Kate Middleton’s Health Status Shared As Prince William Makes A Difficult Choice

Feb 28, 2024

Early 2024 saw the British royal family rocked by news of serious health issues. Buckingham Palace first announced on Jan. 17, 2024, that King Charles III was scheduled to undergo hospital treatment the following week for an enlarged prostate. The next day, his wife, Queen Camilla, said Charles was feeling “fine” and “looking forward to getting back to work.” 

That same day, Kensington Palace revealed in a statement that the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, had undergone abdominal surgery that had been scheduled the day prior at the London Clinic. It said the surgery had been “successful” and that the princess would remain at the hospital for a 10–14-day recovery period. However, the statement added that Kate is unlikely to resume her usual royal duties until after Easter.

News of the pair’s hospitalization led to an outpouring of well wishes and support from their supporters across the world. This came as no surprise as both Charles and Kate are among some of the most popular members of the royal family.

Charles ascended the throne after the death of Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept. 8, 2022. As king, Charles worked hard to ensure the royal family remained in good standing with the public, moving with the times to keep the institution from being viewed as archaic, antiquated and out of touch.

Another reason why the royal family remains popular is Kate. Since her marriage to Prince William in April 2011, she’s captured the hearts of the public with her duty to the British crown, her kind and attentive nature, and her fashionable sense of style. Kate is known for her poise, elegance and charm. 

Read on to find out more about how the royal family is faring in this challenging time.

On Jan. 26, 2024, King Charles III was admitted to the London Clinic, where he underwent specific treatment. He was discharged after three nights. However, the palace announced that all his prior engagements would be postponed to allow him sufficient time to rest and recuperate. In the following days, Queen Camilla again stated that Charles had been “doing his best” since the treatment before the pair made their first public appearance together on Feb. 4, 2024, at Sandringham Church. There, Charles gave the crowd a reassuring wave, raising the people’s spirits. However, this reassurance was short-lived as Buckingham Palace disclosed devastating news the following day.

It revealed that, during Charles’ prostate treatment, “diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer,” while stressing it was not prostate cancer. It said the king had “commenced a schedule of regular treatments” while his public-facing duties were postponed on the advice of his doctors. However, the 75-year-old monarch would “continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual,” it added.

Meanwhile, Kensington Palace did not elaborate on what specific health issue Kate Middleton was suffering from but stressed it was not cancer-related. The public was quick to offer their well-wishes for a speedy recovery as the media jumped into high gear, with reports the princess had slipped into a coma being resoundingly refuted as “total nonsense.” Scores of photographers were assigned to the London Clinic in an attempt to garner photos of the princess upon her departure. They were, however, unsuccessful, as news would later surface that Kate had left the hospital without her exit being spotted. 

Twelve days later, on Jan. 29, 2024, the palace released another statement revealing that Kate had returned to her residence in Windsor Castle to continue recuperating from the surgery and that she was “making good progress.”

After leaving the hospital, Kate settled into her home at Adelaide Cottage in Home Park, Windsor. There, she recuperated comfortably among family and leaned on their loyal staff, including long-time nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo. Meanwhile, Prince William reportedly took the lead in caring for their three children, switching to “100% family first, day job second” mode, according to a Sunday Times source. 

According to the National Health Service (NHS), it's generally expected that those recovering from abdominal surgery may need to wait two to three months before moving around comfortably. They must also avoid lifting heavy weights above two or three kilograms. Standing and sitting exercises are recommended to help rebuild the core area. However, the abdominal area can take up to two years to return to its original strength for full recovery. 

While Kate’s return to her royal duties will no doubt depend on the advice of her doctors, some estimated her recovery would take longer than suggested, even up to nine months, according to one expert. Others instead lauded the Princess for taking the time she needed to rest and recuperate, with one royal household insider telling People:

“It is sensible to take the time. … That is a great example to the rest of us, as you’re often told to get back to work as soon as possible, which can be damaging. It is good for all of us to see her taking the time, recovering properly and then coming back. We can all learn from that.”   

Meanwhile, others found optimism in the fact that William has already made a partial return to his royal duties, attending a fundraiser alongside Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise for London’s Air Ambulance on February 7, 2024. There, he became the first member of the family to personally speak about his father and wife since their health issues came to light.

It was fitting for Prince William to make a return to his royal duties after taking a break to care for his wife and family at the charity fundraiser for London’s Air Ambulance, which he cheekily referred to in a speech at the event.

“It's fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather ‘medical’ focus. So I thought I'd come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all!” William said.

He continued to keep the mood light with some gentle humor, while playfully prodding superstar guest and “Top Gun” actor, Cruise.  

“If you wouldn't mind not borrowing either of the new helicopters for the next ‘Mission Impossible’, it would be appreciated,” he joked.

“We have all seen on our screens that, how can I put it, you seem to have a different take on normal wear and tear to the rest of us.”

The speech wasn’t all laughs, however, as the Prince also spoke about his family’s recent health issues in public for the first time.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the kind messages and support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days. It means a great deal to us all,” the Prince said. 

 The public was touched by Prince William’s words and described him as “kind,” “well-spoken,” and “caring.”

“This man is so soft spoken and kind. He is a blessing to the Royal Family,” one user remarked, while another said, “Such a nice, kind and gracious man, his mother taught him well.”

Another comment read:

“It's heartening to see Prince William speak out following the news of King Charles' cancer diagnosis. His words likely provide comfort and strength to not only his family but also to the public concerned about the health of their monarch.”

Although William has since attended other public events, such as the BAFTA Film Awards on February 18, 2024, he withdrew from attending his godfather’s memorial service on February 27, 2024, citing a “personal matter.” 

William was scheduled to read at the memorial for his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece, at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Despite his no-show, royal sources indicated that his absence was no cause for alarm, while Kensington Palace said Kate was continuing to do well.

As Kate is still recuperating, she was not present at the memorial. King Charles, who has stepped back from public-facing events but did return to holding his weekly meetings with the prime minister in person earlier in February, was also not in attendance. Instead, Queen Camilla appeared in his stead, leading a host of other royals at the memorial. Among them were Charles’ sister, Princess Anne, who arrived with her husband, Timothy Laurence, daughter Zara Tindall and her son-in-law, former rugby player Mike Tindall. Charles’ younger brother Prince Andrew also attended alongside his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and their daughter, Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

While official updates on Kate’s progress from Kensington Palace have been sparing, one media outlet has been left questioning a puzzling move within the household. Royal expert Concha Calleja suggested all might not be well as leaks indicated Kate had hired a private secretary, implying normalcy at home. However, the fact that there is no visual evidence of this move left journalists scratching their heads. One of them, Aurelio Manzano, said:

“There has been a move by the British royal household that is not understood. … On the one hand they leak that Kate has hired a private secretary, to imply that she is at home doing things, but, on the other hand, we do not see an image. Until we see it, speculation will not stop.”

What did you think of Prince William’s speech? We’d love to hear your thoughts and well wishes for King Charles III and the Princess of Wales during this challenging time. Feel free to let us know your messages and pass this along to your family and friends who may want to do the same.