In a Moving Instagram Post Kate Middleton Announced She Is Being Treated for Cancer

While all eyes tend to be on the Royal Family in any generation, Kate Middleton is clearly one of the most popular figures so far. Having married Prince William in 2011 in a wedding ceremony attended by thousands and viewed by millions, Kate has made a name for herself as a wealthy philanthropist and notable mental health advocate. She officially became the Princess of Wales following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8, 2022.

Naturally her time as a royal has not been without its difficulties. Among her bouts of charity work and notable public appearances, Kate has previously been hospitalized due to several health issues. In January 2024, her followers became even more concerned after she underwent abdominal surgery. Two months later, Kate took to Instagram to share with the world that she was battling cancer. Here's what we know about the Princess of Wales's health.

On Jan. 17, 2024, the official Instagram for the Royal Family posted a statement regarding Kate's health. She had been admitted to the hospital for "planned abdominal surgery" that took place the day prior. According to the statement, the operation was successful, but she would remain in the hospital for up to 14 days to recover. This extended hospital stay is expected to remove her from her public duties until "after Easter."

The statement read, "The Princess of Wales appreciated 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 wish that her personal medical information remains private."

It continues, "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."

Nearly two weeks after that statement was issued, another came acknowledging that Kate had returned home from surgery. On Jan. 29, 2024, Kensington Palace issued a statement via Instagram announcing that the Princess of Wales had returned home from surgery and was “making good progress.”

On March 4, 2024, TMZ shared photos of Kate riding in the passenger seat of a vehicle being driven by her mother, Carol Middleton. The royal can be seen wearing dark shades trying to offer photographers a slight smile. While some were pleased to see Kate in the "flesh," others questioned her appearance, suggesting the woman in the vehicle wasn't Kate.

Less than a week later, a photo of Kate with her children was released to the public for Mother's Day in the United Kingdom. On the official Instagram for the Prince and Princess of Wales, Kate captioned the picture, "Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C." Eagle-eyed fans quickly realized this picture had been heavily edited. That evening the Associate Press sent a kill order for the photo because it had been manipulated.

Another video of Kate popped up via TMZ on March 16 in which she is seen quickly strolling with William about a mile from their home at a place called Windsor Farm Shop. Like the Mother's Day faux pas, this video appeared to be off. Many pointed out the fact that Kate was suddenly much taller than she usually is. This prompted TMZ to question the video itself. All in all, people were growing increasingly concerned about the Princess of Wales.

Finally on March 22, nearly three months after she was last seen in an official capacity, Kate took to Instagram to reveal she was battling cancer. In a somewhat emotional video, Kate thanked everyone for their "moving messages" and assured everyone she is working with a top notch medical team. Unfortunately the major abdominal surgery resulted in a cancer diagnosis.

As of the time of this writing, she is in the early stages of treatment which includes a course of preventative chemotherapy. "This of course came as a huge shock," she said. "William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family." Before she could begin chemotherapy, Kate first had to heal from the abdominal surgery. During this time, she and William were doing what was necessary to help their children understand what was happening.

She ended the video by thanking William for his support and asking people to respect their space and privacy while she completes her treatment. Kate also extended her compassion to anyone else "whose lives have been affected by cancer."