Kate Middleton Won’t Take Official Role in Upcoming Royal Wedding — Here’s Why!

So far, 2018 has certainly shaped up to be a busy year for the royal family, with two new babies — Kate Middleton welcomed her third baby on Monday, April 23 and her cousin-in-law Zara Tindall is expecting her second child — and two weddings, with Prince Harry set to marry Meghan Markle on May 19 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank tying the knot at the same venue in October.

Despite previously joking that his younger brother "hadn’t asked him" to be his best man yet, it’s taken as a given that Prince William will be fulfilling that role on the day. But with this year’s first royal wedding taking place just a few weeks after the Duchess of Cambridge welcomed her third child, what part — if any — can we expect Kate to play in Meghan and Harry’s ceremony?

According to a new report in Vanity Fair, Kate has simply been tasked with enjoying herself like any other wedding guest, rather than worrying about any official duties so soon after giving birth. "Frankly, Harry and Meghan are just happy that Kate will be there given that she will only just have given birth," a source told the magazine, adding, "They have told her there is no pressure on her to do anything, they just want her to enjoy the day."

While previous reports have speculated as to whether Meghan would ask Kate to take on a formal role in her bridal party, Vanity Fair’s source confirms that this is not the case – but that this certainly shouldn’t be interpreted as some kind of snub. After all, royal etiquette would dictate that, as the wife of the future King, Kate should not be a maid of honor to Meghan (she didn't even take on this role officially for her younger sister Pippa last year).

"Harry and Meghan] just want Kate to be able to enjoy the day and not worry about anything. Harry has said there’s no pressure on her to do anything. They know Kate will have her hands full," the source said. Prince George and Princess Charlotte, meanwhile, are expected to act as a page boy and bridesmaid respectively.

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This post was written by Katie Rosseinsky. It originally appeared on our sister site, Grazia Daily.