The Princess of Wales underwent a cancer journey, something she's confessed that she's still navigating .
Kate Middleton 's 2024 started off with a health scare. While the doctors didn't know it at the time, they later realized that it was connected to cancer . The Palace chose to keep many details of the Princess' diagnosis and treatment quiet, but did share with the world that she'd be stepping back from her royal duties.
While the public weighed in with relentless speculation, the family battled against it demurely and silently as Kate recovered in as much peace as possible. Let's take a look back at where it all began.
Jan. 2024 - Kate undergoes surgery with a stint in the hospital
Kate Middleton was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 16, but the castle revealed the next day that it was for a "planned abdominal surgery," indicating that it was successful. They shut down concern with the Princess apologizing for spooking the public. The Palace also warned that she would likely be taking some time away from her public duties, noting in a statement: "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."
Feb. 2024 - William resumes his royal duties
Prince William chose to take a bit of time off, too, offering to help with Kate during the difficult time. On Feb. 7, though, he returned by leading a ceremony and attending a gala. Later in the month, William attended the BAFTAs without his wife.
At London's Air Ambulance Charity event, he said: "I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you, also, for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially, in recent days. It means a great deal to us all."
Feb. 27, 2024 - William misses a royal engagement
The royal was notably absent from the service of Thanksgiving for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, at St. George's Chapel due to a "personal matter," according to the Palace. At the time, the reasoning was kept pretty vague, but it was confirmed that it was not in relations to his father's health, who also suffers from cancer. A statement explained: "Unfortunately, The Prince of Wales is no longer able to attend the King Constantine Memorial Service this morning due to a personal matter."
March 4, 2024 - Online speculation about Kate's well-being begins to spread
Fans everywhere begin to be worried about Kate as they spot her out and about on occasions. On March 4, an unauthorized photo of the Princess with her mother was released, leaving fans to wonder about the status of her health. "His focus is on his work and not on social media," a spokesman told People about William's take on the concern.
March 10, 2024 - Fans notice strange editing on a photo of Kate with her children
Kate shared a photo of herself on X, formerly known as Twitter, where she is holding her two kids. However, upon closer examination, fans realized that there was editing done to the photo. "Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day," she wrote as the caption while Prince William was credited as the photographer. The strange editing on fueled fan speculation and concern.
The photo was then retracted with several agencies, like The Associated Press, Reuters, Getty Images and Agence France-Presse, pulling it. The AP rose concern that "the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP's photo standards."
March 11, 2024 - Kate apologized for the edited photo
It didn't take Kate long to address the odd editing. "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she said in a statement on X. "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."
March 20, 2024 - Hospital staffers reportedly attempted to access Kate's medical history records
Staff at the London Clinic attempted to access her medical records, according to an investigation conducted by the hospital. "We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided," an Information Commissioner's Office, the U.K. privacy and data protection watchdog.
March 22, 2024 - Kate revealed her cancer diagnosis
Kate formally revealed her cancer diagnosis. She said in a video statement: "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."
June 14, 2024 - Kate offered first formal update
"I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days," Kate said in a written message via Kensington Palace. "On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well."
She explained that even though she was making progress, there was still a few more months of treatment for her to go through. She added: "On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home."
June 15, 2024 - Kate joins royal family at Trooping the Colour
Kate begins making more appearances in public as her health seems to take a turn for the better. She was seen on June 15 with her family at the Trooping of the Colour. She was later seen on another public outing at Wimbledon men's final. Kate even presented the championship trophies to the players.
July 14, 2024 - Kate attends Wimbledon with her daughter
The Princess was spotted over the summer engaging in some sporting fun. She was accompanied by Princess Charlotte as she watched the finals rematch between reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic. She was seen in a box suite, seemingly in good spirits. Kate has always been known as a massive tennis fan as she is a patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club turned up at SW19 wearing a purple dress by Safiyaa.
Sept. 9, 2024 - Kate announces she has finished her chemotherapy treatment
In an emotional video statement, Kate disclosed: "The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we've had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown. The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you."
She explained that her chemotherapy treatment was over. However, she also admitted that she is still on a road to recovery to help keep herself cancer-free.
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