Kensington Palace confirms Prince William will attend Earthshot Prize Awards without Kate Middleton

Following weeks of speculation, an official statement from Kensington Palace has confirmed details of an upcoming royal trip.

Kensington Palace has outlined the itinerary for Prince William’s upcoming solo trip to Singapore, confirming Kate Middleton will not be joining him.

It follows speculation last month that the Princess of Wales was planning to stay home in the UK while William attended the annual Earthshot Prize Awards, in order to support their eldest son, Prince George, during his school exams.

It marks the first time Kate will not be present for the ceremony, which is in its third year.

Kate and William made a glamorous appearance at the 2022 Awards in Boston. Picture: Mike Coppola/Getty Images via AFP

The Prince of Wales will head to Singapore for three days in early November, with the awards show being held on Tuesday, November 7.

“The prince is very much looking forward to being in Singapore,” William’s spokesman said at a briefing on Monday.

“The prince wants to really seize the opportunity of being in Southeast Asia to build more momentum around the Earthshot winners and finalists and to put their solutions to some of the biggest environmental challenges we face firmly on the global map.”

The Earthshot Prize was founded by Prince William and the Royal Foundation and aims to “discover, spotlight and help grow innovative solutions that are working to repair and regenerate our planet.”

Five winners are awarded at the annual ceremony for their contributions to environmentalism.

During his trip to Singapore next month, William is expected to take part in the popular local sport of dragon boating, discussions around combating the illegal wildlife trade, and Earthshot events which bring together businesses and investors with finalists to fast-track solutions.

Kate is staying home in order to support 10-year-old George during his exams. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Kate’s lack of attendance follows recent criticism of her and William’s current workload.

“There’s a growing feeling that William and Kate aren’t pulling their weight. They are the future of the monarchy and are themselves senior members of the Royal Family,” a royal source told OK! magazine.

Another noted the “difficult position” the couple is in as they juggle royal duties with parenting three children, aged 10 and under.

“William and Kate have been put in a very difficult position of choosing between the right path for their family or the future of the monarchy. Both are very important to them, but they have decided to put their children first while they are so young.”

In fact, the couple’s decision to take two full months off work to hang out with their kids over the British summer holidays reportedly created added tension within the royal family.

“They’re [William and Kate] very popular, they’re a huge asset to the UK, but there have been eyebrows raised in other parts of the royal household about the amount of time they’re not doing official engagements,” royal correspondent Richard Palmer told the Daily Express earlier this year.

Kate herself has also been specifically targeted recently, with the Daily Mail’s Ephraim Hardcastle (a fictional byline which collates royal stories based on tips) describing her as “reluctant overseas traveller”, having made only two official overseas trips this year.

Originally published as Kensington Palace confirms Prince William will attend Earthshot Prize Awards without Kate Middleton