Kate Didn't Go to the Queen Who Was on Her Deathbed Though They Had 'Special Bond' & 'Deep Friendship'

Britain's longest-serving sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II, recently passed away, leaving the rest of the world in shock. The monarch's family rushed to be with her on her deathbed except for Kate Middleton, with whom she had a special relationship.

On September 8, 2022, Buckingham Palace announced the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on the Royal Family Twitter account.

The palace shared a black and white picture of the now-deceased royal matriarch smiling while revealing she died in the afternoon.

"The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow," Buckingham Palace revealed.

The monarch passed away at her estate in Scotland, automatically making her firstborn child, who had been the first in line to the throne, Britain's new king. He will now be known as King Charles III. According to the New York Times, he is England's first king since 1952.

The world got shocked when media reports revealed that the Queen was placed under medical supervision a few hours before she died. Doctors examined the royal and discovered that her health state was dire.

The Express reported that Buckingham Palace had released a statement announcing that the "Queen's doctors are concerned for Her Majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision".

Per Reuters, King Charles and his eldest son Prince William traveled to Balmoral Castle to see the ailing monarch after the news broke. Camilla, Queen Consort, also accompanied the father and son duo to be at the Queen's bedside.

While she was by her husband's side during his mother's last moments, the Duke of Cambridge's wife, Kate Middleton, was not with the trio in Scotland.

Per the Mirror, the Duchess of Cambridge was spotted driving in a car in Windsor. She and the Queen had a "special bond" and maintained an enviable relationship over the years.

The Monarch Inspired Middleton

Middleton is already preparing for her role as future Queen Consort and has shadowed Her Majesty since marrying into the Royal Family. In People's cover story, the Queen's biographer, Sally Bedell Smith, said the Duchess has been learning the ropes through observing:

"She knows what resonates. She will have absorbed a lot from this Queen."

The two royal women shared similar qualities for running the monarchy, which included discretion, loyalty, and quiet stoicism. According to Smith, Middleton embodies the Queen's unofficial motto for public life: never complain or explain.

Per the outlet, royal sources revealed the monarch never typically offered lessons on how to do things, making it unlikely that she practically taught the Duchess anything.

Historian Sarah Gristwood told People that Her Majesty may have approached her relationship with Middleton the way she did with Prime Ministers. The Queen was reportedly a doer with Prime Ministers and audiences.

In terms of teaching Middleton the ropes, the sovereign may have offered solid advice instead of giving her instructions.

Her Majesty Advised the Duchess on Parenting

Her Majesty also helped her granddaughter-in-law in solving a dilemma she had concerning her eldest child, son Prince George. Per Marie Claire, royal expert Katie Nicholl revealed the mother of three once confided in the Queen regarding parenting struggles after giving birth to her firstborn.

In the "True Royalty" documentary, "Kate Middleton: Heir We Go Again," Nicholl disclosed the Duchess found the first stages of parenthood challenging:

"Kate was having a conversation with the Queen in which she confided that she had found being with George on her own and not having a full-time nanny or a maternity nurse very hard."

She explained Middleton and her husband, Prince William, wanted to be "hands-on parents" and achieved that until September 2022, when they recruited a nanny.

Shortly after the conversation with the monarch, the Cambridges hired a nanny, Maria Borrallo, who still works for the royal couple to date.

In April 2019, a royal insider revealed to Us Magazine that Middleton and the Queen always "had a special bond," which became stronger after the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge moved from Amner Hall, Norfolk, to Kensington Palace. A walking distance to Buckingham Palace.

The two royal women used to get together for an afternoon cup of tea. At some point, they had formal meetings where the monarch provided "one-on-one training about taking on the crown," the source revealed.

Middleton has been preparing for her future role with the help of Her Majesty. According to another insider, the pair spent time discussing all things royal and talked about the monarchy as an institution:

"She's taken Kate under her wing. The two of them will often spend hours discussing royal life and the future of the monarchy."

The Cambridges moved to their new four-bedroom home to be on the Windsor estate, closer to the Queen, who had mobility issues.

Royal experts said that Her Majesty would have been thrilled to have the Cambridges around permanently at the time.

Why Middleton Did Not See the Queen on Her Deathbed

On the day the monarch died, the Duchess of Cambridge was not beside her. Instead, she was spotted leaving her house to pick up her three kids from their first day of school, per the Mirror. Middleton was pictured driving from her estate in Windsor to fetch her brood from Lambrook school in light of the Queen's passing.

The royal children began their term at their new local school following the family of five's move out of London to Windsor. They settled down the road at Adelaide Cottage and currently have no live-in staff or aides traveling to Windsor.

However, Prince William and Middleton are said to be keeping Amner Hall, Norfolk, as a family county retreat and would be using their apartments at Kensington Palace as staff offices.

An insider revealed to The Sun that the Duke and Duchess wanted a modest home environment to begin their new lives in Windsor. Apart from living near the now-deceased monarch, the royal couple wanted to live closer to their children's school.