The announcement from Catherine, Princess of Wales that she has started chemotherapy for cancer and is in the “early stages of that treatment” was a bolt from the blue.
As Britain woke up on Saturday morning, the tone of every major newspaper was of concern. The Times struck a reassuring note with its front page headline, “Princess reveals her cancer and says: I’m going to be OK.” The FT Weekend opted for “Kate puts end to speculation” while The Sun tabloid told the princess, “KATE, YOU ARE NOT ALONE”
The 42-year-old princess revealed her cancer battle a day earlier in an emotional video statement, after weeks of relentless scrutiny over her health.
It was a bold move. This is someone who gets nervous speaking in front of cameras, let alone about such a deeply personal matter. But the video – simply shot, on a bench in front of a spray of spring foliage – showed Kate earnestly sharing her story on her own terms and in her own words.
It was powerful to hear her speak so plainly and openly about what she is experiencing. That decision to connect with the public by herself would have been a decision she made in consultation with her husband, Prince William, who is heir to the British throne.
The princess acknowledged that it has been a challenging few weeks. Interest in Kate – who vanished from view at Christmas – persisted this week after reports emerged that staff at the hospital where she was being treated in January may have tried to illegally access her private medical notes. It remains unclear if the alleged data breach was successful but three people are said to be under investigation.
That somber development had followed an unprecedented hurricane of unfounded conspiracy theories which blew up in the absence of specifics surrounding her surgery in January, supercharged by William’s unusual absence from his godfather’s memorial in late February and the admission by Kate that she had edited a photograph released by the family to mark Mother’s Day in the UK earlier this month.
The disclosure about her health puts a new perspective on that photo – and the events of the past few weeks. The official line is that she had been recovering from abdominal surgery, when the reality was a lot more serious than that. Yet again, the royal family could face some difficult questions about what they chose to reveal to the public, and when.
Beyond that, It is an extraordinary moment for the British monarchy. The institution is now facing one of its biggest crises in recent memory, with two of its most senior family members essentially out of action. It also leaves Prince William and Queen Camilla to front the institution while caring for their spouses.
The cancer diagnosis of the future Queen comes on the heels of King Charles III’s own health battle, which was revealed in early February – less than a year after his coronation. The 75-year-old monarch also made the decision to temporarily step away from public duties as he undergoes cancer treatment (though he continues his constitutional obligations behind the scenes).
With Britain still coming to terms with the King’s diagnosis, it is perhaps even more shocking to learn of Kate’s condition given her relative youth. To her devoted supporters, she is the epitome of good health, beauty and perfection. Since marrying into the family in 2011, she has rarely put a foot wrong and proven herself to be a dependable figure of “the firm.” That dependability has now been replaced by vulnerability, unsettling a steadfast institution.
Many remember how she stood outside the Lindo Wing at London’s St. Mary’s Hospital – the de facto maternity ward for royal births – hours after giving birth to each of her three children. She is beloved for her poise and timeless elegance, making her one of the most popular faces of the family.
Her health struggle is an abrupt reminder that while she is a public servant and a brand, she is also human and vulnerable.
Many of the bizarre and outlandish conspiracies that have been recently thrown around with little regard dehumanized her. She became a commodity of the media, much like the previous holder of her title – Diana, the late Princess of Wales.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak succinctly summed up what many are now thinking moment’s after Kate’s revelation.
“In recent weeks she has been subjected to intense scrutiny and unfairly treated by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media,” he said in a statement on Friday night.
He said the Princess of Wales has the “love and support of the whole country” and urged for her to be “afforded the privacy to focus on her treatment and be with her loving family.”
Kate had been expected to return to official duties after Easter, however she will postpone her return until she has been cleared to do so by her medical team, a royal source told CNN on Friday. The source added she may make ad hoc appearances if she can find the strength. On those occasions, the decision to attend will be made at the last-minute and take people by surprise.
Apart from that, we don’t expect any Kensington Palace updates unless her condition suddenly improves or worsens. The palace is also not expected to reveal any further medical details such as the type of cancer or what stage it is.
From the institution’s view, the deal is: You, the public, have the video so you have the fullest health update the institution can offer. In return, allow the family some time to recover and rebuild.
