PHOTOSKate Middleton's Health Crisis Explained in 12 Clicks
Questions About Prince William and Kate Middleton's Lack of Appearances Together Emerged
In January, royal fans started to become curious about the status of Prince William and Kate Middleton's marriage due to the pair's lack of public appearances together since Christmas Day.
Kate Middleton Underwent Surgery
Kensington Palace released a statement confirming Kate's hospitalization following her abdominal surgery on January 17. They shared a follow-up message nearly two weeks later to announce King Charles III's planned treatment for his enlarged prostate.
Kate's surgery, which happened at The London Clinic, reportedly led her to cancel royal engagements.
"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. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter," the statement read.
The message continued, "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. Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress when there is significant new information to share."
Prince William Was Spotted Leaving the Clinic
One day after Kate's abdominal surgery, Prince William was spotted leaving the hospital in an electric Audi. He also canceled several public engagements after the recent events involving royal family members.
Kate Middleton Got Discharged — But No Photos Were Taken
On January 29, Kensington Palace issued a statement confirming the Princess of Wales' discharge from the hospital to continue recuperating at her home in Windsor.
"She is making good progress," said the palace. "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 Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world."
However, no photos of her leaving the hospital or arriving at Windsor were taken and publicized.
Prince William Fueled Rumors After Canceling an Appearance
Prince William was set to appear at the service of Thanksgiving for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, at St. George's Chapel on February 27 when he suddenly canceled.
"Unfortunately, The Prince of Wales is no longer able to attend the King Constantine Memorial Service this morning due to a personal matter," the palace said.
The Public Started Asking About Kate Middleton's Whereabouts
Due to Kate's extended absence from the public eye, more rumors about her whereabouts surfaced. Some suggested she had marital issues with Prince William, while others speculated she had been .
A palace spokesperson responded to the buzz and clarified that Kate was "doing well."
"Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the Princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands," they stated.
The First Photo of Kate Middleton Surfaced in March
A photo of Kate riding in a car with her mother, Carole Middleton, was released, but online sleuths speculated the royal family used a stand-in for the princess.
Amid the online rumors about Kate's well-being, a palace spokesperson told People that Prince William's "focus is on his work and not on social media."
Kate Middleton Released Her Mother's Day Post
On March 10, Kate marked Mother's Day in the U.K. with a photo of herself and her three kids: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day," she captioned the photo, which was taken by Prince William.
People Speculated the Image Was Altered
The Associated Press, Reuters and other image distribution outlets released and circulated the Mother's Day photo only to pull it after confirming it was altered.
"Clients please be advised that the following story has been killed and should no longer be used," the AP's kill notification read, adding, "At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent."
Among the edited parts included Prince Louis' shoulder, Princess Charlotte's left hand and the zipper of Kate's jacket.
Computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley Hany Farid analyzed the photo and told ABC News that the snap was only slightly manipulated.
"I think most likely it is either some bad photoshop to, for example, remove a stain on the sweater, or is the result of on-camera photo compositing that combines multiple photos together to get a photo where everyone is smiling. For the latter, if the subjects move between successive images, it can cause this type of ghosting," Farid said.
Kate Middleton Issued an Apology After the Blunder
Over 24 hours after Kate's photo was released, she issued an apology on X, admitting she made "minor adjustments."
"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. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day," she wrote.
Another Editing Notice Was Released
Getty Images added an editor's note on Queen Elizabeth II's photo with her great-grandchildren, taken by Kate in 2022.
"Image has been digitally enhanced at source," the note read.
"There shall be no commercial use whatsoever of the photograph (including by way of example only) any use in merchandising, advertising or any other non-news editorial use," the caption continued. "The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. The photograph shall not be used after 31st December 2023, without prior permission from Kensington Palace."
Getty Images has also since disabled the download button, explaining the image "cannot be licensed online."
Kate Middleton Revealed Her Cancer Diagnosis
On March 22, Kate finally revealed the truth: she is battling cancer.
"I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you personally for all the wonderful messages of support and understanding whilst I've been recovering from surgery," Kate began in a video posted to social media. "It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family. In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London. 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 I should undergo preventive chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."
