Kate breaks silence after abruptly cancelling Ascot appearance
The Princess of Wales has released a heartfelt statement just days after pulling out of Royal Ascot at the last minute.
Kate, 43, released a personal note on Friday, UK, speaking about the life-changing work of children's hospices.
Royal-watchers were left disappointed earlier this week after it emerged that she'd had to cancel her scheduled appearance in the royal carriage procession alongside the King, Queen and Prince William at the iconic raceground, after also missing it last year due to her cancer treatment.
In her statement on Friday, which was shared in honour of the UK's Children's Hospice Week, the princess expressed her gratitude for the vital care provided by those working with sick children.
'No parent expects to hear that their child has a serious health condition that could shorten their life,' Kate wrote.
'Sadly, this is the reality faced by thousands of families across the country, leaving them heartbroken, fearful of the future and often desperately isolated.
'Being able to access the support of one of the UK's 54 children's hospices means they don't have to face that future alone.'
The princess has been Royal Patron of East Anglia Children's Hospices for more than a decade, and this year also became the Royal Patron of TÅ· Hafan Children's Hospice in South Wales.
'As Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices and TÅ· Hafan Children's Hospice in South Wales, I have the immense privilege of seeing for myself the extraordinary work of our children's hospices,' she said.
'Lifting spirits through laughter, fun and play, as well as listening, holding, caring and sharing, they support children and families through life, death and beyond.
'This Children's Hospice Week, I hope you will join me in celebrating the life-changing work they do and thanking them for the vital care they provide to children and families experiencing the most challenging times.'
Despite being on a positive trajectory since announcing her gradual return to public duties following the completion of her chemotherapy, there were concerns on Wednesday when Kate pulled out of the racing event at the last minute.
She had already been listed to travel in the second carriage of the royal procession, alongside her husband.
However, a short time later it was confirmed by Kensington Palace that Kate would not be attending, with local media reporting she was 'disappointed' but was having to 'find the right balance as she fully returns to public facing engagements'.
It came after a busy week for the Princess of Wales, who attended a series of events including Trooping the Colour, in the days leading up to Ascot.
Back in January, she revealed she was in remission from cancer, which she had first publicly disclosed last March.
Last September, she released an emotional video message, featuring personal footage of herself with William and their three children, opening up about the challenges they'd all been privately battling – but also proudly announced she had completed her treatment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Scott Power: ASX health stocks stumble but rotation into sector ‘picks up steam'
ASX heath sector falls 0.65 % in past five days but returns 9% in July in a strong comeback 'Mostly pretty good' June quarterly reporting season comes to end Clarity Pharmaceuticals completes $203 million capital raise to institutional investors Healthcare and life sciences expert Scott Power, who has been a senior analyst with Morgans Financial for 27 years, gives his take on the ASX healthcare sector for the week and his 'Powerplay' stock pick. After 5% and 5.4% gains over the past two weeks and being up for most of the week the ASX Health Care Index (ASX:XHJ) fell 0.65% in the past five days after heavy falls across broader markets on Friday as US tariff concerns again played on investor sentiment. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) finished the week fairly flat, up 0.01%. However, in some good news the healthcare sector has had a strong start to FY26 up 9% in July after a disappointing FY25 in which it finished down 4%. "The rotation into healthcare seems to be picking up steam and our sense is that this is likely to continue into FY26," Morgans' senior healthcare analyst Scott Power said. "The small end of the sector is looking particularly attractive." ImpediMed doubles unit sales as Mach7 welcomes new CEO As the June quarter reporting season wraps up, Power described it as 'mostly pretty good' for the sector with a few noteworthy ones released this week. ImpediMed (ASX:IPD) sold a record 44 of its lymphodema detection devices called Sozo in its target US market during the June quarter, double the March quarter. Total contract value was also a record with $6.3 million for the quarter. "It was a solid quarter and I think they've really started to turn the corner in terms of the US install base," Power said. Morgans maintains a speculative buy on ImpediMed with a 12-month 15 cent target price. Health imaging stock Mach7 Technologies (ASX:M7T) reported its Q4 FY25 result with Power saying while there were no major surprises and most information flagged in a recent trading update, outlook from its new CEO Terri Thomas was positive. Mach7 reiterated FY25 guidance of revenue between $33m-$34m and CARR of ~$30m-$31m. Power this week caught up with Thomas, who took over on July 1 and was previously head of former ASX-listed breast imaging company Volpara Technologies, which was taken over by South Korean firm Lunit last year. "In the first 30 days Terri has been there she's made some changes and with her guiding hand I think in the next 12 months we're going to see Mach7 kick some big goals," Power said. "The company is moving towards profitability as well." Morgans has an add rating on Mach7 and 12-month target price of $1.37. Provider of oral appliance treatments for sleep-related breathing disorders and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) Somnomed (ASX:SOM) delivered top-line growth ahead of expectations, with strong performances in key markets North America and Europe. Growth was driven by both new and returning customers, as well as successful price increases across its product range. With previous manufacturing delays now largely resolved, SomnoMed is planning to expand production capacity by more than 25% in FY26. In a note to client analyst Iain Wilkie said the increased manufacturing capacity combined with more efficient turnaround should leave Somnomed in a strong place to handle expected continued growth over the short-term. "FY25 has been a strong year for SOM and the market has responded positively to it, up ~50% over the past 12 months and up 250% since May 2024 following the overhaul of the business with a new management team, repayment of its debt facilities, and addressing manufacturing inefficiencies," Wilkie wrote. Consensus target price for Somnomed is 80 cents. Micro-X supply agreement marks turning point Micro-X (ASX:MX1) rose ~40% on Wednesday after news it had tapped into a network of 700 hospitals with a three-year supply agreement through a major US healthcare provider, the first of its kind for the company. Micro-X secured the contract after a highly competitive tender process and a successful in-hospital trail of its Rover Plus mobile radiology system. The company is in discussions with a second major procurement group for a similar supply agreement. It's good news for the company, which has undertaken a strategic review of its operations and is now focusing on medical imaging for its cold cathode X-ray technology, halting further work on its Argus bomb detection device after the commercial launch didn't attract sufficient customer interest. "The agreement they've signed is good validation that their strategy on focusing on the medical imaging side of the business is paying off," Power said. Micro-X is also developing a head CT scanner and full body lightweight portable CT scanner. A security project – an airport baggage scanner self-check-in – is being funded by the US Department of Homeland Security. "They are getting paid to develop that system but the core focus is back on medical imaging," Power said. "Clearly it is now paying off and they're talking about potential other agreements coming through. Morgans has a speculative buy rating on Micro-X and 12-month target price of 17 cents. Clarity completes mammoth $203 milllion capital raise Radiopharmaceutical group Clarity Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CU6) completed a large $203m institutional placement, struck at a 15% premium to the company's 15-day average price, to fund their clinical program. "The capital raise was a pretty big achievement for them," Power said. Executive chairman Dr Alan Taylor told Stockhead the 'fast, well executed and sizeable' placement was to a small group of local institutional investors "close to the company'. "I have never done a deal that fast," Taylor said. "A week ago, I would have said we were not doing a capital raising, but there was a lot of interest from a very concentrated group ." Power's Powerplay: 'Solid set of numbers' for Aroa New Zealand soft tissue repair company Aroa Biosurgery (ASX:ARX) reported its third consecutive quarter of positive net cash flow since listing on the ASX in July 2020 and reaffirmed its FY26 revenue guidance. Operating on the New Zealand financial year, cash flow from operations for the June quarter was NZ$1.7m, with cash receipts of $22.5m. Net cash outflows from investing activities for the quarter were NZ$900,000, primarily reflecting routine capital expenditure. Net cash flow was NZ$500,000 with total cash on hand increasing by NZ$200,000, after adjusting for the impact of movements in exchange rates. The company ended the quarter with a cash balance of NZ$22.2m. "Importantly, the company reaffirmed full-year FY26 total revenue guidance of NZ$92–100m representing growth of 20% at the top end which is where we sit and are happy to sit there," Power said. "They've reported a solid set of numbers." Normalised EBITDA for FY26 of NZ$5–8m represents growth of 19–90% on FY25. "Aroa has really turned the corner and is now producing sustainable profits going forward," Power said. Morgans maintains a speculative buy and 12-month target price of 77 cents on Aroa. The views, information, or opinions expressed in the interview in this article are solely those of the interviewee and do not represent the views of Stockhead. Stockhead has not provided, endorsed or otherwise assumed responsibility for any financial product advice contained in this article. At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While Aroa Bisurgery is a Stockhead advertiser, the company did not sponsor this article.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Shocking royal bombshell claim about Princess Margaret emerges in new book
