Kate Middleton forced to cancel royal appearance with Prince William last minute 'due to the children'
22 November 2019, 11:52 | Updated: 22 November 2019, 11:55
The Duchess of Cambridge was forced to pull out of a royal event due to a "matter relating to her children".
Kate Middleton was supposed to be attending the Tusk Conservation Awards in Leicester Square last night.
But The Duchess had to ditch her duties with Prince William last minute because of an issue regarding Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1.
In a statement yesterday, the palace announced she wouldn’t be at the evening's events, but had met the finalists of the awards in the afternoon instead.
A Kensington Palace spokeswoman said: "The duchess is no longer able to attend the Tusk awards due to the children.
"She will still however meet finalists at a tea at Kensington Palace this afternoon. The duke as patron will attend both."
While there’s been no word on how the children are doing, the fact that Kate was able to visit the finalists in the daytime hopefully suggests it’s nothing too serious.
Meanwhile, attending the event solo, William was met by Sir Kenneth Olisa, the Lord Lieutenant of London, before he walked down the green carpet.
William has been a Royal Patron of Tusk since 2005 and presented three awards to mark conservation efforts in Africa.
Speaking to the Prince during the ceremony, chief executive Charlie Mayhew said: “From the outset you have taken such a close personal interest in the individuals that we look to recognise each year.
“I know how much the finalists appreciated meeting you and the duchess in private today.
“It means a great deal to them that you both care so much about preserving the natural world.”
The annual awards are held to celebrate those who have worked hard to protect Africa’s natural heritage.
The Duke also gave a brief speech addressing the impacts of climate change, telling the audience: “As we approach the start of a new decade, the challenge ahead of us is clear and urgent. Climate change, human population growth, exploitation of natural resources, and habitat loss all pose major threats to the precious balance of our natural world.”
Last year, William travelled to Namibia and Tanzania to visit Tusk projects which aim to protect wildlife and empower communities in Africa.
