A touching moment between Prince William and his mother-in-law, Carole Middleton, during a visit to the racetrack on Wednesday has captured widespread attention.
As Princess Kate was absent, focusing on her cancer treatment, William stepped in to assist Carole out of an awkward predicament.
Prince William and Carole Middleton at Royal Ascot
The Royal Ascot horse-racing event near Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England, saw the attendance of many royal family members, including Queen Camilla.
Among the notable attendees were Michael and Carole Middleton, making their first public appearance since their daughter, Princess Kate, announced her cancer diagnosis and preventive chemotherapy in March.
Kate had rejoined public life on June 15, participating in King Charles III’s Trooping the Colour birthday celebrations in London, after her last official appearance on Christmas Day.
During the event at Royal Ascot, the Middletons mingled with the royals, including Prince William’s cousins, Zara Tindall and Princess Eugenie.
At one point, Carole found herself in an embarrassing situation when her high heel got stuck in the turf.
William, noticing her plight, rushed over to help, offering his hand and freeing her from the grassy trap.
This lighthearted moment, where William laughed as he helped Carole, was captured by photographers and quickly went viral.
The bond between William and his in-laws has been a topic of public interest, especially highlighted in 2023 by the Netflix series, The Crown.
The show depicted Carole Middleton controversially, leading to criticism over its portrayal of her as a social climber intent on marrying her daughter to the future king.
Despite this, Kate and William maintain a close relationship with the Middleton family. In May 2023, Michael and Carole, along with their other children, Pippa Matthews and James Middleton, attended the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The family also supported Kate at her “Together at Christmas” carol concert at Westminster Abbey in December.