An upcoming Princess Margaret biography has made a bombshell claim about her health. The book claims Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome caused by Queen Elizabeth's drinking during pregnancy. The disorder — which develops when a child is exposed to alcohol while in the womb — can cause lifelong behavioural troubles and physical disabilities. Pulitzer-nominated Meryle Secrest, author of several biographies on notable people, writes in Princess Margaret and the Curse: An Inquiry into a Royal Life, that Margaret — who died in 2002 at the age of 71 due to a range of health issues, including several strokes — didn't have any physical symptoms related to the disorder, but did suffer from constant mood swings, migraines and learning deficiencies that could be connected to it. The royal author's book alleges that fetal alcohol syndrome could have played a significant role in the princess' personality. Princess Margaret was born in 1930, more 40 years before fetal alcohol syndrome was discovered in 1973. The book suggests that Queen Elizabeth, a known drinker, wasn't aware of the dangers or advised against drinking while pregnant as a result. The future Queen Elizabeth was 4 when her sister was born, but the Queen Mother was allegedly turned off by alcohol during her pregnancy with Elizabeth. 'The sight of wine simply turns me up! Isn't it extraordinary! It will be a tragedy if I never recover my drinking powers,' the Queen Mother wrote in a 1925 letter to her husband, according to The Telegraph. When Margaret entered the world on August 21, 1930, she was fourth in line to the British throne. Ahead of her were her uncle, Edward, Prince of Wales; her father, Albert, Duke of York, and her four-year-old sister, Elizabeth. That changed dramatically six years later, when Edward abdicated to marry an American divorcee and the girls' father ascended the throne. What didn't change was their governess: Marion 'Crawfie' Crawford cared for both Margaret and the big sister she called Lilibet, spilling the beans, to the royal family's irritation, in her 1950 memoir, The Little Princesses. 'Margaret was often naughty,' Brown quotes Crawfie as saying. 'She would often defy me with a sidelong look.' While noting that Lilibet was motherly towards Margaret, the latter's behaviour often made the future queen 'uneasy and filled with foreboding'. By her tweens, Margaret excelled at mimicry and was witty and sharp. But she could also be 'extremely tiresome,' Crawfie wrote, dawdling while dressing and 'pleased to know she kept us waiting'. It was a habit she never lost. 'For Lilibet, life was all about doing the right thing,' Brown said. 'For Margaret it was, and always would be, much more of a performance.' The king's death, at 56, exacerbated the already strained relationship between Margaret and the Queen Mother. Although they lived one floor apart in Clarence House until 1960, when Margaret married, they often communicated by letters delivered by their butlers. The Queen Mother reportedly disapproved of her daughter's all-day drinking and late-night socialising. According to Brown, Margaret's beverage of choice was vodka and orange, which she downed as a 'pick-me-up' at 12.30pm daily. She would have half a bottle of wine for lunch and then wait for the afternoon drinks tray, which her butler would wheel in at around 5.30pm. She'd have a cocktail or two, wine with dinner and then have several whiskies with Malvern water before bed at 2am.
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
BTN Newsbreak 31/07/2025
CANADA CALLS FOR PALESTINE STATE Canada has announced it plans to recognise a Palestinian state later this year, following in the footsteps of France and the UK earlier this month. That's Mark Carney announcing Canada's plans to recognise Palestinian statehood, which basically means it'll recognise Palestine as its own country. Right now, 147 countries in the UN already do that, but a handful don't, including Australia. In the last week, France, the UK, and now Canada have said they'll recognise Palestine as its own state, with hopes that the move will help bring peace to the war in Gaza. Israel's rejected their statements, saying it would be a reward to Hamas, but both Canada and the UK say that Palestinian recognition comes with a few rules. Australia hasn't officially recognised the state of Palestine, but yesterday they signed an agreement supporting a pathway towards it. Many world leaders, as well as the United Nations agree that the recognition of Palestine and Israel as two separate sates is the only way forward. EARTHQUAKE Today people are feeling a bit of relief after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded happened yesterday and caused surprisingly little damage. An 8.8 magnitude earthquake off of Russia's east coast yesterday sparked tsunami alerts across the Pacific including in Japan, China and the US. Tsunami threats have now been downgraded. The earthquake was the largest since 2011 and joint 6th largest to ever be recorded. Russian state media reported that the quake injured several people, but none of the injuries were serious. But experts are warning there may still be some aftershocks to come. DENTAL HYGIENE How often do you brush your teeth? Well, a new study has found that some Aussie kids aren't doing it as often as they should. Brushing twice a day helps keep the decay away, but is that what Aussie kids are really doing? See a big survey by the Australian Dental Association found 68% of Aussies kids brush twice a day. But 1 in 5 Aussie kids only brush once a day, and 76% never floss! And it's not just our brushing habits that have experts worried. While a lot of us know sugary drinks can lead to tooth decay, the study also found that 38% of kids drink fizzy drinks 2-5 times a week, and 27% of kids have fruit juice every day. Experts also say caring for our baby teeth is super important for lifelong oral heath, and building good habits early. SYDNEY TRAINS Now to Sydney, where Opal card readers have been turned off, allowing anyone to catch the train completely free. It's been a rough past year for Sydney trains, after months of delays, industrial action and cancelled services, they've recorded their worst ever performance, with nearly 1 in 5 train services running late, and some weeks, only about half of them were on time. But when asked if offering free trains for a couple days made up for the rail disruptions, most commuters agreed -- not really. Train travel will be free until 6am this Saturday, and Transport NSW is expected to lose about 6 million dollars in revenue. But if you're a Sydney bus, ferry, or light rail catcher, be warned, you've still got to pay for your ticket.
