Early 2024 saw the British royal family rocked by news of serious health issues. Buckingham Palace 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 was 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 endeavored to ensure the royal family remained in good standing with the public, adapting to modern times to prevent the institution from being perceived as outdated.
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 discover how the royal family is coping during this challenging time.
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King Charles III was admitted to the London Clinic for specific treatment on Jan. 26, 2024. He was discharged after three nights. The palace later 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. 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. The statement 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 the 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 is 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 (about 4.4 to 6.6 pounds). 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 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 for London’s Air Ambulance on Feb. 7, 2024. There, he spoke about his family’s recent health issues in public for the first time and thanked the public “for the kind messages and support for Catherine and for my father,” adding it “means a great deal to us all.”
Finally, on March 10, 2024, Kate released her first personal message to the public since her surgery more than a month prior. Lifting the spirits of fans and supporters, she released an endearing photo of herself on social media surrounded by her three children to mark Mother’s Day in Britain. The caption read:
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”
It was undersigned “C” in a personal touch by the princess. Another delightful surprise that had fans fawning included the credit for the photo, which revealed Kate’s husband, William, to be the one behind the camera who had expertly captured the marvelous candid shot of his beautiful family.
While Kate’s gesture was initially appreciated by the public and royal watchers, an issue with the photograph was spotted and led to numerous news agencies issuing a “kill notification.” This is an industry term referring to the mandatory retraction and pulling of the photo from publication. Among the agencies that issued the notice are Getty Images, AFP, Reuters, and Associated Press (AP), after it noticed “inconsistency in alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”
AP added in a message to its subscribers:
“At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent.”
While the kill notice doesn’t necessarily imply that the photo itself is completely doctored – highly unlikely for Kensington Palace, which curates the Wales’ public presence with extreme precision – it does suggest the error may have simply been the result of an oversight during a touching-up process.
Many news outlets adhere to their individual stringent protocols regarding the utilization of altered images, opting to employ them solely alongside a clarification indicating the alteration from the original.
Just a few hours after the news agencies pulled the photo, the issue threatened to escalate even further. More edits were found in the photo, such as inconsistencies in the background, camera focus and the zipper on Kate’s jacket. Thus, instead of curbing speculation and quelling fears about Kate’s health, as its release was likely intended to, the discovery that the photo had been manipulated generated even more concern for the princess. This was likely the reason why Kate decided to address the issue by taking responsibility for the edits to the photograph. In a social media message the next day, Kate wrote:
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”
The image was the first of Kate to be seen since her surgery, although there has been no confirmation about when the photo was taken. With the discovery of the edits, some also speculated that the photo may have been a composite of a few different pictures to show Kate and all three of her children together.
Meanwhile, the BBC’s royal correspondent, Sean Coughlan, argued that perhaps the public had “unfair expectations” of the royal family, wanting “the royals to be like us – taking a relaxed family picture for Mother’s Day – but at the same time we want them to be completely different and special.”
Other parties, including one royal source, downplayed the issue, saying the picture was nothing more than an “amateur, family photograph” that was only released to mark Mother’s Day.
On March 11, 2024, Kate was spotted again in a snap alongside William in a car leaving Windsor Castle. While the photo seemed innocuous at first glance, theories that this photo, too, had been manipulated began to swirl.
One social media user criticized the blurry photo and suggested it was a ploy by the palace, writing, “This could be absolutely anyone.”
In another social media post, user @STILL_BJEWELED shared the original photo alongside a lightened version that they claimed confirmed Kate had been digitally inserted.
“They used a Christmas day photo. They erased her earring, her hat brim can clearly be seen, as can the top be seen obscuring the rectangle in the interior of the car… then they added some noise to make it harder to discern the edits… they are really bad at this!!!” the caption read.
Some agreed, as one user stated: “I’m very surprised that they went for a 3rd try.🥴 Something serious has obviously happened that they are this desperate to convince people of something that is NOT.. But, I’m here for it.”
As speculation intensified, Goff Photos, the agency behind the snap, admitted the “images of the Prince and Princess of Wales in the back of the Range Rover have been cropped and lightened” but stressed “nothing has been doctored!”
Then on March 16, 2024, Kate was filmed for the first time since her surgery shopping with Prince William at Windsor Farm Shop. Despite Kate being caught on video this time around, conspiracy theories soon began to swirl, from speculation that it was a body double as Kate appeared taller than usual to claims the footage was taken during Christmas as decorations were still visible. As the debate intensified online, the man behind the camera decided to speak up to quell the fuss.
Nelson Silva, 40, told The Sun he first spotted the couple in the shop from behind but couldn’t be sure it was them.
“Then I saw Kate turn her head slightly, I was like, ‘Oh I know her’. They went to the meat section and I was stood behind them. They were talking to staff and laughing. …the staff seemed overwhelmed in a nice way. When I went to pay for my produce, the girl at the counter was so shocked she was hardly breathing. Everyone in there was very excited. It was a really nice atmosphere. I went to the car and decided to take a video to share with my family in Portugal,” he said, adding they looked “very happy and relaxed together.”
Silva’s colleagues encouraged him to share the video to help put wild rumors surrounding the princess to rest.
“This is a video clearly showing her and William. I saw them with my own eyes. It was a completely relaxed situation. 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,” he said.
He added the rumormongers had “put so much time and energy into these rumours and lies that they can’t pull the plug,” and questioned at “what point will they back off and realise they have been caught up in something that is crazy?”
“I feel for Kate, after I saw her, it really hit me that, look, these are just two human beings. This is a mother who has had an operation and people should not be speaking about her in this manner. The people saying nasty things and jumping on the bandwagon, I think they just want to get likes,” Silva shared.
#KateMiddleton seemed to be in good spirits while out and about with #PrinceWilliam Saturday. https://t.co/kLUsfvt3b2 (🎥: TMZ/The Sun) pic.twitter.com/EqbtVojBcw
— TMZ (@TMZ) March 18, 2024
What do you think about Nelson Silva’s video and story? We’d also 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.
