Kate Middleton’s health: Inside the royal’s ‘complex’ cancer journey amid gradual return to public duties
The Princess of Wales made her first significant public appearance earlier on 10 October, just weeks after she emotionally revealed she had completed her course of preventative chemotherapy.
Kate, 42, joined her husband, Prince William, for a moving visit to Southport where they showed their support for the three bereaved families affected by the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on 29 July.
The Princess has been undertaking a light programme of public engagements since completing her treatment.
Since releasing her personal video message on 9 September, Kate has held a number of official meetings in conjunction with her early years work and planning for her upcoming Christmas Carol Service.
The mum-of-three was pictured meeting 16-year-old Liz Hatton at Windsor Castle, an aspiring photographer, who was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer back in January.
Kate also privately attended a “moving” performance of Giselle at the National Ballet, sharing a message to thank the dancers afterwards.
While the Princess will not be travelling to Cape Town with her husband for the fourth Earthshot Prize Awards, it is hoped she will attend the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph with the royal family on 10 November.
Kate’s video message
The intimate personal video showed the Princess spending precious family time with her husband, their three kids Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, and her parents Carole and Michael Middleton.
In the voiceover, Kate opened up about her “incredibly tough” nine months, describing her cancer journey as “complex, scary and unpredictable.”
Watch the video in full…
She added: “Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.
“I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.”
Public appearances
Royal watchers were thrilled when Kate joined the royal family at Trooping the Colour in June. Kate, who wore a white and navy Jenny Packham dress, travelled in the carriage procession with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to watch the ceremony at Horse Guards Parade.
The Princess and her three children then joined the Prince of Wales, the King and Queen and other senior working royals on the balcony to watch the flypast.
© GettyA month later, Kate was given a standing ovation by the crowd on Centre Court as she attended the Men’s Wimbledon final with daughter Charlotte and her sister, Pippa Matthews.
© James Veysey/ShutterstockThe royal looked regal in a purple Safiyaa London dress as she watched the action between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, later presenting the trophy to winner Alcaraz on the court.
When did the royal announce her cancer diagnosis?
The mother-of-three announced the news in a personal video message on 22 March, where she explained that at the time of her abdominal surgery in January, her condition was believed to be non-cancerous. However, post-operative tests found cancer had been present.
“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,” said Kate in part.
The Prince and Princess wanted to share the news when they “felt it was right for them as a family”.
© GettyIn her statement, Kate said: “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.”
What type of cancer does Kate have?
The type of cancer has not been disclosed by Kensington Palace as the senior members of the royal family endeavour to keep her personal health and medical records private.
Why did she have surgery?
The reasons for Princess Kate’s major abdominal surgery which she underwent in January have not been disclosed. It was thought at the time that the procedure was non-cancerous, however, subsequent tests found that cancer was present.
On 17 January, it was confirmed by Kensington Palace that Kate had been admitted to the private London Clinic for planned abdominal surgery.
© GettyThe palace released a lengthy statement, which added: “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 Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this 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 that her personal medical information remains private.
© Getty“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 apologise 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.”
How long did the Princess stay in hospital?
The royal was discharged from the London Clinic on 29 January after a 13-day stay in hospital.
Kensington Palace shared in a statement at the time: “The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress.
© Getty“The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided.
“The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world.”
Sightings since surgery and cancer diagnosis
The Princess was pictured for the first time since her surgery on 4 March, when TMZ published an unauthorised paparazzi shot of Kate sitting in the passenger seat of a car as her mother, Carole Middleton, drove the pair through Windsor.
A sweet family photograph of the Princess with her children, taken by William, was shared on Mother’s Day in the UK on 10 March, but the portrait sparked confusion as news agencies pulled the image after it was found to have been digitally altered.
© The Prince of WalesKate later issued an apology via social media the day after, writing: “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 Princess was later pictured in a car with William as she travelled to London for a private appointment, while her husband attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
On 19 March, The Sun and TMZ shared footage of the Prince and Princess leaving the Windsor Farm Shop, close to their home, Adelaide Cottage, with Kate seen dressed in sportswear and holding a large white shopping bag as she chatted to her husband.
