Despite being the future Queen of England (to be officially known as the Queen Consort), Kate Middleton was notably absent from a high-profile royal event at Buckingham Palace recently. Her husband and future King Prince William was in attendance, along with King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla. Because these are the royals and when they sneeze in public it makes the news, this has raised concerns over Kate’s health.
The event was the annual Diplomatic Corps Reception, and Queen Camilla turned heads and made headlines herself with an aquamarine tiara. These events are the “largest annual receptions at Buckingham Palace, with a guest list numbering around 1,000,” per the Royal Collection Trust.
Ambassadors and high commissioners from all over attend the event, along with former Prime Ministers and a number of other public figures. Basically, it’s a big deal, and Middleton’s absence was definitely felt.
Last year, Middleton attended the event in a Lover’s Knot Tiara and a Jenny Packham pink sequin gown. It was the last time she wore a tiara in public. Tiaras, by the way, are worn when the event is “white tie,” which we assume means extra fancy. The British! They’re so fancy.
Queen Camilla’s aquamarine tiara previously belonged to Queen Elizabeth II, and was worn before by Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh. To finish off her look, she paired the tiara with a necklace and earrings that were also aquamarine.
Despite Britain’s press being so Royal-addicted, it has been fairly respectful of Middleton, 42, who has been dealing with a cancer diagnosis she announced in March. She’s been fairly private about the whole thing, so it’s not known what type of cancer she had/has, but in Sept. she announced staying cancer free was “now my focus.”
“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. I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.”
The cancer diagnosis has not been without outside controversy. The senior royal editor for Sky News, Rhiannon Mills, had suggested that Middleton never had cancer, and was instead given the diagnosis of “pre-cancerous cells.” This led to online rumors of a royal cover up. What’s she covering up? Apparently “personal difficulties,” whatever that means. Regardless, the reporter’s story was eventually updated with this correction: ““In March the princess confirmed that she was having preventative chemotherapy after cancer was found in tests.”
She has been out and about recently though. Earlier this month, she went to the Festival of Remembrance and the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph. Her next scheduled public outing is on Dec. 6 where she’ll host a yearly Christmas Carol service at Westminster Abbey.
Kensington Palace has already revealed some details about this year’s event, explaining that Middleton “wanted to celebrate the many people supporting those in need – individuals who have inspired, counselled, comforted, and above all else shown that love is the greatest gift we can receive.“