The line of succession is now under extreme pressure from the very top. Prince William – who Kate praised as “a great source of comfort and reassurance” – will continue to juggle caring for his wife and children while maintaining his public schedule.
He will lean on the support from Queen Camilla and the seven other lesser-known working royals but as next-in-line to the throne, his presence out and about is needed to reassure the nation that the Crown is strong.
What was clear in Kate’s video message was that the couple’s priority is their family. They both understood that her news would generate huge public interest, but her words made it clear that they are trying to preserve some semblance of normality for their children, George, Charlotte and Louis.
CNN understands the Prince and Princess of Wales wanted to wait for their young children to be out of school for the Easter holidays before making the announcement.
Kate is said to be in good spirits and firmly focused on her recovery but in the heartfelt statement, she called on the public to “understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy.”
That space will be the challenge ahead for international media – the majority of which will want to be sensitive and respectful to the princess. Here in the UK, the press will be conscious of Kate’s request but whether that will be the case for international paparazzi remains to be seen.
While the latest developments will not quash all the online hysteria surrounding the princess, having a clearer timeline of what Kate’s been going through since January has already gone some way in taking the edge off some of the more outlandish speculation.
Many of those who fell down the royal rabbit hole in recent days quickly replaced their social videos with apologies and best wishes.
There has been an outpouring of support and sympathy for Kate since she shared what she is going through, and perhaps her words will help reset how the world responds when wild conspiracy theories run rampant on social media.
The Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnosis: What we know
Kate and William have three children: Prince George, 10; Princess Charlotte, 8; and Prince Louis, 5.
A royal source told CNN that Kate began chemotherapy in late February, and that she and William had waited until now to reveal her condition because Friday was the day their children began their Easter school holidays.
“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,” she said in the video message.
Kate did not say what type of cancer she had been diagnosed with.
Preventative chemotherapy is often used after surgery as an “adjuvant” therapy, to weaken the chances of cancer returning, Dr. Karen Knudsen, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society, told CNN.
She had been expected to return to official duties after Easter, but will now postpone further work until she has been cleared to do so by her medical team, the source said.
What has the reaction been?
King Charles said he is “so proud” of Catherine, his daughter-in-law, for “her courage in speaking as she did” in sharing her cancer diagnosis, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said late Friday.
Charles said he “remained in the closest contact” with Kate since they received treatment at the same London hospital, and that he and Queen Camilla will “continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time.”
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Kate’s statement showed “tremendous bravery,” and added that she had been “unfairly treated” during weeks of “intense scrutiny” by the press and on social media.
The White House said the Biden administration was “incredibly sad to hear of the news” and wished her a full recovery.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, said: “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”
When was Kate first hospitalized?
Kensington Palace announced on January 17 that the princess would spend two weeks recovering in hospital after successfully undergoing planned abdominal surgery.
It was unclear what the surgery was for, but the palace said Kate was unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter, which falls this year on March 31.
Kate was discharged from the London Clinic – a private hospital near Regent’s Park in the center of the UK capital – on January 29. She returned home to Windsor, west of London, to continue her recovery.
Charles was discharged from the same private hospital on the same day as Kate, after receiving treatment for an enlarged prostate. Buckingham Palace announced on February 6 that he was diagnosed with cancer.
What happened to Kate after leaving hospital?
Kate’s health and whereabouts became the subject of frenzied speculation, despite the palace reiterating that it had “made clear in January the timelines of the Princess’ recovery” and that the public should not expect to see her until after Easter.
Kate was first seen in public earlier this month after she was spotted in Windsor wearing dark sunglasses and sitting in the front passenger seat of a car driven by her mother, Carole Middleton.
CNN decided not to publish the paparazzi shot, and neither did most major British media organizations, as the press weighed public fascination in Kate’s health with the need to respect privacy laws.
What about the Mother’s Day photograph?
Speculation about Kate’s health continued, putting pressure on the family to reveal more details.
In what appeared to be an attempt to put an end to rumors, Kate published an official photograph of her and her three children – George, Charlotte and Louis – on Mother’s Day, which was marked in the UK on March 10.
But instead of ending the speculation, it fueled it instead, after members of the public swiftly noticed several irregularities about the image.
Why was Charlotte’s sleeve cuff blurred? And why was her skirt at a strange angle? Why was Kate’s zipper misaligned? Where was her ring? And why did the children have their fingers crossed?
