said. "He would have loved spending time with Charles and Camilla."
Rather than being like an official royal engagement, "Ascot is quite an informal event," says Harrold, who calls the annual outing "relaxed." "The King...will have all his friends there, it's a great social occasion for them all round," the former butler explained.
While Princess Kate wasn't able to attend Royal Ascot on June 18, 2025, her mother, Carole Middleton, was in attendance, along with Kate's brother James Middleton and his wife, Alizee Thevenet.
"Kate is extremely close to her family, especially her mom, and Carole has a great relationship with William too," Harrold explained. "No doubt William will be spending some time with Carole, as she gets on great with the Royal Family."
The former royal butler also suggested that Carole would likely be "chatting with Queen Camilla about the horses and catching up in general."
