A Timeline of Kate Middleton’s Cancer Battle: From Surgery to Diagnosis Announcement
Princess Kate Middleton chose to address her ongoing cancer battle in her own time.
Kate's last official public appearance before taking a break was in December 2023. One month later, Kensington Palace confirmed that Kate wouldn’t be involved in any royal engagements until after April at the earliest due to a 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," read a statement shared via the palace’s official X account at the time. "Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."
The palace stated at the time that Kate was focused on her health.
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"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," the statement continued. "The Princess of Wales wishes to apologize 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."
Due to Kate remaining out of the public eye, the public grew concerned about her wellbeing. A source previously told Us Weekly that Kate wasn't in a rush to share details regarding her break from royal duties.
“She’s been resting up and enjoying lots of visits from Prince William and the kids,” the insider said, noting that Kate “may disclose more information in due course.”
In March, Kate released a video that confirmed her cancer diagnosis, saying, "In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present."
The news of Kate's diagnosis came one month after King Charles III announced that he was battling cancer.
Keep scrolling for a timeline of Kate's public cancer battle:
December 2023
In her final public appearance before the operation, Kate joined members of the royal family for their annual walk to Christmas Day church service in Sandringham. Kate was photographed alongside Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and their kids — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — as they walked to St Mary Magdalene Church.
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January 2024
Kensington Palace announced that Kate underwent a “planned abdominal surgery" and was on the mend. Later that month, Kate returned home with William by her side.
"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 palace said in a statement at the time. "The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world."
William briefly took a break from his public duties to help Kate recover before resuming his royal engagements by the end of the month.
February 2024
In response to rumors about Kate's prolonged public disappearance, her rep clarified that she was doing "well" after her surgery.
“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” a spokesperson for Kate told Us in a statement. “That guidance stands.”
According to a source, Kate received her diagnosis that same month. The day she found out overlapped with a memorial service for William's godfather King Constantine of Greece, which he ultimately didn’t attend.
March 2024
Kate was spotted several times after people questioned her absence, with countless viral memes and conspiracy theories popping up online. The first time, Kate was photographed wearing sunglasses while sitting in the passenger’s seat of the vehicle with her mother, Carole Middleton.
Kate was also seen in a car leaving Windsor Castle with William, but her face was turned away from the camera. William appeared at the annual Commonwealth Day service, which Kate did not attend.
That same month, Kate and William were spotted at the Windsor Farm Shop. They appeared in good spirits as they stopped at the store, which is close to their Windsor residence.
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March 2024
In her statement about the diagnosis, Kate called the news a "huge shock." Kate also explained that she and William aim to "manage this privately for the sake" of their 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," she continued. "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."
Another insider told Us that Kate and William “wanted to wait to tell the world the news until their children were off school for the Easter break so they could have time to process the news before the whole world was talking about [it].”
