Two Sundays ago, Camilla Tominey broke the news that the Princess of Wales would not join her husband on his big trip to Singapore this fall, where he would “present” the Earthshot Prize. If the Singapore ceremony is anything like the Boston ceremony, the Earthshot winners will only be seen remotely, and Earthshot funds will be allocated to arranging private planes for celebrities. I’m not even joking. But I digress – the news about Kate’s absence came after months of assurances that Kate would join William in Singapore, so how did Tominey get the tip and why does it feel like such a big deal? Well, now Ephraim Hardcastle has devoted part of his column to it, and the column makes it sound like the Foreign Office (FCO) is actually begging Kate to get off her ass and travel more.

Why didn’t the Princess of Wales accompany William on his trip to New York? Kate, a reluctant overseas traveller, has been out of the country on official business just twice this year – a quick trip to watch England play Argentina in Marseille and to attend the wedding of the Crown Prince of Jordan.

There had been high hopes at the FCO that Kate would not only make more overseas visits but would also bring the children. George has been to Australia and New Zealand and was joined by Charlotte in Canada, Poland and Germany, but it seems that school and routine are now more important than helping the FCO with some ‘panda diplomacy’.

William travels to another Earthshot Prize jaunt in Singapore in November. Will Kate accompany him?

[From The Daily Mail]

I mean, I find it gross that the Foreign Office wants her to trot out her children overseas for diplomacy too, but beyond that, it’s just bizarre that Kate is suddenly not going to Singapore and apparently refusing to travel at all. That’s the thing though – I’m not sure she actually is “refusing.” Nor do I believe that the “school run” is so sacred to her that she can’t do anything else. I think Kate was told, by William, that she couldn’t go to Singapore. Speaking of, this US Daily Report story was going around – take this with an enormous grain of salt, but I actually think this is dead-on:

For months, it was speculated that Prince William and Kate Middleton would travel to Singapore later this year for The Earthshot Prize. The media was already salivating about Middleton’s appearance, her fashion choices, and her radiant smile, and they were eager to see her do her iconic bum slap on Prince William. However, that will not happen.

There have been a lot of reports about Kate Middleton’s removal from the Singapore trip. Some royal watchers have come up with an explanation for her not attending the major event with her husband after reports claimed that Prince William is now moving to the phase of being a respected statesman.

He no longer wants the spotlight to be on Kate Middleton’s glam and glamor. It seems that King Charles III faced the same problem with the stunning and charismatic Princess Diana. Prince William has noticed that all his wife has to do is wear something expensive, affordable, fancy, shiny, or new during royal engagements, and she will get headlines for days. Middleton does not have pressure to deliver great speeches, fight for causes, or engage with politicians, world leaders, or business people.

Prince William is not held to the same standard. If he appears at big events in a fancy suit and makes small talk, the media will not give him major headlines. He will be called out for lacking substance and being an empty suit. It seems that Prince William has decided that Middleton’s sparkle is a problem for him, and will therefore leave her behind as often as possible as he tries to make his mark as the next King of England.

[From US Daily Report]

“They were eager to see her do her iconic bum slap on Prince William.” LMAO @ whoever wrote that line. Yes, I agree that William didn’t want his ass groped by his inappropriate and lecherous wife in Singapore. Plus, the other stuff – Kate has zero substance, all she does is show up somewhere in a frock and that’s the headline. Sucks that William married such a dud, someone incapable of being the kind of intellectual and diplomatic partner he needs. Oh well!

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.