Catherine, Princess Of Wales Reveals Cancer Diagnosis In Moving Statement
Catherine, Princess of Wales — the popular British royal we all usually call Kate — has been through a lot in the past few months. She was diagnosed with cancer: a terrifying experience for anyone, let alone the mother of three young children. And she had to go through this with the entire world watching. She only revealed the news on March 22, after weeks of fevered speculation about where she was. And the video where she discusses her diagnosis is in many ways hard to watch.
Initial operation
There was speculation about Kate’s health for months before the diagnosis was revealed. In January 2024 Kensington Palace announced that Kate was having abdominal surgery and would be out of action for a few months.
What kind of abdominal surgery she was having, and for what reason, was kept private. The royal family tend to fiercely maintain their privacy when it comes to medical issues.
Privacy
Kate was very understandably determined to keep her medical information from being leaked to the media, and the Palace released a statement to that effect as she went into hospital.
“She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private,” it read.
Another cancer diagnosis
Kate returned home from hospital on January 29, and the plan was that she would not return to public duties until the end of March. But then, some things started to happen that made rumors and speculation fly wildly.
First of all, King Charles III was suddenly and unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer in February. His condition had been discovered during prostate surgery, and the news was immediately announced to the world.
Assist public understanding
“The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure,” came the statement. “He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.”
The Palace also said, “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.”
Personal matter
This naturally got people talking about the other member of the royal family who was out of action, Kate. Suddenly the whole family were starting to seem a bit vulnerable.
Then on February 27 Kate’s husband William, Prince of Wales suddenly canceled an appearance at a memorial service for one of his godfathers, citing a “personal matter”. This was unusual, and the media instantly started to speculate.
Doing well
A Palace aide told the media that Kate continued to be “doing well” and that was it for updates. By this point, Kate hadn’t been seen out in public since Christmas Day of 2023.
She must have wanted to quell any rumors about her, because on Mother’s Day she released a smiling photo of herself and her three children. Unfortunately, this led to a massive furor.
Kategate
Not long after the picture hit the internet, multiple photo agencies suddenly claimed the photo had been manipulated and issued what’s called a “kill notice” on it. The photo was no longer a cute Mother’s Day snap, but the subject of intense speculation.
People on social media wondered what on Earth was going on. Perhaps the oddest thing of all was, the Kate in the picture was wearing neither her wedding nor her engagement ring.
Completely baffled
An anonymous insider told the Daily Beast they couldn’t understand why the rings were missing. “The [Kate and William] relationship has always seemed incredibly strong despite the immense pressure they are under, so it’s fair to say we were all completely baffled when the picture came out with the wedding ring missing, especially as it was Photoshopped,” they said.
“It just seemed guaranteed to get people asking questions about the state of the marriage,” And it absolutely did. Social media had a field day with plenty of people suggesting William had cheated on Kate.
Health and safety
Before the kill notice had been issued, Town & Country magazine suggested that Kate had simply taken the ring off while she recovered from her operation. “It is possible Kate took off her Welsh gold wedding band ahead of her surgery, as is common practice, and has yet to return it to her finger due to swelling or another aspect of her recovery.”
It also went on to observe, “Notably, when engaging with medical staff or visiting hospitals… Kate also removes her ring to avoid it being a health and safety or hygiene hazard.”
Growing rumors
Britain’s ITV News speculated that Kate’s health was the real reason for the image editing. “Because after all the rumors about Kate’s health, a digitally-altered photograph was not going to make those rumors go away,” an article on its website said.
It continued, “In fact, they’ve simply grown overnight. Now conspiracy theorists are questioning whether this was a recent or much older image of Kate and whether the palace is trying to hide something about her health.”
Apology
Before too long Kate released a statement taking responsibility for the Photoshop mishap. “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,” she wrote on X.
“I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day,” she added. But the apology didn’t slow down the rumors. Later that day a blurry picture of Kate in a car next to William was snapped — but plenty of people were ready to claim the woman wasn’t Kate at all.
“Some stress”
On March 13 an anonymous insider spoke to Harper’s Bazaar magazine and told them the photo situation had “caused some stress for the princess, but she tends not to pay attention to online chatter or even the press.”
“I think people forget that this was simply a mother wanting her family to look their best in a photograph that was going to be heavily scrutinized. She was protecting her children,” they added.
“Hysteria”
The source slammed the “ridiculous conspiracy theories” and said, “It was always made very clear that following the princess’ surgery, she would recover in private until returning to duties after Easter.”
