On March 22, Kate Middleton made a shocking and emotional admission to the world: she had been diagnosed with cancer. After undergoing a major abdominal surgery in mid-January, doctors discovered the disease while doing follow-up tests. Currently, she is in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy.
The Princess of Wales explained this all slowly and calmly in a video, filmed in front of a bench surrounded by flowers. “As you can imagine, 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,” she said. “We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we need more time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment.”
When a smiling Middleton walked to church alongside her family on Christmas Day, few, if any, could predict it would be the last normal moment the Princess would have in the spotlight for the foreseeable future.
In mid-January, Kensington Palace first announced that the princess underwent a “planned abdominal surgery.” While the princess asked for privacy, she got well, anything but: within weeks, she became the subject of some of the wildest and most widespread conspiracy theories in recent memory, with internet users across multiple platforms speculating about both her health and the true location of her whereabouts. While some were comical, others felt much more sinister. They all reached a fever pitch on March 11, when Kensington Palace released a manipulated photograph of the Wales family for Mother’s Day—which was then retracted by the Associated Press and several other wire services. (The princess later apologized for any “confusion caused” by the edits made to the image.)
Yet, with the Princess of Wales’s honesty, it seems like all the wild speculation and news can finally be put to rest—and perhaps her wishes for privacy can be honored.
For those who are having a hard time keeping up with the constant news cycle, find a timeline of the news surrounding the Princess of Wales over the past few months below.
On Christmas Day, the Princess of Wales attended the royal family’s annual church service at Sandringham. Everything seemed picture-perfect as she held hands with her children while wearing a cobalt-blue Alexander McQueen coat dress. Little did the world know, it would be the last time they saw the princess for many months.
A few weeks later, Kensington Palace released a statement that the Princess of Wales was admitted to the hospital for an “abdominal surgery” on January 16 at the London Clinic. Due to medical advice, she would not return to public duties until Easter.
The statement also asked for privacy: “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” a Kensington Palace representative wrote. “She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normalcy for her children as possible.”
A few hours after Kate Middleton’s medical news, King Charles announced some of his own: he was seeking treatment for an enlarged prostate. The difference between the two household’s statements is noticeable—with Charles being much more specific about his condition.
In late January, news broke that the Princess of Wales returned home to Windsor from the London clinic. Unlike her father-in-law, whose departure was photographed, there are no images of her leaving the hospital, underlining her desire for privacy.
A week later, Buckingham Palace shared that Prince Charles is seeking treatment for cancer. “He remains wholly positive about the treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible,” Buckingham Palace says. They also revealed the motivation behind their public relations decision: “His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.” A few days later, he released another statement thanking the public for their support. In the time since, Charles has continued to make the occasional appearance, such as meeting ambassadors from Algeria and Mauritania at Buckingham Palace on March 6.
In late February, Prince William announced he could no longer attend a memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, due to personal reasons. While anonymous royal sources told news outlets like CNN there was no connection between the cancellation and the princess’s health, speculation was sparked. Soon, it turned into a fully-fledged social media moment as rumors began to swirl about the princess’s whereabouts. Much of the conspiracy commentary was humorous, but some were salacious and slanderous.
After 48 hours of wild internet speculation, Kensington Palace confirmed their original statement to People: “We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant,” they told the outlet. They also added the Princess was “doing well.”
On March 4, TMZ published grainy paparazzi photos of the princess and her mother driving in an Audi around Windsor Castle. The British press refrained from sharing the images due to the princess’s privacy.
To mark Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom, Prince William and Kate Middleton posted a photograph of the princess, along with her three children, on their social media accounts. The Palace said it was taken by William last week in Windsor.
At first, it seemed like a clear refute to all the conspiracy theories. However, on Sunday night, the Associated Press issued a “kill order”—an industry term for retracting an image. “At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” the AP said in its advisory. “No replacement photo will be sent.”
Indeed, the photo had been altered. Princess Charlotte’s left hand did not match up with the sleeve of her sweater. Middleton’s zipper was misaligned, and some body parts—including a knee and a hand—were awkwardly blurred. Almost immediately, speculation about the princess’s true condition reached a fever pitch.
The next morning, the Princess tried to explain the mishap on the family’s official accounts. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she wrote on X. “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.”
Yet, the damage had been done: the photo had been removed from several wires and unpublished from media outlets like The New York Times. In the process, the credibility of the royal family was shaken, and the conversation around her wellbeing continued to grow.
A day after a report in The Sun claimed that the Waleses were spotted at a farm shop in Windsor, TMZ published alleged photo evidence of the trip on March 18. The photos are blurry, but do show what appears to be a casually dressed William and a smiling Kate walking into the store. Will this quell the constantly churning rumor mill? Only time will tell.
After an article in The Mirror reported that a London Clinic employee attempted to obtain the private medical records of Catherine, Princess of Wales, a spokesman for the British watchdog agency the Information Commissioner’s Office confirms they are investigating. “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided,” a spokesperson told The New York Times. If true, this would not only be a major violation of privacy for the Princess, but of U.K. law itself.
At 6 p.m. London time, The Princess of Wales posted a personal and emotional video to social media. In it, she reveals that she has been diagnosed with cancer. “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,” the princess said. “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.”
She also once again asked for privacy: “As you can imagine, 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,” she continued. “We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we need more time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment.”
She ended the message by telling others who are also suffering from cancer that “they are not alone.”
