Kate Middleton's heartfelt admission about George, Charlotte and Louis is the biggest sign yet that she'll give high-profile event a miss
We still don't know for sure if the Princess of Wales will attend in November alongside Prince William but I think it's looking less likely
The Princess of Wales is Prince William's biggest cheerleader but she might be cheering him on from the side-lines once again this November when the Earthshot Prize travels to Mumbai. The Prince of Wales will be there for several days and Kate's joined him for the awards ceremony several times before, though right now her attendance for this year's event isn't confirmed.
We last saw her walking the 'green' carpet in Boston in 2022 and sadly I think it's looking increasingly unlikely that she'll be going to India. Speaking recently during a visit to East Anglia's Children's Hospices' Café 98, Kate apparently made a remark about her children that - to me - suggests she'll be missing Earthshot again.
As reported by Hello!, after a child told the Princess it was his last day of school before October half-term, she replied, "My children break up tomorrow and I can't wait to have them all home."
The future Queen is said to have been particularly excited about seeing 13-year-old Prince George after his first month boarding at Eton. Denise Ashton, who met Kate at the café, claimed afterwards, "She said she's looking forward to George coming home - she's missed him."
The Prince and Princess of Wales usually pause royal duties during school holidays and although half-term will be over when the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony takes place, this is a reminder of how committed the couple are to being hands-on parents. Prince William has openly said they're his "priority" and he and Kate try as much as possible to ensure one of them is home.
In 2023, she didn't go with William to Singapore for the awards and it's widely believed this was because she wanted to be at home to support George, who was taking exams.
The next year the Princess had only just completed cancer treatment and in 2025 it was reported that she stayed behind again to be with the kids. Her comments at Café 98 reinforce how hands-on Kate is and how much she loves being a mum, so it's hard to imagine her flying halfway across the world for several days, leaving Charlotte and Louis in Windsor.
They're still probably getting used to life without George at home and according to royal commentator Katie Nicholl, the Princess wants trips to work for the whole family.
"She likes to do the school run and all those things," she alleged earlier this year. "From my conversations with aides, once a royal trip or engagement is planned, the first thing they ask before looking at the itinerary is, 'How does this work for us as a family?'"
"Being a royal mother has changed dramatically. For women like the Princess of Wales, family now comes before everything else, and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are growing up in a totally different age," the expert continued.
The Earthshot Prize is Prince William's project and they've already proved it works well for her to remain in the UK with the children whilst he attends the awards in person. The rest of the family can watch at home and he'll be joined by plenty of famous faces, including Academy Award winning actor Rami Malek, Bridgerton's Simone Ashley and Earthshot Ambassadors Robert Irwin and Nomzamo Mbatha.
