Kate Middleton‘s decision to cancel her appearance at Royal Ascot on June 18 might be proving that the pressures of royal life aren’t for the faint of heart.

After her cancer battle in 2024, a source told The Daily Beast that the Princess of Wales is “recalibrating her entire life, her entire work-life balance.” That strategic move is understandable after a major life-changing event, but the behind-the-scenes details of how she is currently feeling hints at another royal family member who had similar issues during their time at the palace.

“Wednesday was a wake-up call, not a one-off,” the royal source said of Kate. “She has never found the public appearances, and the forensic attention and criticism that goes with them, at all easy to deal with, and it was just too much this week.”

They described “the last few years” as “horrific” for her, from Queen Elizabeth II’s passing to her and King Charles III’s health battle. “It’s all taken its toll, and if she needs more time to recover, William will fight tooth and nail to see she is given it,” they added.

The way the palace insider explained the issue, Kate’s struggles in the public eye are not much different from her estranged sister-in-law, Meghan Markle. At the core, their struggles are different, but the pressure and the criticism show that royal life isn’t easy for the women at the palace. Any royal fan can historically look at Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson’s experiences and understand that any outsider coming into the family is going to experience major challenges.

The thread that runs through this narrative is that all of the royal women were superstars in their own right. The media builds them up and then, brick by brick, dismantles the positive coverage by scrutinizing every little move they make — Kate, Diana, Sarah, and Meghan know this strategy all too well.

“Royalists will want to read about it, anti-royals will want to vent about it, and people in the middle probably have a passing interest just to keep up with the news,” digital advertising expert Rob Weatherhead told the BBC in 2021. “It has a pretty global appeal. And with that comes high page views and more advertising revenue.”

So, Kate’s unexpected cancellation last week isn’t just a move to protect her physical health, it can also be a way of shielding herself from the negative mental health aspects of her job. Meghan and Prince Harry led the way (even though many people will not agree with the manner in how they did it), and now, Kate is doing the same. They put their well-being ahead of royal duties.

Before you go, click here all the biggest royal scandals in the past 50 years.