Kensington Palace notified Royal Ascot of Princess Kate's decision to withdraw from the Royal Procession on Wednesday ahead of a major blunder that sparked confusion.
Royal sources insist that the Palace had notified Ascot earlier in the day that the Princess of Wales would not be attending.
A source told the Mail: "Unfortunately, an inaccurate version of the carriage list was issued in error after that notification. The correct list was then circulated."
The administrative mix-up unfolded when Ascot executives released the day's procession list at midday, listing both the Prince and Princess of Wales in the second carriage behind the King and Queen.
Kensington Palace notified Royal Ascot of Princess Kate's decision to withdraw from the Royal Procession on Wednesday ahead of a major blunder that sparked confusion.
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Just 22 minutes later, revised guidance emerged confirming Kate would not be attending, with officials acknowledging an "inaccurate version" had been "issued in error".
The last-minute change necessitated a reshuffle of the carriage arrangements, with Lord Soames, a close friend of the King, losing his place to accommodate Prince William in the first carriage.
William joined King Charles, Queen Camilla and Saudi Arabia's Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Saud for the traditional procession, whilst an updated list was hastily distributed to correct the earlier mistake.
Royal aides emphasised that Kate was "continuing to balance her return to public life" after her cancer diagnosis last year, maintaining the careful approach she had previously outlined for resuming official engagements.
Princess Kate made her latest public appearance at the Order of the Garter service on Monday.
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The princess had recently made public appearances at both Trooping the Colour on Saturday and Monday's Order of the Garter service.
A source said: "Catherine knows she should not overdo things. She is grateful that her recovery has gone well, but things have not been plain sailing.
"She had a busy day at Trooping the Colour at the weekend and, if she’s feeling slightly under the weather, it’s better that she takes it easy."
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Kate, 43, underwent abdominal surgery in January 2024, and during the subsequent tests, cancer was discovered, leading to the royal undergoing preventive chemotherapy treatment.
Earlier this year, she announced she was in remission and would undertake a gradual and considered return to royal responsibilities.
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