Why Kate Middleton Didn't Travel To Balmoral To See The Queen

On September 8, Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II was suffering from concerning health issues. The statement suggested that the 96-year-old monarch was resting at her Balmoral estate in Scotland and was ordered by doctors to rest after having canceled a Privy Council meeting (via Yahoo! News). It was confirmed that Elizabeth was being treated under medical supervision.

As the queen's health concerns continued to mount, many members of the royal family were said to quickly make their way to Scotland to be near the monarch. According to Reuters, all of Elizabeth's children, Prince Charles, Princess Royal Anne, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, gathered to be with their mother.

In addition to the queen's children, her grandson and heir to the throne, Prince William, was also said to be in Scotland. William's younger brother, Prince Harry, was also said to be traveling to Balmoral as he was already in England with his wife, Meghan Markle. However, Meghan did not accompany him to visit the queen, per Town & Country.

Shortly after news that the royal family had gathered in Scotland, it was announced that Elizabeth had died. "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon," a statement from the royal family confirmed. "The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."

Although Queen Elizabeth II's grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry, were in Scotland to say their final goodbyes to their grandmother, their wives didn't join them. Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, opted not to make the journey to Balmoral after years of turmoil between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the rest of the royal family, per ELLE. Meanwhile, William's wife, Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, also decided to stay back instead of joining her husband on the somber journey. However, unlike the Sussexes, the Cambridges have been active members of the royal family over the past two years.

"Her Majesty sees the Cambridges as the future of the monarchy and trusts Kate and William's judgment implicitly," a source told Us Weekly in 2020, adding that Kate and Elizabeth had formed a close bond. "The queen's more than happy to impart her wisdom — she's proud to be Catherine's go-to adviser about royal life." Of course, the queen was also very close with William and Kate's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, who were also absent from Balmoral at the time of Elizabeth's death. So, why then did Kate decide to stay in Windsor instead of being by William's side during the family tragedy?

While members of the royal family fled to Scotland to be near Queen Elizabeth II during her final moments of life, Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, decided to stay in Windsor (via Daily Mail). While Prince William headed to Balmoral, Kate was on parenting duty as she opted to stay home to ensure that the couple's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, settled in during their first full day of school.

Just one day earlier, William and Kate were seen hand-in-hand with their children as they visited the Lambrook School in Berkshire for some back-to-school activities before the official start of the academic year, per Us Weekly. George and Louis wore matching uniforms, which consisted of navy shorts and button-up shirts. Meanwhile, Charlotte wore a blue dress as the family toured the grounds before classes officially started.

After it was announced that William was in Scotland with the queen, Kate was photographed driving to the Lambrook School to pick up her children from their first day (via The Mirror). Sadly, the Cambridge kids' day was tarnished after the news of their great-grandmother's passing broke. In the days ahead, all eyes will be on the royals as they mourn the loss of their beloved matriarch.