Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer and is in the “early stages” of treatment. Even though it is not known what type of cancer she has, oncologists have said that what she described in her video message – discovering cancer during a “major abdominal surgery” – is all too common. In her public statement released Friday, Kate said the diagnosis came after undergoing abdominal surgery in January. Her condition was initially thought to be non-cancerous, but later tests “found cancer had been present,” she said. Now, without speculating on Kate Middleton’s procedure, here’s what experts say they know about the UK princess’ cancer.  

Speaking to the New York Times, Dr Elena Ratner, a gynecologic oncologist at Yale Cancer Center, described situations in which women will go in for surgery for endometriosis, a condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found elsewhere in the abdomen. Dr Ratner said that often the assumption is that the endometriosis has appeared on an ovary and caused a benign ovarian cyst. But a few days later, when the supposedly benign tissue has been studied and tested, pathologists report that they have found cancer. 

The doctors also noted that Kate said she is getting “a course of preventive chemotherapy”. This too is common, they said, explaining that in medical settings, this is usually called adjuvant chemotherapy. 

Also Read | Kate Middleton Third UK Royal To Face Cancer. Here Are The Other Two

According to Dr Eric Winer, director of the Yale Cancer Center, with adjuvant chemotherapy, “the hope is that this will prevent further problems” and avoid a recurrence of the cancer. It also means that “you removed everything” that was visible with surgery, said Dr Michael Birrer, director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. 

You can’t see the cancer because microscopic cancer cells may be left behind, Dr Birrer added, as per the Post. Chemotherapy is a way to attack microscopic disease, he explained.

Separately, speaking to CNN, Dr Karen Knudsen, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society, explained that preventative chemotherapy is often used after surgery as an “adjuvant” therapy, to weaken the chances of cancer returning. 

Notably, Kate Middleton had been mostly absent from the public eye since her surgery in January, causing speculations about her health to swirl. Moreover, the shock diagnosis comes after the UK’s King Charles III was also diagnosed with cancer following a procedure for an enlarged prostate.

A man who shot the video of Princess of Wales Kate Middleton at a market in Windsor has slammed people casting doubts and spinning conspiracy theories about her health. Nelson Silva told The Sun that he saw Kate “with my own eyes” looking relaxed with her husband, Prince William. In the clip, which has gained considerable attention across the globe, shows a smiling Kate Middleton in leggings and black top. But the new visuals have not cleared doubts and several social media users have claimed it’s not the Princess of Wales.

Also Read | New Kate Middleton Video Sparks Conspiracy Theories

“What more do you need to lay off her? I thought after this was released they’d go quiet. But these people are so invested in the drama now,” Mr Silva told the outlet.

“They’ve put so much time and energy into these rumours and lies that they can’t pull the plug. Even famous people are guilty. People with a large platform online – they can’t admit they are wrong now because they look so delusional,” he added.

Mr Silva said he had no idea about rumours around Kate Middleton’s health when he ran into her at a Windsor Farm Shop on Saturday.

“I’m not so much shocked that these comments have continued, I’m just confused how exactly they can continue,” said Mr Silva, an engineer.

“This is a video clearly showing her and William. I saw them with my own eyes. It was a completely relaxed situation,” he added.

The footage of the 42-year-old Princess of Wales carrying her own shopping bag was released late on Monday by The Sun.

The scrutiny around the future queen of Britain has been on overdrive after she was admitted to the London Clinic for a planned surgery on January 16, with social media speculation swirling around her recuperation.

Kensington Palace had said after the surgery that the Princess of Wales was “making good progress” and that it would not be offering any regular commentary on a private medical matter. Kate is not expected to return to official royal duties until next month, after the Easter school holidays.

An investigation has been launched at the clinic where Kate Middleton had her abdominal surgery after a staff member tried to access her private medical records, as per a report in The Guardian. This comes as the 42-year-old has been away from the public eye since December. According to Kensington Palace, she is recovering at home after a “planned abdominal surgery” in January. Other than a couple of blurry pictures and videos, she has not been seen and social media has been abuzz with speculation about her health, generating global headlines and rumours.

The report, quoting the Mirror, added that at least one employee attempted to obtain Kate Middleton’s medical records in January while she was a patient at The London Clinic in Marylebone, London. The senior hospital management “contacted Kensington Palace immediately after the incident was brought to their attention and assured the palace there would be a full investigation”.

A source told the outlet, “This is a major security breach and incredibly damaging for the hospital, given its unblemished reputation for treating members of the royal family. The whole medical staff have been left utterly shocked and distraught over the allegations and were very hurt that a trusted colleague could have allegedly been responsible for such a breach of trust and ethics.”

The UK’s authority for data protection and privacy said that it had received a breach report. An Information Commissioner’s Office spokesperson told the outlet, “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.” Meanwhile, the Kensington Palace said that it “is a matter for the London Clinic.”

The London Clinic refused to respond to the claims but said that their patients “deserve total privacy” about their medical records. “We firmly believe that all our patients, no matter their status, deserve total privacy and confidentiality regarding their medical information,” they added.

Although the details of Ms Middleton’s condition are unknown, Kensington Palace has previously stated that it is unrelated to cancer and that the 42-year-old wants her medical information to remain private. Based on medical advice at the time, the Princess was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter” on March 31.

Notably, Kate Middleton was spotted at a farmer’s market with her husband Prince William on March 16. The new video, published by the British media, showed a smiling Princess, dressed in a black outfit, walking with her husband, carrying shopping bags at the Windsor market. Some people allege that the woman in the video did not resemble the Princess of Wales while others say that they are happy to see Ms Middleton “happy and healthy”. Many on the internet also added that the photos looked too grainy when every phone had a smartphone or HD camera.

