In January 2024, soon after her father-in-law, King Charles III, openly announced he had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment, Kate Middleton, the future queen consort, suddenly dipped out of the spotlight. A statement from Kensington Palace claimed she was undergoing planned abdominal surgery. Though the procedure reportedly went well, no one specified what kind of surgery Kate had needed and why she required such a long private recovery.
Her husband, Prince William, continued with his duties until February 27, when he missed a memorial service for his godfather. Then, on March 10, Kate shared a Mother's Day photo of herself and her three children online. Observers noted that the image had been awkwardly edited, to the point that major news agencies pulled the photo. The image fueled already-swirling rumors around the nature of the surgery and the state of Kate and William's marriage — she was sans wedding ring in the controversial photo — but no full explanation was proffered. Even what seemed to be clear evidence of Kate appearing in public post-surgery was greeted with suspicion by conspiracy-minded commenters, while the nature of the surgery remained mysterious.
Then, on March 22, the princess made a public announcement that many were grimly expecting: Tests following the surgery had revealed cancer, and she had begun chemotherapy in February, with no further details disclosed as of late-March 2024.
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