Kate Middleton hosted her Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on Friday, December 5th. And everything seemed to go according to plan, topped off with the Princess of Wales and her family – Prince William and their kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis – all looking stunning in their festive coordinating ensembles.
But two people who were noticeably absent – in addition to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who were invited but didn’t attend to avoid unwanted attention amid their father ex-Prince Andrew’s ongoing scandals – were King Charles and Queen Camilla!
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King Charles And Queen Camilla Skip Kate Middleton's Carol Service For The Third Year In A Row
The King and Queen Consort declined to attend for the third year in a row, with the internet having plenty of theories as to why. They last attended in 2022, just a few months after the late Queen Elizabeth II's death.
According to reports and social media, many people think it was an innocent and tactful decision, with the couple not wanting to pull focus from the Princess of Wales. Others believe that the King's health could be a factor, as his schedule is quite packed for December as it is, and he is still receiving treatment for cancer. Yet another camp believes there could be more personal dynamics at play, hinting at a possible feud…
This theory gains some traction given ongoing reports of tension between King Charles and eldest son Prince William, who have reportedly clashed over how to handle issues surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Prince Harry, and the monarchy as a whole.
Some people have also suggested that their absence could relate to the Princess of Wales herself, citing speculation that King Charles and Queen Camilla may have been jealous of the attention she received during the Trumps' state visit back in September (jealousy was a popular internet theory for their absence last year too!) or reports that Camilla is unhappy with Kate wanting to "make peace" with Prince Harry. So many possibilities!
Internet Thoughts
"Maybe the King was busy preparing to strip Harry and his miserable wife's titles," quipped one X user, as a second leaned into the feud rumors, writing: "Because there's no love from Camilla for Kate."
Others reference the theories that King Charles and Queen Camilla don't want to upstage their daughter-in-law, with a third saying: "King Charles doesn't attend because he wants Princess Catherine to be the most important person there. It's her event, not his."
Many others thought the King's health could be the real reason for his and Camilla's absence, with a fourth writing: "I would imagine King Charles is resting and cannot be at his beloved daughter in law, Catherine the Princess of Wales' carol service tonight." "He isn't feeling well," thought a fifth, as a sixth speculated: "Maybe he wasn't up for it, he has cancer you know."
There were similar theories last year when the King and Queen Consort didn't attend, with a possible feud between Prince William, Kate, or both being one of the main speculations, and potential jealousy being another.
"There definitely seems to be some sort of bad feeling. Prob mad at Kate for stealing their thunder. They're no example of family unity – more a vipers nest," slammed one Reddit user last year.
"Unpopular opinion but I don't think it's Camilla vs Kate, I think it's William vs Charles and Charles basically benched them. William thinks that because he is more popular at the moment, he should be king. I think Charles just let him learn on his own mistakes but cut them off from engagements that they could be cut off without making it look weird," thought a second.
A third chimed in with their own theory, writing: "King Charlie and the rat are probably jealous of Catherine and the attention she receives because they've always played second fiddle to beautiful royal women like Diana. Since Diana is gone, Catherine is the new target. It's their brief moment at the top and they don't want to share the spotlight. Charlie continues to terrorize the crown to satisfy his ego and entitlement."
