Following weeks of speculation, the Palace has confirmed the details of an upcoming trip. Photo / Getty Images
Following weeks of speculation, the Palace has confirmed the details of an upcoming trip. Photo / Getty Images
Kensington Palace has released the itinerary for Prince William’s upcoming visit to Singapore, confirming that his wife Kate Middleton will not be joining him.
The announcement follows weeks of speculation that the Princess of Wales was going to miss the Earthshot Prize Awards and, instead, stay in Windsor to be there for her eldest son, Prince George, during his school exams, reports news.com.au.
Her absence from the event will mark the first time she has missed the ceremony, which is in its third year.
Prince William will spend three days in Singapore at the beginning of November, with the awards show set to take place on Tuesday, November 7.
“The prince is very much looking forward to being in Singapore,” the Prince of Wales’ spokesman shared at a briefing on Monday.
“The prince wants to really seize the opportunity of being in Southeast Asia to build more momentum around the Earthshot winners and finalists and to put their solutions to some of the biggest environmental challenges we face firmly on the global map.”
Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales attend The Earthshot Prize 2022 at MGM Music Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo / AP
The Earthshot Prize was founded by Prince William and the Royal Foundation with hopes to “discover, spotlight and help grow innovative solutions that are working to repair and regenerate our planet.”
Five victors receive awards at the annual ceremony every year in celebration of their contributions to environmentalism.
William is set to take part in the popular local sport of dragon boating during his trip to Singapore next month, as well as hold discussions regarding the illegal wildlife trade and how to prevent it. He will also be present at a number of Earthshot events which will bring businesses and investors together with finalists to discuss fast-track solutions to a number of environmental issues.
Meanwhile, Kate’s upcoming absence follows recent criticism of her and her husband’s workload.
“There’s a growing feeling that William and Kate aren’t pulling their weight. They are the future of the monarchy and are themselves senior members of the Royal Family,” a royal insider told OK! magazine.
Britain's Prince George, Kate Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis, Prince William and Princess Charlotte, arrive for a settling in afternoon at Lambrook School, near Ascot, England, September 2022. Photo / AP
Another source asked people to consider the “difficult position” the pair are in as they try to balance royal duties and parenting three kids - all under the age of 10.
“William and Kate have been put in a very difficult position of choosing between the right path for their family or the future of the monarchy. Both are very important to them, but they have decided to put their children first while they are so young.”
In fact, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ decision to take two full months off from royal duties to spend time with their children over the summer holidays reportedly didn’t go down well with the rest of the royal family.
“They’re [William and Kate] very popular, they’re a huge asset to the UK, but there have been eyebrows raised in other parts of the royal household about the amount of time they’re not doing official engagements,” royal correspondent Richard Palmer told the Daily Express at the beginning of this year.
Middleton has been the main target of late, with the Daily Mail’s Ephraim Hardcastle dubbing her as a “reluctant overseas traveller”, having made only two official trip abroad this year.