Three days later, Kate’s video message was released, confirming she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
© The Princess of WalesOn 23 April, the Prince and Princess shared a new photograph of Prince Louis to mark his sixth birthday, taken by mum Kate in Windsor. In a break from tradition, the portrait was released on the Prince’s actual birthday, rather than the eve of.
© The Princess of WalesA photograph of Princess Charlotte to mark her ninth birthday, also taken by the Princess, was also released on her actual birthday.
And on 21 June, Kate shared an fun family photo of her husband and their three children jumping off the sand dunes on a Norfolk beach to mark William’s 42nd birthday.
© The Princess of WalesThe personal message from the Princess read: “Happy birthday Papa, we all love you so much!” She signed it off with “Cx”.
The Princess also took the official portrait of her eldest child, Prince George, to mark his 11th birthday on 22 July.
© The Princess of WalesThe black and white snap taken in Windsor showed the future King dressed smartly in a white shirt, a blazer and trousers.
Timeline of Princess Kate’s surgery and health updates
© Getty25 December 2023 – Kate is last seen publicly on Christmas Day
9 January 2024 – Kate celebrates her 42nd birthday, with the King and Queen sharing a behind-the-scenes photo from the coronation to mark the day.
11 January 2024 – William returns to royal duties, meeting rugby heroes Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield at Headingley Stadium in Leeds.
17 January 2024 – Kensington Palace announces in a statement that Kate has undergone abdominal surgery at the London Clinic and that William has temporarily stepped back from royal duties to care for Kate and their children.
18 January 2024 – William visits Kate at the London Clinic.
26 January 2024 – King Charles visits Kate in hospital before undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate.
29 January 2024 – Kate is discharged from hospital and returns home to Windsor to continue her recovery. King Charles also leaves the London Clinic on the same day after his treatment.
7 February 2024 – William resumes royal duties attending London’s Air Ambulance Charity gala with Tom Cruise.
10 February 2024 – William and Kate spend February half-term with George, Charlotte and Louis at their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. Kate’s siblings are also pictured on holiday during the school holidays, with James Middleton and Alizee Thevenet flying to the Caribbean with baby Inigo, and Pippa Matthews and her family holidaying on the island of St Barts.
27 February 2024 – Kate said to be “doing well” as William pulls out of King Constantine memorial due to a “personal matter”.
29 February 2024 – Kensington Palace addresses social media speculation, reiterating: “We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter.”
10 March 2024 – A photograph of Kate with their three children at home in Windsor is released to mark Mother’s Day and to thank the public for their “continued support”.
11 March 2024 – Kate publicly apologises for the “confusion” around the photograph as she admitted she “occasionally experiments with editing,” after news agencies pulled the image amid claims it had been digitally altered. The Princess is then seen in a car with William as she’s driven to a private appointment in London.
19 March 2024 – Footage of William and Kate leaving the Windsor Farm Shop is shared by The Sun and TMZ in the first video sighting of the Princess since surgery.
22 March 2024 – Princess Kate confirms that she has been diagnosed with cancer in a moving video message and is undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
18 April 2024 – Prince William returns to royal duties after spending Easter holidays privately as a family.
10 May 2024 – Prince William says Kate is “doing well” as he visits the Isles of Scilly.
21 May 2024 – Princess Kate is “excited” as Kensington Palace shares update on her early years work with the release of her Business Taskforce’s prioritising childhood report.
8 June 2024 – Princess Kate writes letter to Irish Guards to apologise for not being able to take part in the salute at the Colonel’s Review.
14 June 2024 – In a personal statement, Kate shares she is making “good progress” and that her “treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months”.
15 June 2024 – Kate makes her first major public appearance since diagnosis at Trooping the Colour.
14 July 2024 – Kate watches the Men’s final at Wimbledon with Princess Charlotte and Pippa Matthews.
11 August 2024 – William and Kate congratulate Team GB athletes in a video message after the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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