Princess Kate announces cancer diagnosis: What fuelled 2 months of rumours?

Palace officials struggled to regain control of the narrative, especially after a Mother's Day family photo turned out to be edited

Published: Sat 23 Mar 2024, 12:11 AM

Updated: Sat 23 Mar 2024, 12:22 AM

Photo: Reuters file

On Friday, Kate, the Princess of Wales, said she is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer — an announcement that comes amid what hasn't been a good year for Britain's royals so far.

First came the “royal health shock” headlines when palace officials announced that King Charles III and Kate both had health troubles. An absence of information about Kate's health and whereabouts then fuelled an increasingly frenzied rumour mill that made its way from the fringes of social media to front pages around the world.

Distrust of the monarchy only intensified after Kate admitted that she edited an official family photo, and palace officials have struggled to regain control of the narrative as conjecture and conspiracy theories persist.

Here is a timeline of recent events relating to the royal family:

December 25, 2023

Kate attends Christmas service at Sandringham, the royal estate on the eastern English coast, alongside Prince William, their children and other members of the royal family. This is the princess's last public appearance.

January 16, 2024

Kate, 42, is admitted to the London Clinic and undergoes abdominal surgery. The news isn't announced until the next day.

January 17

Kensington Palace reveals that Kate is recovering from a planned operation. Officials say her condition isn't cancer-related but did not specify what surgery it was, only saying it was successful. They say she will remain in the private hospital for 10-14 days and be away from public view until after Easter.

Media gather outside The London Clinic where Kate was admitted.

Buckingham Palace announces on the same day that King Charles will be treated for a benign enlarged prostate.

January 21

Prince Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, says she has malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer.

January 26

King Charles is admitted to a London hospital for a three-day stay for his prostate treatment.

January 29

Kate and Charles are both discharged from the hospital. Charles is photographed leaving the hospital with Camilla and waving at well-wishers. Kate is not pictured leaving the hospital, but officials say she is “making good progress" and will continue her recovery at home.

King Charles III leaves The London Clinic.

February 5

Buckingham Palace announces that Charles has cancer and will receive treatment. Officials did not say what form of cancer the king has.

February 7

Prince Harry arrives in the UK from California to visit his father. He departs the next day.

A convoy of cars believed to be carrying Prince Harry arrive at Clarence House following the announcement of King Charles III's cancer diagnosis.

February 27

William pulls out of a memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece, at the last minute, due to a “personal matter.” The palace declined to elaborate but said Kate continues to do well.

March 4

A photo reportedly showing Kate riding in a car with her mother Carole Middleton in Windsor circulates on social media. It is published by some international news outlets but not in any of Britain's newspapers.

March 6

People magazine cites a royal spokesman as saying that William's “focus is on his work and not on social media.”

Prince William attends the annual Commonwealth Day service ceremony.

March 10

Kensington Palace releases a photo of Kate surrounded by her three children to mark Mother's Day in Britain. The photo, the first official one since the princess underwent surgery, was retracted hours later by The Associated Press and other news agencies over concerns it had been digitally manipulated.

Photo: X/The Prince and Princess of Wales

March 11

Amid a new round of speculation about her health sparked by the edited family photo, Kate issues an apology on social media for the “confusion” caused. She says she “occasionally experiments with editing” like many amateur photographers.

Twitter

March 16

The Sun newspaper publishes a video reportedly showing a smiling and relaxed Kate shopping with William at a farm shop near their Windsor home.

March 20

The Information Commissioner's Office says it is investigating a report that at least one member of staff at the London Clinic tried to snoop on Kate's medical records while she was a patient at the hospital.

March 22

In a video address, Kate announces she is undergoing treatment for cancer, including preventive chemotherapy. She says she is well and getting stronger every day, but needs to focus on her recovery.