Kate Middleton announces cancer diagnosis, putting conspiracies to rest

Kate Middleton has put weeks of speculation over her whereabouts to rest. In a new video, the princess disclosed that she has been diagnosed with cancer. This comes after what was described by Kensington Palace as a “planned abdominal surgery” earlier in the year. At the time, the Palace’s statement indicated that the surgery was successful but that Prince William’s wife would not “return to public duties until after Easter.” However, despite that missive, public interest in Middleton’s whereabouts increased to a fever pitch in the months that followed, and conspiracy theories abounded as to the truth of her condition.

Middleton cleared the air in the video posted to social media on Friday, saying, “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.”

The future Queen Consort further shared that she had taken time both to recover from surgery before chemotherapy and to explain the situation to her three young children George, Louis, and Charlotte. Middleton assured the public that she’s “well” and focusing on her recovery with her husband Prince William by her side. She expressed appreciation for “the love, support, and kindness” from the public, but asked for continued “time, space, and privacy” as she completes her treatment.

“Privacy” is probably the key word, given that the furor over Middleton being “missing” reached incredibly invasive levels in recent days. As her absence continued, worldwide interest in the subject increased, and theories spread around Twitter/X, TikTok, Reddit and elsewhere: Prince William and Middleton were getting divorced, she was being pushed aside for William’s suspected mistress (the Marchioness of Cholmondeley), that she had gotten plastic surgery, that she was actually dead. These conspiracies were compounded, as conspiracies often are, by unrelated but adjacent facts that theorists began connecting to create a more sinister picture. One example is that King Charles (a proponent of alternative medicines) was diagnosed with cancer at the same hospital Middleton underwent surgery; his cancer diagnosis gave the royal institution an appearance of instability. Another example is the apparent suicide of another royal family member who used to date Middleton’s sister, Pippa Middleton.

@taylorbcol unpacking uncle gary and the photoshopped images 🕵️‍♀️📸 ps I don’t own any of these images plz dont come for me, dm for credit 🫶 #kategate #royalscandal #whereiskate #whereiskatemiddleton #katemiddleton #princewilliam #unclegary #celebritybigbrother #adobephotoshop ♬ original sound – Taylor

Even further compounding the conspiracy train is the palace’s shoddy attempt at PR. At first, all that was available of Middleton were blurry, distant photos that onlookers began to suspect were body doubles or altered photos from previous occasions. When an “official” photo was published on Middleton’s social media for UK Mother’s Day, it was so obviously and poorly doctored that the Associated Press retracted the picture for being manipulated. Middleton then supposedly issued an “apology” in which she claimed to “occasionally experiment with editing.” (In light of her cancer diagnosis, it seems all the more ridiculous that the palace would pin the bad photoshop job on a woman undergoing chemotherapy.)

All of this escalated to the point that staffers at the London Clinic are reportedly being investigated for breaching Middleton’s medical records. So, while it seems that the palace should bear a lot of the blame for mishandling the public relations aspect of this situation, it is also fair to say that the reaction to it spiraled way out of control. “My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when I’m able,” Middleton said in her statement. “But for now I must focus on making a full recovery.”

“At this time, I’m 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,” she concluded her video. “You are not alone.”