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, has been away from the public eye since December, leaving social media users speculating about the UK royal. According to Kensington Palace, the 42-year-old is recovering at home after a “planned abdominal surgery” in January, but some users believe the royal is in an “induced coma”. Amid the speculations, the royal’s senior staff members are not aware of her post-recovery process. Some of the staffers stated that she was nowhere to be seen. 

“A few of Kate’s senior staffers haven’t been able to see or speak to her, and they didn’t even know about the surgery until it was announced, so it’s caught them off guard,” a source told Us Weekly.

According to the New York Post, some of them had no idea about the surgery until it was announced by Kensington Palace. “Only a few people know what’s really going on, and they’re tight-lipped. It’s confusing and causing some concern,” they continued. 

A “shroud of secrecy” surrounds Ms Middleton, the report continued, adding that the only guests have been the cancer-stricken King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla.  It added that the palace is keeping the royal’s post-op recuperation “very hush-hush.”

“Kate’s said she feels she’s entitled to heal and recuperate without all of this frenzied speculation. Neither Kate nor William think her medical records should be for public consumption. She’s trying not to pay attention to all the rumours and gossip, and William is doing his best to shield her, but it’s distressing,” they added.

Meanwhile, a controversy started after the Princess of Wales shared a family snap of herself with her children on Mother’s Day. The photo was withdrawn by news agencies after it was found to have been “manipulated”. The princess later apologised, saying, “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.” The 42-year-old was said to be “very sad” that a happy family photo had sparked such an uproar.

However, the incident gave rise to a new wave of conspiracy theories about the British royal, which have been termed “Katespiracy” online. Many people were also curious about whether British royals had ever manipulated photographs, and media outlets like CNN announced that they would look over all of the handout photos that Kensington Palace had previously provided.

London:

AFP and other news agencies removed from their services on Sunday the first official photo of Britain’s Princess Kate Middleton to be released since her abdominal surgery, saying the image was found to have been manipulated.

The 42-year-old princess, whose husband Prince William is heir to the British throne, has been recovering mainly at their home in Windsor, west of London, since leaving hospital on January 29.

The photo released by Kensington Palace to mark Mother’s Day in Britain shows the smiling Princess of Wales sitting on a garden chair, dressed in jeans, a sweater and a dark jacket, surrounded by her three laughing children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” read a message accompanying the photo on the social media platform X.

“Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day,” said the message, which was signed “C” for Catherine.

Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C

The Prince of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/6DywGBpLLQ

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024

In a statement, the palace said the photo was taken “in Windsor earlier this week” by Kate’s husband, Prince William.

However, multiple news agencies including AFP later pulled the image over concerns it had been manipulated.

“It has come to light that the Handout issued by Kensington Palace today of Kate and the kids had been altered, therefore it was withdrawn from AFP systems,” the agency said in a note to clients accompanied.

The family photograph was the first official image of Kate released by the royal family since her hospitalisation at the London Clinic on January 16 for an abdominal surgery.

The future queen was last pictured in public during a Christmas Day walk in Sandringham, eastern England.

Photos published by TMZ earlier in March showed Kate wearing sunglasses while being driven in a car, with the celebrity news site saying they were taken near Windsor Castle.

UK media outlets including the Daily Mail and The Sun chose not to publish the pictures.

The sighting came after a flurry of conspiracy theories on social media over the famously hard-working and dutiful princess’s absence from the spotlight.

The speculation came despite Kensington Palace clearly saying at the time of her surgery that she would be “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter”.

It also said the surgery was not related to cancer.

Kate’s hospitalisation came almost simultaneously with the announcement that William’s father, King Charles, had been admitted for surgery for a benign prostate condition and subsequently diagnosed with an unrelated cancer.

Charles, 75, visited his daughter-in-law’s bedside after being admitted himself on January 26.

The king withdrew from public duties during his treatment, though he attended church services and held his weekly audience with the prime minister.

Camilla steps in

Charles’s wife Queen Camilla, 76, has been the most visible senior royal, stepping in to cover many of her husband’s public duties during his treatment.

She is now on a break until March 11, when she is expected to join William and other senior royals at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

She is reported to be on holiday this week, effectively meaning all four of the most senior royals are out of action.

The princess is one of the most popular members of the royal family.

She and William have taken on more royal duties since his younger brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan left for the United States in 2020, and the king’s brother Prince Andrew stepped back because of his friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

London:

Kate Middleton, Britain’s Princess of Wales, thanked the public on Sunday for their support in her first public message since undergoing abdominal surgery in January, posting a picture of herself with her three children.

The photograph, taken by her husband, heir to the throne Prince William, showed Kate, 42, smiling and looking healthy surrounded by Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate wrote in a message on X. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”

Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C

The Prince of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/6DywGBpLLQ

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024

Mother’s Day is celebrated on Sunday in Britain. The photograph was taken earlier this week in Windsor where the family live, her Kensington Palace office said.

Kate spent two weeks in hospital in January after having surgery for a non-cancerous but unspecified condition. She has not been seen in public since and Kensington Palace has said she is unlikely to return to official duties until after Easter, which falls at the end of this month.

There have been rumours and some wild speculation on social media in recent weeks about the health of the princess, who has been absent from public royal life since Christmas Day.

Her office released a statement earlier this month, reiterating that it would be providing only “significant updates” about her recovery.

Kate’s surgery came on the same day that palace officials said King Charles, 75, would also be entering hospital for treatment for an enlarged prostate.

During the king’s hospital stay, his medical team discovered he had an unspecified form of cancer. The monarch has had to postpone his public engagements while he undergoes treatment although he has been pictured carrying out some of his duties as head of state.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)