Catherine, Princess of Wales, visits the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust — a youth sports charity — in Bath, England, in 2023.
Updated 6:46 PM EDT, Fri March 22, 2024
Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed Friday, March 22, that she has been diagnosed with cancer and is in the “early stages” of treatment.
Kate, 42, had been mostly absent from the public eye since an abdominal surgery in January, causing wild speculation about her health to swirl.
In what appeared to be an attempt to put an end to rumors, Kate released an official photograph of her and her three children — George, Charlotte and Louis — on Mother’s Day, which was marked in the UK on March 10.
But instead of ending the speculation, it fueled it instead. Multiple global news agencies recalled the image from circulation, citing manipulation concerns. Kate admitted that she had edited the photograph and apologized.
Kate married Prince William, now the heir apparent to the British throne, in 2011. They met while attending the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Kate Middleton, seen here at age 3, was born on January 9, 1982, in Reading, England.
Kate and her younger sister, Pippa, are seen with their father, Michael, in Jerash, Jordan. The Middleton family lived in Jordan for two and a half years.
Kate poses for a picture outside Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England, in 2004.
Kate and Prince William met at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 2001 and the pair started dating two years later. They are seen here on their graduation day in 2005.
Prince William and Kate cheer on the English rugby team during a Six Nations Championship match against Italy in 2007.
Kate and Prince William pose for photographers during an event to mark their engagement in 2010. William proposed with the engagement ring that belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana.
William and Kate are followed by Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton as they leave Westminster Abbey in London after their wedding ceremony in 2011.
William and Kate kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day.
The Obamas meet with the royal couple at Buckingham Palace in 2011.
Queen Elizabeth II, William and Kate stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012.
In 2012, Kate and William drink coconut milk from a tree that Queen Elizabeth II planted decades ago in the South Pacific nation of Tuvalu.
Prince Harry, Kate and William visit the set used to depict Diagon Alley in the “Harry Potter” films in 2013.
Kate and William depart St. Mary’s Hospital in London in 2013 with their newborn son, Prince George.
Prince George looks at his newborn sister, Princess Charlotte, as the family departs her christening in 2015.
Queen Elizabeth II stands with her husband, Prince Philip; her son, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla; and her grandson Prince William, and his wife, Kate, as they pose photo a photograph ahead of an evening reception at Buckingham Palace in 2016.
Kate holds her newborn son, Prince Louis, as they arrive for his christening service in 2018.
Princess Charlotte arrives for her first day of school with her parents and her brother Prince George at Thomas’s Battersea in London in 2019.
Kate and Camilla watch as Queen Elizabeth II uses a sword to cut a cake at a charity event in St. Austell, England, in 2021.
William and Kate play drums while visiting the Trench Town Culture Yard Museum in Kingston, Jamaica, in 2022. They were on a royal tour of the Caribbean.
Prince Louis holds his hands over his ears during the six-minute flypast staged by the Royal Air Force during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. From left are Prince Charles, the Queen, Prince Louis, Kate and Princess Charlotte.
From left, Prince William, Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, wave to a crowd outside Windsor Castle ahead of the Queen’s funeral in 2022.
Prince Harry and Meghan walk behind Prince William and Kate as they leave Westminster Hall in London, where the Queen’s coffin was lying in state.
Kate travels in a State Coach to Buckingham Palace following a ceremonial Welcome on Horse Guards Parade in London in 2022.
Prince Louis points out something to his sister, Princess Charlotte, during the coronation of their grandfather, King Charles III, in 2023.
Kate meets with Irish wolfhound Turlough Mor (aka Seamus), the regimental mascot of the Irish Guards, during a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2023.
Kate walks alongside Choo Kyung-ho, the Deputy Prime Minister of South Korea, while attending a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in 2023.
Kate attends the National Service of Remembrance at The Cenotaph in London in November 2023. Every year, members of the British royal family join politicians, veterans and members of the public to remember those who have died in combat.
Police officers stand guard outside the London Clinic in January 2024, where Kate was recovering after undergoing abdominal surgery.
British newspaper front pages feature cover stories on Kate in March 2024 after several major news agencies withdrew a photo distributed by Kensington Palace showing Kate and her children, saying they believed the photo had been manipulated. Kate later apologized and admitted that she had edited the photograph, which was released amid speculation about her health.
People watch a broadcast of Kate revealing that she is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer. The pre-recorded video was released on Friday, March 22.