They added, “Nothing has changed on that front.” A second insider, a Buckingham Palace source, said that there was a “hysteria and fevered online response” surrounding Kate, but it would “blow over soon.”
Memes
But the internet started to have a lot of fun with Kate conspiracy theories. Plenty of people made memes where the princess had been Photoshopped into all sorts of unlikely scenarios.
And yet there were some people who seemed to be taking it very seriously indeed. Some apparently really did think that Kate had been somehow done away with and replaced with a body double.
New clip
The “body double” speculation started when a low-resolution clip of Kate and William at a farm shop was spread around the internet. It had been taken by a man named Nelson Silva and ended up at TMZ.
Plenty of people stridently insisted that it couldn’t possibly have been the real Kate walking side-by-side with William in the 160-second clip, and that strange conspiracy theory soon spread like wildfire.
Disturbing
Even a BBC reporter came out and said that she doubted the clip was real. “Disturbing that newspapers like @thetimes are reporting this as fact,” Sonja McLaughlan wrote in a post on X.
“Headline ‘Kate seen in public for the first time’ when it’s clearly not her. As someone said. Could be a couple of lookalikes making mischief.” Her post has been deleted now.
Lookalike
Some people insisted that the woman in the video was actually the professional Kate lookalike Heidi Agan. She had to issue a statement to the Daily Mirror confirming that it wasn’t her.
“My own social media has gone crazy as people think it is me, but I know it is not,” she said. “I was at work at the time so I know that is not me. I 100 percent believe that is Kate Middleton and William in that video.”
Not public property
Agan went on, “If the surgery is something that she wanted to keep private, then they [Kensington Palace] are right not to share more details. She is a public figure but not public property, and we must respect that.”
“My social media has gone crazy since the video emerged. It wasn’t me. Joking about Kate is one thing but we need to give her time now and I'm sure she'll be back after Easter, like what was said in the first place.”
“Too invested”
Silva himself was very unimpressed about his video being used to fuel conspiracy theories. “I’m not so much shocked that these comments have continued, I’m just confused how exactly they can continue,” he told British tabloid newspaper The Sun.
“I saw them with my own eyes. It was a completely relaxed situation. What more do you need to lay off her? I thought after this was released, they’d go quiet,” he said. “But these people are so invested in the drama now. They’ve put so much time and energy into these rumors and lies that they can’t pull the plug.”
Ridiculous
He went on to slam all the social media users who had been fueling the rumors. “Even famous people are guilty. People with a large platform online — they can’t admit they are wrong now, because they look so delusional,” he said.
“Are they now going to question if I’m a real person as well? Are they going to say I made this video? Did I put a fake Kate there? It is ridiculous. At what point will they back off and realize they have been caught up in something that is crazy?”
“Leave them alone”
After that a neighbor of Kate and William — professional cricket player Kevin Pietersen — went on X to slam the conspiracy theorists and inform the world he had personally seen the princess after surgery.
“We see W&K most days and in the last couple days too!” he wrote. “W&K are the most wonderful parents and as normal/humble as they come. Let K who is recovering from an operation recover. Leave her and her beautiful family alone!!!!”
But seemingly that wasn’t about to happen. On March 19 a British newspaper reported that members of staff had tried to access Kate’s medical records at The London Clinic, the place where she’d had her abdominal surgery.
“The world renowned hospital where the Princess of Wales was treated has launched an investigation over claims staff attempted to access her private medical records,” announced a story in the Daily Mirror.
Major security breach
An insider told the newspaper, “This is a major security breach and incredibly damaging for the hospital, given its unblemished reputation for treating members of the royal family. Senior hospital bosses contacted Kensington Palace immediately after the incident was brought to their attention and assured the Palace there would be a full investigation.”
“The whole medical staff have been left utterly shocked and distraught over the allegations and were very hurt that a trusted colleague could have possibly been responsible for such a breach of trust and ethics.”
Crime
According to the Daily Mirror’s sources, Kate and the Palace had immediately been made aware about the breach, and the police were very much involved as well, since hacking into someone’s medical information is a crime.
The London Clinic rapidly released its own statement which declared, “We firmly believe that all our patients, no matter their status, deserve total privacy and confidentiality regarding their medical information.”
The video
It was an absolute media frenzy… and then came the bombshell. On March 22 Kate released a video in which she made the shocking announcement that she’d been diagnosed with cancer.
