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
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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].”
June 2024
“I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months,” the Princess of Wales in a June 14 statement which accompanied a sumptuous, touching video featuring Middleton with husband Prince William and their kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince George.. “It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times. I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. 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 she was “not out of the woods yet” and “learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty.”
She shared that she was working from home amid her ongoing treatment and was excited to attend the Trooping the Colour, her first public event since announcing her diagnosis. She was all smiles as she attended the event alongside her family.
July 2024
Kate made her second appearance after announcing she was battling cancer at Wimbledon. She and daughter Charlotte took in the men’s singles final alongside Kate’s sister, Pippa Middleton. The princess received a standing ovation as she took her seat in the royal box.
September 2024
The Princess of Wales announced that she completed chemotherapy in a September statement.
“Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus,” she said. “Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”
She continued, “I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can. Despite all that has gone before, I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life.”
December 2024
Kate hosted her annual “Together at Christmas” carol concert on December 6, where she addressed her difficult year.
“I didn’t know this year was going to be the year that I’ve just had,” she told singer Paloma Faith. “The unplanned. But, I think lots of people this year have had such challenging times.”
William, as well as the royal couple’s kids George, Charlotte and Louis, also attended the service.
Later that month, Kate stepped out with her family on Christmas day. She spoke with royal watchers and expressed her appreciation for those who shared their own cancer stories and journeys during her publicized health struggle.
“The amount of people who have written this year is extraordinary and I think cancer just really does resonate with so many families,” she told fans, per the Daily Mail. “People like you are doing all the hard work out there. I’m hugely grateful.”
January 2025
Kate made her first public appearance in 2025 on January 14 when visiting the hospital where she underwent treatment. The Princess of Wales also updated royal watchers on her health battle, announcing in a social media post that she was officially declared in remission.
April 2025
Kate reflected on finding “peace” after experiencing stress due to her cancer battle.
“Not everyone has that same relationship perhaps with nature,” she said in a video shared via the Kensington Palace social media. “But it is so therefore meaningful for me as a place to balance and find a sort of sense of peace and reconnection in what is otherwise a very busy world.”
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July 2025
The Princess of Wales discussed finding a “new normal” in the aftermath of her cancer treatments during a public outing at the time.
“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment,” she said. “Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult.”
Kate continued, “You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to. Someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment, I think is really valuable.”
Kate noted that it’s “a roller-coaster” of emotions and “not smooth, like you expect it to be,” after treatment. “But the reality is you go through hard times.”
January 2026
Kate reflected on her cancer battle, comparing it to the movie Groundhog Day.
“You need medical support but also a holistic approach,” she said during an appearance at a London Hospital. “Creativity and nature played such a huge part in my recovery journey.”
She spoke with hospital volunteers explaining that “kindness and compassion” is integral to recovery.
“You’ve got [to] have that support from you as a team,” she added. “From a patient’s experience, it’s important things not in [the] job description.”
