Why Kate Middleton Isn't Joining The Rest Of The Royal Family To See The Queen

Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth II have always been in-law goals. When the pair attended events together, they often huddled close and often share a laugh, like at the monarch's 2012 Diamond Jubilee celebration. However, sometimes even royal family members have to make some sacrifices due to unforeseen circumstances. On September 8, Buckingham Palace issued a statement that indicated that the queen's health may not be at its optimum. It read, "Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen's doctors are concerned for Her Majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral." Of course, Balmoral Castle is the queen's Scottish abode.

The news has taken the United Kingdom by surprise, with British Prime Minister Liz Truss taking to Twitter to voice her concern. She tweeted, "The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime. My thoughts – and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom – are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time." The monarch was supposed to meet with her Privy Council on September 8 but had to postpone the virtual meeting, per the Assosciated Press. Queen Elizabeth would have presided over a meeting where Truss would have been sworn in as First Lord of the Treasury, and the new Cabinet ministers would have also taken an oath. Instead, the engagement has been postponed as royal family members rush to the queen's side — except for Kate.

Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations were in full swing this year as the U.K. has commemorated her service to the country. However, the queen has also canceled some engagements this year due to ongoing health issues. Sometimes, Prince William and Kate Middleton have also had to step in when the prince's paternal grandmother was ill, per Express. It should therefore come as no surprise that Prince William has rushed to be at his grandmother's side now that her medical team has voiced their concerns. However, Kate did not join him in Scotland. According to CNN, Kensington Palace addressed Kate's absence and why she was not currently en route to Balmoral. The outlet reports that the Duchess of Cambridge is still in Windsor with her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. September 8 marks their first full day back at school, and she has chosen to be there for them. 

E! News reports that William, Prince Charles, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall have traveled to be with the queen. Even Prince Harry has left Germany to join his grandmother in Balmoral, per Page Six, although Meghan Markle has opted to stay behind. Journalist Omid Scobie noted that Princess Anne was already at Balmoral Castle, and would soon be joined by Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.  

William and Kate's children are experiencing huge changes after moving to Windsor and Adelaide Cottage, a brand new school. Any mother would want to be there for their children after so many changes, but Kate needed to be present to give the news about their great-grandmother in person. Queen Elizabeth was close to the Cambridge children, George, Charlotte, and Louis. In fact, Express reported that George called Elizabeth "Gan-gan" and that the monarch was involved in their upbringing. The queen's relationship with Louis was also seen during the Platinum Jubilee events. And who could forget when millions of hearts melted watching the queen chat with Louis during the Trooping the Colour ceremony?

It's heartbreaking that the queen died just as William and Kate decided to move closer to her. The royal couple moved to be closer to the monarch and also to give the Cambridge children a more "normal" childhood outside of Kensington Palace's fishbowl, according to Reuters. Royal expert Katie Nicholl told OK! (via Cosmopolitan UK), "Neither William or Kate have ever been London people and have never enjoyed the chaos of the city. Whilst their home at Kensington Palace is highly secure, they have often felt overlooked and that they lacked privacy." She further noted that "The older their children get, the more apparent this has become."

After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince George's life will never be the same. Today of all days, the 9-year-old future king needs to be around a parent, which is why it made sense for Kate Middleton to stay back with her kids. Now George is third in line for the British throne. His grandfather is King Charles III, and his mom and dad are now the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall! That's a lot of changes for a little boy who has already had his world turned upside down with a move and a new school. Will George and his siblings change their last name from Cambridge to Cornwall? George is bound to have these major questions, and he'll need his mom or dad to answer them.

George will likely need Kate to reassure him about his safety since he is closer to the throne. When he was only four, the young prince had to upgrade his security because of threats from ISIS. Parents at George's new school aren't happy about the security upgrades needed to protect William and Kate's kids. According to Metro, parents are concerned it will hurt the "vibe" of the school.