In the video, she laid out exactly what had been happening to her, thanked her medical team, and restated that above all she wanted privacy for herself and her family.
“Early stages”
“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,” Kate says in the video footage.
She goes on, “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.”
“Taken time”
Kate goes on, “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… [Prince] George, [Princess] Charlotte and [Prince] Louis.”
She says she needed to do this “in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be okay. 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.”
“You are not alone”
Kate ends her video with, “We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my 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.”
“At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”
“Love and support”
There was an immediate outpouring of support for Kate. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak released a message saying, “My thoughts are with the Princess of Wales, Prince of Wales, the royal family and in particular her three children at this difficult time. The Princess of Wales has the love and support of the whole country as she continues her recovery.”
“In recent weeks she has been subjected to intense scrutiny and has been unfairly treated by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media. When it comes to matters of health, like everyone else, she must be afforded the privacy to focus on her treatment and be with her loving family.”
Actress Olivia Munn, who is in the middle of a cancer fight herself, was one of the many celebrities who spoke out after Kate’s announcement. She reposted Kate’s video on her Instagram account.
“Thank you for showing what it’s like to fight with grace and determination for yourself and for your family,” she wrote next to the video. “Wishing you all the best.”
“Forced”
And actress Shannen Doherty, herself diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, also supported Kate and expressed anger about the way she’d been treated. “Being a public figure does not mean the public owns that person,” she wrote. “We ALL have the right to go through illness or life privately.”
"The onslaught of conspiracy theories, ownership, and plain, morbid curiosity forced this person to explain herself before she had come to terms with it and explained [it] to her children. I pray this is a learning moment for us all to respect privacy.”
Fraternal support
The estranged brother of William, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex also spoke out after Kate’s public announcement. They too focused on the privacy situation in a short statement.
"We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace," the statement released by Harry and Meghan said.
Family support
Charles, who of course also has his own cancer battle to deal with, made sure to publicly support Kate as well. Buckingham Palace made a statement saying that he and Queen Camilla would “continue to offer their love and support to the whole family throughout this difficult time."
And Kate’s immediate family made it clear they were there for her too. Her brother James Middleton posted a childhood picture of the two of them on Instagram and wrote, “Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too.”
Surrounded by family
According to People magazine, Kate and William had waited until their children were on school holidays to make the announcement. “The Prince and Princess of Wales are known to clear their calendars when their children are off from school, and this instance is likely no different,” the magazine reported.
“Because of the school break, Kate may have strategically waited to announce her headline-making cancer news until she could ensure that her children were out of the classroom and surrounded by their family.”
Apologies
Many people were touched by Kate’s bravery in making the video and empathized with her as a mother-of-three going through something life-changing. And that caused them to re-evaluate their behavior back when everyone had been making memes and jokes.
None other than actress Blake Lively made an apology about that. “I’m sure no one cares today, but I feel like I have to acknowledge this,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “I made a silly post around the ‘Photoshop fails’ frenzy, and oh man, that post has me mortified today. I’m sorry.”
Viral pie
NBC News spoke to an expert to try and work out why the Kate conspiracy theories had taken on such a life of their own. “Everybody’s trying to jump in to get a piece of the viral pie, so to speak,” said expert Jessica Maddox.
The assistant professor of digital media technology at the University of Alabama observed, “When we look at the intersection of conspiracy theories and social media, particularly content creators, everybody wants to have the hottest take, especially when information isn't known.”
“Enormously touched”
But Kate seemed not to be focusing on the bad, only the good. Kensington Palace released a new statement updating people on her condition come March 24, two days after the initial announcement.
“The prince and princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the U.K., across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness’ message,” it read. “They are extremely moved by the public’s warmth and support and are grateful for the understanding of their request for privacy at this time.”
Seeking support
And there has been a silver lining of sorts to Kate going public with her cancer news. According to the charity Macmillan Cancer Support, there was a 10 percent increase of hits on their website after Kate’s announcement.
“Macmillan hopes that the Princess of Wales’ message will encourage more people living with cancer to reach out for support,” the charity said in a statement. “Anyone concerned about potential signs or symptoms of cancer should visit their GP.”
Long journey
It’s going to be a long journey ahead for Kate. She’s going through something no-one should have to go through, and if she was aware of the worst conspiracy theories, those would have been hard to deal with as well.
But everything so far points to a promising outcome. In the meantime, we can only hope that her privacy is respected during this difficult time, just as she has requested.