Prince William is set to travel to Cape Town in South Africa for the Earthshot Prize Awards, with the ceremony taking place on November 6. However, the Prince of Wales will be flying solo for the trip, as his wife Kate Middleton will remain at home with their children. But according to a royal expert, William’s decision to go it alone may actually be a positive one.

Princess Kate regularly accompanies Prince William to the annual ceremony for the Earthshot Prize Awards. Following her cancer diagnosis and subsequent chemotherapy treatment, the Princess of Wales has been keeping a relatively low-profile throughout 2024. Although she has slowly returned to her official royal duties, she’s not undertaking a full schedule just yet.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams explained, “Prince William… has made it clear his family, their wellbeing and their privacy come first.”

Fitzwilliams continued, “Catherine has been undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer, as she has so movingly told us, and though she has finished chemotherapy, she has said she still has a long way to go.”

But according to the royal expert, the Prince of Wales wouldn’t consider leaving Kate in the U.K. if she wasn’t ready for that. “However, William would undoubtedly not be going to South Africa, even though the trip is for the fourth Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony, if he did not feel that she was doing well and was happy coping with the family in his absence,” Fitzwilliams told the outlet.

Ultimately, Kate is William’s priority, says Fitzwilliams. “The Prize is his brainchild, but we know that they are a devoted couple and what his priorities are, and that he feels able to go is another encouraging sign that she is doing well,” he explained.

While Kate has been declared cancer-free, she is reportedly trying to manage her “stress levels” after returning to work.