Two Unexpected Members of the Royal Family Will Miss a Major March Event

Royal fans can look forward to a new appearance in the books for Kate Middleton, who has been confirmed to attend the 2025 Commonwealth Day ceremony on Monday, March 10. Along with the Princess of Wales, Buckingham Palace confirmed that The King, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will appear at the event. However, two major royals were missing from this year's guest list.

On Wednesday, March 5, Buckingham Palace announced the members of the Royal Family who will be present at Westminster Abbey next Monday—and Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie were not on the list.

As brother and sister-in-law of The King, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are regular attendees at Commonwealth Day. But it turns out they have a good reason for missing this year's ceremony.

According to the Royal Family's official diary, the duchess is visiting New York on March 10, although the reason for her trip wasn't specified. Prince Edward will be celebrating his 61st birthday that day, and will therefore miss the Commonwealth Day ceremony.

While Sophie and Edward are missing this year's event, last year, the Princess of Wales bowed out of Commonwealth Day after recovering from a planned abdominal surgery. Prince William attended the service on his own, and on March 22, the princess announced she had been diagnosed with cancer.

Commonwealth Day is held each year to celebrate the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, and the ceremony features performances from various cultures.

This year's theme is "Together We Thrive," with the service aiming to highlight "the importance of fostering strong and connected communities," per a palace press release.