King Charles was expected at two glittering nights of ballet celebrating a school he champions, but he never showed up, and London society is already whispering about what it means.
The 77-year-old monarch skipped both nights of the Royal Ballet School’s 100th-anniversary celebrations on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, and Friday, Oct. 9. He is the school’s official patron and was expected to attend. No reason for the absence was given, and Buckingham Palace has not commented.
Page Six reported the missed appearances on Oct. 15, saying the absence unsettled London society and left royal insiders asking questions about his upcoming engagements.
Lady Sarah Chatto Represented the Crown
Lady Sarah Chatto, the daughter of Princess Margaret, represented the royal family. She is president of the Royal Ballet School and of Birmingham Royal Ballet. Former Prime Minister Sir John Major attended, along with figures from the ballet and art worlds.
The celebrations ran back to back: a reception and performance at the Royal Opera House in London on Thursday, Oct. 8, then a black-tie gala dinner at Whitehall Palace on Friday, Oct. 9.
Whispers About a Lighter Diary
The talk of a lighter royal diary comes from unnamed sources. A separate report, citing an insider, said Prince William and Princess Kate may take on more royal responsibilities. Buckingham Palace has not been cited as confirming that the king’s engagements are being reduced.
Charles has kept a public schedule through 2026. He attended the Zoological Society of London’s 200th anniversary on July 9, made official trips to Washington, D.C., and Bermuda in late April and early May, and opened the new session of the Welsh parliament in Cardiff on Oct. 15.
His autumn calendar is not empty either. He is scheduled to host Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik at Windsor Castle from Oct. 20 to Oct. 22. On Oct. 27, he and Camilla begin a Caribbean tour of the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda, where they are expected to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from Nov. 1 to Nov. 4.
Buckingham Palace announced on Feb. 5, 2024, that Charles had been diagnosed with a form of cancer after a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate. He is still undergoing treatment, and the specific form of the disease has not been revealed. Kate has gradually returned to public engagements after preventative chemotherapy.
What Happened Onstage Without the King
Dame Ninette de Valois founded the school in 1926 as the Academy of Choreographic Art. Its dancers became the original members of the Vic-Wells Ballet, the forerunner of today’s Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet. The reigning monarch has been patron since 1956, when the school was granted a Royal Charter.
Charles, then Prince of Wales, became president of the school in 2003 after Princess Margaret’s death. Students performed for him at Buckingham Palace in 2012 and at a Royal Opera House gala marking his 70th birthday. On June 3, 2024, the school announced that he had accepted the patronage once held by Queen Elizabeth II, and interim chairman Anna Birkett said the school valued its “continued close association ahead of the School’s historic centenary in 2026.”
The Royal Ballet’s autumn season at the Royal Opera House opened with a short run of gala performances honoring the school. The program began with a suite from de Valois’ “Checkmate,” danced by students alongside company dancers, and took in Frederick Ashton’s “Birthday Offering,” the Black Swan pas de deux from “Swan Lake” and the bedroom pas de deux from “Manon.”
Christopher Wheeldon’s “Beautiful Shadow” received its world premiere, danced by Lauren Cuthbertson and Lukas B. Braendsrod in costumes by Erdem Moralioglu. Cathy Marston’s “Night Falling” also premiered. Marianela Nunez, Anna Rose O’Sullivan and Yasmine Naghdi danced. Valentino Zucchetti choreographed the closing finale, which put students on stage with dancers from both companies.
Joy Sable, dance critic for The Jewish Chronicle, gave the evening four stars in a review published Oct. 9. “I hope Dame Ninette was looking down from above, justly proud at the legacy she has left to the world of ballet,” Sable wrote.