When a smiling Kate Middleton walked to church with her family on Christmas Day, few, if any, could have predicted it would be her last. normal moment that the princess would have in the spotlight in the near future.
After announcing a “planned abdominal surgery” in mid-January, Middleton has suddenly become the subject of some of the wildest and most widespread conspiracy theories in recent history, with netizens on multiple platforms speculating about both her health and the true location of her body. place of residence. While some were comical, others felt much more sinister.
It all reached a fever pitch on March 11, when Kensington Palace released a doctored photo of the Wales family for Mother’s Day — which was subsequently retracted by the Associated Press and several other news services. (The princess later apologized for the “confusion caused” by the edits made to the image.) What exactly happened to the House of Windsor, the world wondered? There is still no conclusive answer.
For those who have time to keep up with the constant news cycle, below is a timeline of the news and controversy surrounding the Princess of Wales in recent months.
December 25, 2023: Kate’s final royal engagement
On Christmas Day, the Princess of Wales attended the Royal Family’s annual church service at Sandringham. Everything looked picture perfect as she held her children’s hands while wearing a cobalt blue Alexander McQueen jacket dress. Little did the world know that this would be the last time they would see the princess for months.
January 17, 2024: Kensington Palace announces Kate Middleton’s abdominal surgery
A few weeks later, Kensington Palace released a statement saying that the Princess of Wales had been admitted to hospital on January 16 for “abdominal surgery.” Due to medical advice, she would not return to public duties until Easter.
The statement also asked for privacy: “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” a Kensington Palace representative wrote. “She hopes the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normalcy as possible for her children.”
January 17, 2024: Buckingham Palace announces that King Charles is seeking treatment for an enlarged prostate
A few hours after Kate Middleton’s medical news, King Charles announced his own news: He was seeking treatment for an enlarged prostate. The difference between the two households’ statements is noticeable: Charles is much more specific about his condition.
January 29, 2024: The Princess of Wales returns home from hospital
At the end of January the news arrived that the Princess of Wales was returning to Windsor from the London clinic. Unlike her father-in-law, whose departure was photographed, there is no footage of her leaving the hospital, underscoring her desire for privacy.
February 5, 2024: King Charles announces his cancer diagnosis
A week later, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Charles is seeking treatment for cancer. “He remains completely positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duties as soon as possible,” Buckingham Palace said. They also revealed the motivation behind their PR decision: “His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to avoid speculation and in the hope that it can increase public understanding for everyone around the world affected by cancer.” A few days later, he released another statement thanking the public for their support. In the time since, Charles has continued to make occasional appearances, such as during a meeting with ambassadors from Algeria and Mauritania at Buckingham Palace on March 6.
February 27, 2024: Prince William withdraws from a memorial service for his godfather
In late February, Prince William announced that he could no longer attend a memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, for personal reasons. While anonymous royal sources told news media such as CNN there was no connection between the cancellation and the health of the princess, speculation arose. It quickly turned into a full-fledged social media moment as rumors spread about the princess’s whereabouts. Much of the conspiracy commentary was humorous – there were many memes about Middleton attending the botched Glasgow Willy Wonka experience – but some was salacious and defamatory.
February 29, 2024: Kensington Palace reiterates its original statement
After 48 hours of wild internet speculation, Kensington Palace confirmed their original statement Peoplee: “We were very clear from the start that the Princess of Wales would be away until after Easter and that Kensington Palace would only provide updates if there was something important,” they told the outlet. They also added that the princess was “doing well.”
March 4, 2024: Paparazzi capture the Princess of Wales as she drives through Windsor
On March 4, TMZ published grainy paparazzi photos of the princess and her mother driving around Windsor Castle in an Audi. The British press refrained from sharing the images due to the princess’s privacy.
March 10, 2024: The Prince and Princess of Wales share a photo for Mother’s Day
To mark Mother’s Day in Britain, Prince William and Kate Middleton posted a photo of the princess, along with her three children, on their social media accounts. The palace said it was taken by William in Windsor last week.
