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Today marked day one of Royal Ascot 2018, a five-day horse race attended by members of the royal family—including the Queen—every year. Though Duchess Meghan made her very first appearance at the Ascot today alongside Prince Harry, the Duchess of Cambridge was noticeably absent from the day's festivities.Anyone familiar with the traditions of the British royal family knows Kate Middleton's absence isn't all that surprising. The Duchess of Cambridge is still on maternity leave following the birth of Prince Louis, and can take off as much time as she wants for six months after the birth, royal biographer Duncan Larcombe told BAZAAR.com last month.
"The wedding doesn’t count because it was a 'family affair' but other than that, she will pick and choose her engagements," Larcombe said. This also explains why Duchess Kate attended the Trooping the Colour earlier this month.
As for Prince William, who also missed today's event? He was busy giving the keynote speech at the International Business Festival in Liverpool, of which he is a patron.
Surprisingly, the Duchess of Cambridge has only attended the Royal Ascot twice since officially becoming a member of the royal family in 2011. Though Duchess Meghan attended her first Ascot a month after her own wedding, Duchess Kate waited a full five years. According to Hello!, this is because Kate and Prince William were busy raising their family. "William and Kate's focus was on his job and the children for a while, but they've stepped up their royal duties in the past couple of years," the publication's royal reporter, Emily Nash, said.The Princess Royal and Duke of York joined their mother in the lead carriage and were followed by another carrying the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Harry and Meghan were next, with the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and the Duchess waved as they travelled past the packed stands on their way to the royal box.
Why were Kate and William not at Royal Ascot?
Kate and William have previously attended the major event in the sporting calendar, however this year, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were not there alongside other members of the Royal Family.
Instead of a day at the races, the Duchess of Cambridge was looking after Prince Louis who was only born in April this year and William was on another royal duty.Prince William was in Liverpool at the International Business Festival, the largest business festival in the world.
He is the official patron of the festival in Liverpool and was going the keynote address where he spoke about the importance of business, trade, and commerce on behalf of the Royal Family.
The Duke of Cambridge said in his speech: “Businesses - both large and small - are responsible for many things that are the bedrock of our society: quality of life, meaningful employment, prosperity and technological solutions.
“Many of the charities I work with cannot make progress unless they partner with business. That is why I’m particularly proud to be patron of a Festival that shares my beliefs that business can and must be an international force for good.”
