Princess Kate Wasn't on the RSVP List for the Commonwealth Day Reception

She made her excuses, it seems.

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The British Royal Family Attend Annual Commonwealth Day Service
(Image credit: Photo by Chris Jackson / Getty)

Princess Kate looked regal as ever at the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 13, but she then unexpectedly skipped the ceremony after that.

Footage of the event shared by royal reporter Rebecca English shows the King, the Queen Consort, the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Princess Royal arriving at the ceremony, but the Princess of Wales was noticeably absent.

Previous reports that Kate was on the RSVP list turned out to be incorrect. "For what it is worth, I understand it was mistakenly said that the Princess of Wales was coming tonight," said English. "She was never scheduled to be, apparently. Childcare I suspect!"

With that said, it's unclear why Princess Kate wasn't ever planning to attend the event. Royal commentator Daniela Elser called the move a "bad look," noting, "Sure, Kate’s desire to perpetually do the school run is admirable and all, but that does not change the fact that her priorities in this instance are really quite off," Elser wrote. (Though the Cambridge kids might have had, for example, a recital or another engagement that Kate would not have been willing to miss.)

For the commentator, the fact that the Commonwealth is made up of over 50 percent of people of color means that the Princess' appearance would have felt like a sign of respect, especially considering the various accusations of racism that the Royal Family has faced in recent years (and throughout its history, frankly).

During the ceremony, the royals met with members of the Commonwealth community such as the the Commonwealth Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister of the Maldives.

Iris Goldsztajn
Iris Goldsztajn
Morning Editor

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.