In March 2024, Catherine, Princess of Wales, known to many as Kate Middleton, publicly announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer. The announcement came via a video message in which she explained that the cancer was discovered following major abdominal surgery performed earlier in the year.
The exact type of cancer has not been disclosed by Kensington Palace, and no further medical details have been made public. The palace cited the importance of privacy for her and her family, particularly in protecting the well-being of her three children.
Naturally, speculation followed, and some even suggested she was pregnant. Those rumors were quickly debunked. She began a course of preventive chemotherapy in early 2024. By September of that year, it was confirmed that she had completed treatment.
In January 2025, she announced that she was in remission. While she remained largely out of the public eye during her treatment, she gradually resumed limited public duties in 2025.
Inside Kate Middleton’s Very Private Cancer Battle and Public Return!
On July 2, 2025, Catherine, Princess of Wales, made her first public appearance in two weeks with a visit to Colchester Hospital in Essex. This marked one of her first major engagements since confirming she was in remission from cancer earlier in the year.
During the visit, she spent time in a newly opened well-being garden designed to support patients, NHS staff, and visitors.
While speaking with patients and staff, the Princess provided new insight into the post-treatment challenges she has experienced. She explained (via BBC),
You put on a sort of brave face (with) stoicism through treatment. (When) treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal again,’But actually the phase afterwards is really difficult.
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.
She further emphasized the importance of post-treatment support for mental health and long-term recovery. She described this kind of care as “life-changing “ for patients and their families.
Although she resumed select duties in 2025, she continues to limit her schedule. For example, she withdrew from attending Royal Ascot on June 18, reportedly due to ongoing recovery needs. According to palace sources, she is “listening to what her body is telling her” (as per People Magazine)and gradually reintegrating into public life while prioritizing her health.
The Truth About Kate Middleton’s “Fourth Child”
Although the pregnancy rumors were totally false, it turns out the Princess of Wales may be raising not three but four children, at least according to palace insiders.
Royal expert and author of Yes, Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, Tom Quinn, revealed to Fox News that Kate Middleton sometimes has to “manage” her husband, Prince William, as if he were another one of the kids.
Behind closed palace doors, it’s been reported that William can be short-tempered when things don’t go his way. That’s where Middleton reportedly steps in, not just as a spouse but as a calming presence who diffuses his irritations much like she would with George, Charlotte, or Louis.
Quinn said,
Occasionally, William has little tantrums and irritations if things aren’t done the way he wants them done [as heir to the British throne]And so, there’s a joke among the staff that Kate treats William as the fourth because he occasionally behaves like one.
She hasn’t had everything done for her throughout her life, so she calms him down when he gets a bit fractious, She says he sometimes has to be treated as her fourth child!
Both William and King Charles III are allegedly said to share this streak, easily irritated, especially when service or events don’t go exactly to plan, as per the expert. As for William, Quinn alleges that his emotional intensity likely traces back to a turbulent childhood, including his parents’ public divorce and the loss of Princess Diana.
Has her experience with cancer changed your view of the royal family’s human side? Let us know in the comments!