Prince William’s absence at a memorial for his late godfather, King Constantine of Greece, has continued to fuel speculation.
Several royal experts have weighed in on if the public should be worried about the Prince of Wales’ non-appearance at St George’s Chapel on the Windsor estate on Tuesday.
The answer? Probably.
Kensington Palace announced that William, 41, had to skip the service due to “personal reasons.” No other cause was given at the time.
Some could have speculated it was due to his wife, Kate Middleton, who is currently recovering from an abdominal surgery she underwent last month.
However, the palace provided an update in the same statement, noting that she was “doing well.”
Royal biographer Phil Dampier gave some insight to Daily Mail about the Duke of Cambridge’s last-minute absence.
“Constantine was his godfather and very close to all the royals, particularly King Charles, and he would have wanted William there as he didn’t attend,” he told the outlet.
William was set to give a reading at the ceremony, and Dampier said that the royal “lives only a stone’s throw away, so it’s very concerning.”
The prince and his family reside at Adelaide Cottage, an abode on the Windsor grounds. Middleton, 42, is currently recuperating there and is not expected to make any public appearances until after Easter.
Another expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, chimed in: “William’s non-appearance at the memorial service for his godfather King Constantine, the last king of Greece, owing to a personal matter is certainly unexpected.”
Royal reporter Rebecca English took to social media to reveal that she attended the church service. According to her, guests were “not being told anything more” regarding William’s cancellation, other “than it is for personal reasons, but it is clearly last-minute.”
“Queen Camilla [led] the British royal family. The King [was] not present,” she went on.
King Charles III, 75, was unable to attend as he is undergoing treatment for his cancer.
Camilla, 76, arrived at the chapel alongside other members of the royal family, including Prince Andrew; Sarah Ferguson; Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi; Princess Anne; and Zara Tindall and her husband, Mike Tindall.
Constantine died Jan. 10, 2023 at age 82. He was the last sovereign of Greece until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973.