and his mother-in-law, Carole Middleton, was on full display on the second day of Royal Ascot yesterday—including the Prince of Wales swooping in and helping Carole avoid a potentially embarrassing fall after her heel got stuck in the grass at the annual staple in the royal diary.
Yesterday’s appearance at Royal Ascot marked the first time that Carole and Michael had been seen publicly since last December, when they attended Kate’s Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey. Since then, it has been tumultuous, with Kate being diagnosed with cancer at the top of the year and the rampant public speculation that surrounded her absence from public life.
Difficult seasons can certainly also serve as bonding moments, as seems to be the case for these two, who were close already, but are perhaps closer than ever through Kate's health struggle.Though Kate wasn’t physically present at Royal Ascot, Carole channeled her eldest daughter in her own outfit: a light blue floral Self-Portrait dress, reminiscent of an Elie Saab look Kate wore, also to Royal Ascot, in 2019.
She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of , a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times.