The Princess of Wales' heath has become a point of key public focus since the beginning of the year, when news first broke that she had undergone major abdominal surgery in January, requiring her to be away from royal duties for a number of months.
Kensington Palace, where the offices of Kate and Prince William are based in London have fiercely protected the princess' privacy since her surgery, providing only minimal details about her condition which has earned them backlash from fans and critics in recent weeks.
The absence of any official information on Kate's health led to speculation and conspiracy theories about the royal, her condition, marriage, personal life and whereabouts.
On March 22, via video message, Kate Middleton revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing "preventative chemotherapy."
Here, Newsweek looks at everything Kensington Palace has said so far about Princess Kate's health and her cancer journey since January.
Planned Abdominal Surgery
On January 17, Kensington Palace released an official statement announcing that a day earlier, Kate had undergone "planned abdominal surgery" at The London Clinic and that it had been "successful."
At the time, the statement said that it was unlikely that the princess would return to royal duties until "after Easter" following her recovery.
The reason for the surgery was not given, however, at the time, the palace reportedly briefed that the princess' condition was non-cancerous.
Statement Kensington Palace - January 17, 2024
"Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. 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.
"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."
Making Good Progress
After a two-week stay at the hospital following the surgery, Kate was discharged from The London Clinic.
On January 29, it was announced after the fact that the royal had left the facility and returned to the Wales family home in Windsor to continue her recovery.
The statement from Kensington Palace at the time said that Kate was "making good progress" and was thankful to her medical team and to well-wishers.
Statement Kensington Palace - January 29, 2024
"The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress.
"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."
No 'Running Commentary'
In the month after Kate's discharge from the hospital, conspiracy theories and concern online about her health spiked in the absence of any additional updates from Kensington Palace.
After Prince William canceled an appearance at a high-profile engagement on February 27, the palace reassured the public that Kate continued to be doing "well" but said their position on providing regular updates was unchanged.
It confirmed this to Newsweek in a statement issued on February 29.
Kensington Palace to Newsweek- February 29, 2024
"As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates."
Cancer
On March 22, after an increase in speculation about the princess, Kate made a personal announcement via video message about her health which was issued through Kensington Palace.
In her 371-word address, the princess said she had experienced a "tough" period of recovery from her initial surgery and also explained that though doctors had first thought her condition was non-cancerous, post-surgery testing revealed that cancer had been present.
Kate paid tribute to her medical team and to Prince William, while explaining that she was undergoing a course of "preventative chemotherapy" and that it had taken time to explain what was happening to her three children.
The princess said she was looking forward to returning to her public work when she is "able" to but made clear that she needed rest and privacy to "focus on making a full recovery."
Statement from The Princess of Wales - March 22, 2024
"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.
"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.
"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. Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.
"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."
Thank You
After her statement was published, Kate received an outpouring of support from around the world, including messages sent by heads of state, celebrities and institutions.
On March 23, a statement was issued from Kensington Palace saying both Kate and William were "enormously touched" by the kind messages and that they were "grateful" for the understanding of their request for privacy.
Statement From a Kensington Palace Spokesperson - March 23, 2024
"The Prince and Princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness' message. 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."
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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