Kate Middleton Skipping Royal Ascot Sparks Cancer Controversy

Kate Middleton has become the internet's latest punching bag for dropping out last minute from a royal engagement.

The Princess of Wales, who skipped out on a year of royal appearances to undergo cancer treatment, returned to the spotlight seemingly stronger than ever. However, she lost the momentum and could not fulfill her promise to attend this year's Royal Ascot.

Naturally, her absence disappointed many, but some found Kate Middleton's cancer battle to be a poor excuse for her absence. These critics called out the Future Queen, spinning controversial tales about the truth behind her health.

According to new reports, Kate could not mark her return to the Royal Ascot on Wednesday, June 18. She was set to make her comeback to the annual horse racing event after missing last year's games because of her cancer battle.

The Princess of Wales was meant to ride the second carriage with her husband, Prince William. However, her absence has since changed the order, with the heir apparent to the British throne riding with King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Kate was reportedly disappointed by her inability to join the event, per PEOPLE, with sources close to her shedding more light on her absence. They claimed she was still attempting to find the right balance as she navigated her return to public engagements after her cancer treatment.

Kate's absence from the Royal Ascot followed days of appearances at royal engagements. Over the weekend, she and her family attended King Charles's birthday parade, Trooping the Colour. They also marked their presence at the annual Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle on Monday. 

Queen Elizabeth's former spokeswoman, Ailsa Anderson, addressed Kate's return to the spotlight after her cancer battle, noting the Princess of Wales was taking it one step at a time. "She's being sensible, listening to what her body is telling her and easing back into public life," Anderson claimed.

Despite Kate's careful approach to royal engagements, some saw her absence at the Royal Ascot as a sorry excuse. These critics bashed the royal member for skipping out of the event, alleging she intentionally did not wish to attend and used her cancer battle to escape her responsibilities.

The allegations against Kate started from a Sussex fan account on X. The social media user accused the Princess of Wales of faking her cancer battle, sharing screenshots of a news article covering her absence from the Royal Ascot.

"THE CANCER CARD IS BEING USED AGAIN BY KP and their BM. Vacation lover #KateMiddleton is not going to be at the Royal Ascot, so KP and the BM decided to use cancer/in remission as the reason for her absence.' Many things don't add up abt Kate's cancer story. #SheNeverHadCancer," the critic claimed.

Their speculations opened the door to more controversial comments about Kate's cancer diagnosis, with someone agreeing the royal was faking her illness. "I've never known ANYONE to have as many phased returns, AND FOR WHAT? She never had cancer; even her SISTER said so," the individual wrote.

The cries against Kate continued with an X user comparing her to King Charles. The critic stressed that the monarch, who continues to undergo cancer treatment, could attend the Royal Ascot, but Kate, in remission, could not.

Another echoed similar sentiments, noting the Princess of Wales happily went skiing in May despite her health, adding: "Kate is a serial manipulator  - It's got to be all about Kate. Being booed wasn't on the cards. Now it's bring out the cancer sympathy card."

A conspiracy theorist wonderedif Kate and the media were working together to deceive the public. The X user pointed out that the royal dropped out of the annual horse racing event at the last minute, but articles were already prepared to cover her absence.

The theories about Kate's cancer battle saw some insisting she should not have been having a blast with her family on a ski trip if her health wasn't back to 100 percent. The Blast covered the Princess of Wales' holiday in May, reporting her husband had gotten upset with the paparazzi.

Although Prince William booked a private chalet, French photographers captured and published photos of him and his family in Paris. An insider alleged the breach of privacy did not sit well with the heir apparent to the throne because he was very protective of his loved ones.

"They were under the expectation of having privacy and just trying to take a break; this was totally unacceptable. William's temper is really boiling over this one, so no one will be all that surprised if he does take action," the source claimed.

The royal couple and their children had reportedly visited Paris to attend an Aston Villa match.

Will Kate Middleton respond to the conspiracy theories about her cancer battle?