Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton released a new photo of William on Saturday, his 43rd birthday, but have been keeping a low profile as Kate “resets her whole life” after a tough week that saw her cancel a high-profile public appearance.

Kate’s team cited her need to find “balance” while recovering from cancer when she failed to appear at the iconic Royal Ascot horse-drawn carriage ride with the king on Wednesday.

By pulling out of such a prestigious event just over an hour before it was due to start, Kate caused panic and confusion among royal staff, although press reports in Britain largely downplayed the drama.

Multiple sources told The Daily Beast that they expect Kate to drastically reduce her public appearances by the end of the year and instead increase her online presence, supporting causes close to her heart from a distance.

One of the sources, a former royal official, told The Daily Beast: “Kate is re-adjusting her whole life, her whole work-life balance. Wednesday was a wake-up call, not a one-off. She has never found public appearances and the scrutiny that comes with them easy to deal with, and this week was just too much.

“The last few years have been horrific: the disgusting things Harry said about her, William and her family, the constant speculation about her and William, the Queen’s death, the King’s diagnosis that made them both think they would have to take over, and then her own cancer diagnosis and treatment. It has all taken its toll on her and if she needs more time to recover, William will fight tooth and nail to give her that.”

Another royal insider said: “The important thing here is Kate’s recovery. Unfortunately, it was too much for her to do three engagements in one week and the lesson has been learned. By the end of the year Kate will be much calmer. I would be surprised if you see her more than three times in the next three months.”

William and Kate have spoken openly about the challenges of the past year. Kate has said she has had “good days and bad days,” and William has said: “It’s been awful. It’s probably been the hardest year of my life.”

Kate’s announcement in March 2024 that she had cancer came after a disastrous failure to impose a blackout on her health. The information vacuum meant that Kate’s whereabouts became the subject of worldwide speculation.

William may have hoped the couple would be able to put Kate’s cancer behind them, but on Wednesday the world was given a dramatic reminder of how difficult it can be to recover from the disease, both physically and emotionally, after Kate pulled out of the Ascot horse race with less than two hours’ notice.

Her team later told the media that Kate was trying to find the right “balance” between returning to public life and recovering from cancer.

Kate’s last-minute change of plans caused panic within the palace, a source told the Daily Beast this week, with an insider saying: “Everyone was running around saying, ‘What’s going on?’ One minute she was coming and the next she wasn’t. It’s one of the biggest days of the year in the royal calendar; you can’t just skip Ascot, so there was a real sense of panic. The chaotic nature of the announcement was eerily reminiscent of the dark days of last year. People were confused and worried."

Kate's office did not respond to The Daily Beast's requests for comment. I BGNES