Multiple global news agencies recalled the image from circulation hours later, citing manipulation concerns.
After a day of more amateur sleuthing, Kate admitted that she had edited the photograph, and apologized.
“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,” Kate wrote on X, formerly Twitter, the next day.
She was later photographed alongside her husband in a car departing Windsor Castle.
Why is there an investigation involving the hospital?
The UK’s data watchdog said earlier this week that it is “assessing” reports that a staff member at the London Clinic allegedly tried to access Kate’s private medical records.
The Daily Mirror tabloid reported that the hospital had launched a probe into the allegations that the princess’s confidentiality had been breached.
In a statement, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is the UK’s independent data regulator, confirmed it had “received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.”
The London Clinic said on Wednesday that “all appropriate investigatory, regulatory and disciplinary steps will be taken.”
The alleged incident is not the first time Kate’s medical privacy has been been the subject of concern. While the princess was pregnant with her first child in 2012, an Australian radio station prank-called the hospital where she was receiving care, and tricked a nurse into revealing private medical information, which was then broadcast.
Kate and William are ‘going through hell’: Designer behind many of George, Charlotte and Louis’ clothes says she’s ‘heartbroken’ for Princess of Wales as she faces cancer battle
Prince William and Princess Kate are ‘going through hell’ amid the Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnosis as they struggle to come to terms with the news that any family dreads, a designer close to the family has said.
Amaia Arrieta, a children’s clothing designer behind many of the outfits worn by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who became close with the Wales’ after the birth of their eldest son, has described how the family are struggling as Kate battles the disease.
Ms Arrieta, herself a mother-of-three, told the Telegraph she has been left ‘heartbroken’ by the news after years of supplying the royal children with clothes for their wardrobes.
‘I’m heartbroken at the moment, I think they are going through hell,’ she said. ‘I hope they will be back. It’s really personal.’
Kate, 42, revealed she was battling cancer just weeks after her father-in-law, King Charles, announced his own diagnosis with the illness.
Amaia Arrieta, a children’s clothing designer behind many of the outfits worn by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, has said she is ‘heartbroken’ by the news of Kate’s cancer diagnosis
Ms Arrieta first saw Prince George wearing her clothes in a photo which saw him in her shorts and knee-high socks
The Prince and Princess of Wales are going ‘through hell’ amid Kate’s diagnosis, a designer close to the family has revealed
It was less than a fortnight after a Mother’s Day photo sparked an online frenzy around the world after royal fans became convinced the picture had been edited.
The Princess of Wales later put out a statement confirming she had experimented with editing just ‘like many amateur photographers’.
She and nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo have been picking out Amaia designs for the children, aged ten, nine and six, since George was just a baby.
The Spanish-born designer told the paper dressing the royals brings her ‘so much pride’ as Charlotte prepared to celebrate her ninth birthday last week.
She first saw her designs in use in a portrait of Prince George from 2014, in which he wore Amaia shorts and knee-high socks.
Recalling the moment she saw the photo, on the cover of a Hello! magazine in Waitrose, Ms Arrieta said: ‘That was a huge moment because they had been coming to us but you never know if they’ll actually wear it.’
She has since provided clothing worn at the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, as well as in official photographs, at Christmas and for royal events throughout the year.
Most recently, Princess Charlotte wore an Amaia skirt in the controversial Mother’s Day snap.
Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis wore Amaia coats during a balcony appearance at the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
The Prince of Wales shared the news about her cancer diagnosis in an emotional video, released on social media
Shortly afterwards, on March 22, Kate released an emotional video in which she told the public she is battling cancer.
She, the Prince of Wales, 41, and their three children, all missed the Easter Sunday service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, following the announcement, despite attending last year.
The family spent the Easter holiday together as they adjusted to Kate’s diagnosis, which was discovered in post-operative tests after major abdominal surgery.
In the message revealing the diagnosis last month, 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.’
Since revealing the diagnosis, the Prince and Princess of Wales are said to be ‘enormously touched’ and ‘extremely moved’ by the public’s warmth and support.
As King Charles returned to limited public duties in recent days, it has not yet been confirmed when Kate will be back to business.
Prince William has carried out limited public engagements as he cares for his wife and children, visiting a youth centre in west London last month.
