Early 2024 saw the British royal family rocked by news of serious health issues. Buckingham Palace announced on Jan. 17, 2024, that King Charles III was scheduled to undergo hospital treatment the following week for an enlarged prostate. The next day, his wife, Queen Camilla, said Charles was feeling “fine” and “looking forward to getting back to work.”
That same day, Kensington Palace revealed in a statement that the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, had undergone abdominal surgery that had been scheduled the day prior at the London Clinic. It said the surgery had been “successful” and that the princess would remain at the hospital for a 10–14-day recovery period. However, the statement added that Kate was unlikely to resume her usual royal duties until after Easter.
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News of the pair’s hospitalization led to an outpouring of well wishes and support from their supporters across the world. This came as no surprise as both Charles and Kate are among some of the most popular members of the royal family.
Charles ascended the throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, on Sept. 8, 2022. As king, Charles endeavored to ensure the royal family remained in good standing with the public, adapting to modern times to prevent the institution from being perceived as outdated.
Another reason why the royal family remains popular is Kate. Since her marriage to Prince William in April 2011, she has captured the hearts of the public with her duty to the British crown, her kind and attentive nature, and her fashionable sense of style. Kate is known for her poise, elegance and charm.
Read on to discover how the royal family is coping during this challenging time.
King Charles III was admitted to the London Clinic for specific treatment on Jan. 26, 2024. He was discharged after three nights. The palace later announced that all his prior engagements would be postponed to allow him sufficient time to rest and recuperate. In the following days, Queen Camilla again stated that Charles had been “doing his best” since the treatment before the pair made their first public appearance together on Feb. 4, 2024, at Sandringham Church. There, Charles gave the crowd a reassuring wave, raising the people’s spirits. This reassurance was short-lived, as Buckingham Palace disclosed devastating news the following day.
It revealed that, during Charles’ prostate treatment, “diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer,” while stressing it was not prostate cancer. The statement said the king had “commenced a schedule of regular treatments” while his public-facing duties were postponed on the advice of his doctors. However, the 75-year-old monarch would “continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual,” it added.
Meanwhile, Kensington Palace did not elaborate on what specific health issue Kate Middleton was suffering from but stressed it was not cancer-related. The public was quick to offer their well-wishes for a speedy recovery as the media jumped into high gear, with reports the princess had slipped into a coma being resoundingly refuted as “total nonsense.” Scores of photographers were assigned to the London Clinic in an attempt to garner photos of the princess upon her departure. They were, however, unsuccessful, as the news would later surface that Kate had left the hospital without her exit being spotted.
Twelve days later, on Jan. 29, 2024, the palace released another statement revealing that Kate had returned to her residence in Windsor Castle to continue recuperating from the surgery and that she was “making good progress.”
After leaving the hospital, Kate settled into her home at Adelaide Cottage in Home Park, Windsor. There, she recuperated comfortably among family and leaned on their loyal staff, including long-time nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo. Meanwhile, Prince William reportedly took the lead in caring for their three children, switching to “100% family first, day job second” mode, according to a Sunday Times source.
According to the National Health Service (NHS), it is generally expected that those recovering from abdominal surgery may need to wait two to three months before moving around comfortably. They must also avoid lifting heavy weights above two or three kilograms (about 4.4 to 6.6 pounds). Standing and sitting exercises are recommended to help rebuild the core area. However, the abdominal area can take up to two years to return to its original strength for full recovery.
While Kate’s return to her royal duties will no doubt depend on the advice of her doctors, some estimated her recovery would take longer than suggested, even up to nine months, according to one expert. Others lauded the princess for taking the time she needed to rest and recuperate, with one royal household insider telling People:
“It is sensible to take the time. … That is a great example to the rest of us, as you’re often told to get back to work as soon as possible, which can be damaging. It is good for all of us to see her taking the time, recovering properly and then coming back. We can all learn from that.”
Meanwhile, others found optimism in the fact that William has already made a partial return to his royal duties, attending a fundraiser for London’s Air Ambulance on Feb. 7, 2024. There, he spoke about his family’s recent health issues in public for the first time and thanked the public “for the kind messages and support for Catherine and for my father,” adding it “means a great deal to us all.”
Finally, on March 10, 2024, Kate released her first personal message to the public since her surgery more than a month prior. Lifting the spirits of fans and supporters, she released an endearing photo of herself on social media surrounded by her three children to mark Mother’s Day in Britain. The caption read:
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”
It was undersigned “C” in a personal touch by the princess. Another delightful surprise that had fans fawning included the credit for the photo, which revealed Kate’s husband, William, to be the one behind the camera who had expertly captured the marvelous candid shot of his beautiful family.
While Kate’s gesture was initially appreciated by the public and royal watchers, an issue with the photograph was spotted and led to numerous news agencies issuing a “kill notification.” This industry term refers to the mandatory retraction and pulling of the photo from publication. Among the agencies that issued the notice were Getty Images, AFP, Reuters, and Associated Press (AP), after it noticed “inconsistency in alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”
AP added in a message to its subscribers:
“At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent.”
