Princess Kate Middleton has been at the center of an onslaught of conspiracy theories since January 2024 due to her absence from the public eye. Palace officials announced that both Kate and King Charles III underwent medical procedures roughly around the same time, but while royal representatives gave a detailed update about Charles, they remained tight-lipped on the details of Kate’s surgery. However, on March 22, 2024, Kate revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer and royal watchers want to know the full timeline of her health battle.
Kate Middleton’s Planned Abdominal Surgery Announced
On January 17, 2024, palace officials announced that Kate underwent a planned abdominal surgery the day prior.
“Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales, was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery,” the statement said. “The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
The message continued, “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest the statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish is that her personal medical information remains private. Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share. The Princess of Wales wishes to apologize to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
Princess Kate Returns Home to Recover
The Princess of Wales spent 13 days in the hospital before she was released to continue her recovery at home on January 29, 2024. Kensington Palace’s statement noted that Kate was “making good progress” and she thanked the staff at The London Clinic.
Kate Middleton Is Spotted for 1st Time Since Operation
On March 5, 2024, amid rampant speculation regarding the princess’ absence, Kate was finally spotted in a car with her mother, Carole Middleton. Internet sleuths immediately began dissecting the photo and several pointed out some potential swelling in Kate’s face, while others refused to believe it was her at all.
The Infamous Mother’s Day Photo
On March 10, 2024, a photo was shared on Kate and Prince William’s social media accounts that showed the princess sitting in a chair surrounded by her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. However, once again, critics began to point out parts of the picture that seemed to have been altered. On the following day, Kate addressed the image in question, as a kill notice regarding the image was issued to news outlets.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” Kate wrote via the official Kensington Palace X account. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”
Kate Middleton and Prince William Spotted at Farmer’s Market
On March 16, 2024, Kate and William were seen at a local farmer’s market in a video shared by a man named Nelson Silva. However, the public was divided on whether or not it was actually the Prince and Princess of Wales in the video. TMZ was the first outlet to release the photo, but even their executive producer Charles Latibeaudiere began to question the legitimacy of the clip after it was released.
“Before I would say I was 95 percent when I first saw it. I was like, ‘Oh that’s her,’ and it certainly looks like William, but even the William some people are picking apart. That maybe it’s not him. There’s endless mystery behind this thing, and the bigger question is, if it’s not her, we’re left with, ‘Where is Kate and what is going on with her?’” Charles told Fox 5 on March 19, 2024.
Kate Middleton Reveals She Has Cancer
On March 22, 2024, Kate revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer in a video to the public.
“I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery. It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful,” the princess began in her statement. “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”
Kate continued, “This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK. As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.”
Prince William Gives an Update on Kate Middleton
After taking some time off following Kate’s diagnosis, William returned to his royal duties on April 18, 2024. As the Prince of Wales spent time at some local charities, he made a rare comment about his wife amid her cancer treatment.
“Prince William promised to ‘look after’ the Princess of Wales as he made his first public appearance since her cancer announcement,” Daily Mail editor Rebecca English reported via X on April 18, 2024.
Less than a month later, William visited St Mary’s Community Hospital on the Isles of Scilly and when employees at the facility inquired about Kate, he replied that the Princess of Wales was “doing well.”
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