While the kill notice doesn’t necessarily imply that the photo itself is completely doctored – highly unlikely for Kensington Palace, which curates the Wales’ public presence with extreme precision – it does suggest the error may have simply been the result of an oversight during a touching-up process.
Many news outlets adhere to their individual stringent protocols regarding the utilization of altered images, opting to employ them solely alongside a clarification indicating the alteration from the original.
Just a few hours after the news agencies pulled the photo, the issue threatened to escalate even further. More edits were found in the photo, such as inconsistencies in the background, camera focus and the zipper on Kate’s jacket. Thus, instead of curbing speculation and quelling fears about Kate’s health, as its release was likely intended to, the discovery that the photo had been manipulated generated even more concern for the princess. This was likely the reason why Kate decided to address the issue by taking responsibility for the edits to the photograph. In a social media message the next day, Kate wrote:
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. 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.”
The image was the first of Kate to be seen since her surgery, although there has been no confirmation about when the photo was taken. With the discovery of the edits, some also speculated that the photo may have been a composite of a few different pictures to show Kate and all three of her children together.
Meanwhile, the BBC’s royal correspondent, Sean Coughlan, argued that perhaps the public had “unfair expectations” of the royal family, wanting “the royals to be like us – taking a relaxed family picture for Mother’s Day – but at the same time we want them to be completely different and special.”
Other parties, including one royal source, downplayed the issue, saying the picture was nothing more than an “amateur, family photograph” that was only released to mark Mother’s Day.
On March 11, 2024, Kate was spotted again in a snap alongside William in a car leaving Windsor Castle. While the photo seemed innocuous at first glance, theories that this photo, too, had been manipulated began to swirl.
One social media user criticized the blurry photo and suggested it was a ploy by the palace, writing, “This could be absolutely anyone.”
In another social media post, user @STILL_BJEWELED shared the original photo alongside a lightened version that they claimed confirmed Kate had been digitally inserted.
“They used a Christmas day photo. They erased her earring, her hat brim can clearly be seen, as can the top be seen obscuring the rectangle in the interior of the car… then they added some noise to make it harder to discern the edits… they are really bad at this!!!” the caption read.
Some agreed, as one user stated: “I’m very surprised that they went for a 3rd try.🥴 Something serious has obviously happened that they are this desperate to convince people of something that is NOT.. But, I’m here for it.”
As speculation intensified, Goff Photos, the agency behind the snap, admitted the “images of the Prince and Princess of Wales in the back of the Range Rover have been cropped and lightened” but stressed “nothing has been doctored!”
Then, on March 16, 2024, Kate was filmed for the first time since her surgery when she was shopping with Prince William at Windsor Farm Shop. Despite Kate being caught on video this time around, conspiracy theories soon began to swirl, from speculation that it was a body double as Kate appeared taller than usual to claims the footage was taken during Christmas as decorations were still visible.
A few days after being spotted, the official social media pages of The Prince and Princess of Wales uploaded a video on Mar. 23, 2024 in their social media accounts. Kate was seen in the video for the very first time since people started questioning her disappearance.
In her message, she confessed that she had 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,” Kate shared, talking about the surgery that sparked various theories on social media.
“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,” she added.
Kate then revealed that she and Prince William “have been doing everything” to process and manage the situation privately for their “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.”
According to the Princess of Wales, they need “some time, space and privacy” while she completes her treatment.
“My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery,” the Princess assured.“For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”
As the world reeled from the devastating announcement, well-wishes began to pour in for Kate. Among them was from British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said Kate showed “tremendous bravery” and “has the love and support of the whole country.”
Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones also shared an encouraging message for the princess, writing:
“Wales and the World is with you ♥️ HRH Princess of Wales. Love to you always.♥️🏴♥️🏴”
Most notably, Kate’s brother- and sister-in-law from across the pond, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, also released a statement following the video confession.
“We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” the statement from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex read.
The dynamics between Kate and Meghan, as well as their husbands Prince William and Prince Harry, have been widely covered by the media.
Reports have suggested there were disagreements or differences in personalities and approaches between the two couples. The media has pitted Kate and Meghan against each other using pretenses that ranged from their fashion choices to their work ethic to their family dynamics. The foursome was last seen together during a surprise walkabout in Sandringham following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
Sources claimed Harry and Meghan had largely been left out of the loop concerning Kate’s health. One insider told People:
“They are aware of everything that goes on back in England, but are being left out of any details regarding Kate. There is clearly no trust.”
Some claimed Meghan had reached out to Kate personally, which podcast host Kinsey Schofield refuted, saying:
“It would be a highly inappropriate time for Meghan to do any outreach. Catherine is currently dipping her toes back into her routine. … Having to navigate the hurricane that is Meghan Markle is not on her agenda.”
A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/5LQT1qGarK
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2024
We wish Kate Middleton a speedy recovery! What are your thoughts on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s statement? Do you think the Wales and Sussexes will ever get along? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other loved ones out there
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