Kate Middleton's Cancer Diagnosis_ A Timeline Of The Months Leading Up To Her An
Kate Middleton's Cancer Diagnosis_ A Timeline Of The Months Leading Up To Her An
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00 For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope.
00:06 You are not alone.
00:08 Kate Middleton has opened up about her health in a stunning reveal.
00:11 On March 22nd, the Princess of Wales posted a video statement breaking her silence on
00:15 the health journey that led to her step away from public duties, revealing that cancer
00:19 was discovered after her abdominal surgery and that she's undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
00:24 This of course came as a huge shock and William and I have been doing everything we can to
00:29 process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.
00:33 Her announcement comes months after the palace first shared that she would be taking time
00:36 away from the spotlight after undergoing surgery.
00:39 Her absence left many in the public with questions about her well-being, leading to a wave of
00:43 online speculation.
00:44 Access Hollywood is breaking down the entire timeline of events over the past two months,
00:48 including updates shared by the palace, the photos and videos that emerged, and the eventual
00:51 announcement that put any rumors to rest.
00:54 Kate last attended an official family outing on Christmas Day, going to church at Sandringham
00:58 with her husband Prince William and their three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte
01:02 and Prince Louis.
01:03 Following their holiday break, Prince William returned to public duties on January 11th
01:07 and fans expected Kate to follow suit.
01:09 But on January 17th, Kensington Palace announced that she had been admitted to the hospital
01:12 the day prior and had undergone a planned abdominal surgery.
01:15 The palace assured that the surgery was successful and laid out her recovery plan, saying she
01:19 would be staying in the hospital for 10 to 14 days before returning home to continue
01:23 to heal there and that she would be quote "unlikely to return to public duties until
01:26 after Easter," which falls on March 31st.
01:29 The palace's statement also explained that Kate would be keeping things largely private.
01:32 Their statement read in part,
01:33 "The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate.
01:37 She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for
01:39 her children as possible and her wish that personal medical information remains private.
01:44 Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress
01:48 when there is significant new information to share."
01:50 Details surrounding the specifics of Kate's surgical procedure were not made available,
01:54 but a Kensington Palace source told NBC News at the time that the condition was non-cancerous.
01:58 The news of Kate's health journey did generate public interest, with many wondering what
02:02 exactly she had experienced.
02:03 News emerged the next week that King Charles had reportedly visited the princess as she
02:07 recovered in the hospital while on his way to undergo his own surgery.
02:10 Kensington Palace's first official update came days later on January 29th, when they
02:14 revealed that Kate was out of the hospital.
02:16 Their statement read in part,
02:17 "The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery.
02:21 She is making good progress."
02:22 Days later, DailyMail.com U.S. Associate Editor Charlie Langston told Access Hollywood about
02:27 Kate's initial recovery at home, and the support she was getting from family.
02:30 "She was released per the timeline that the palace gave before she underwent that procedure,
02:36 and we now know that she is doing well and recovering at home quietly and with plenty
02:41 of rest.
02:42 Her parents, Michael and Carol, have obviously been there to support her through everything
02:47 and to provide essential support to William and their children.
02:51 No parent when they're going through a kind of health crisis of this kind can really manage
02:55 to juggle every single little thing, and I think having Grandpa Michael and Grandma Carol
03:01 there will have been invaluable to Kate and William as they try and navigate through this
03:06 time."
03:07 After Kate settled in back home, another royal family member was hit with a health challenge.
03:11 Buckingham Palace announced on February 5th that King Charles had been diagnosed with
03:14 cancer and would be stepping back from public duties on the advice of his doctors.
03:18 With both Charles and Kate focused on their health, William was expected to step back
03:21 into public work and take on more royal responsibility.
03:24 Charlie Langston told Access how William would have to balance a lot through this time.
03:28 "He's obviously not going to want to spend too much time away from his wife as she continues
03:33 to recover, so he's the one who's in a real bind here.
03:37 He's got the weight of the monarchy resting on his shoulders, wanting to support his father,
03:42 also trying to support his wife as she continues to recover, and then parenting their three
03:46 children.
03:47 So it's a really rough spot for William to be in, but I have no doubt that he will handle
03:51 it with stoicism and grace as he always does."
03:55 On February 7th, William had his first day back on the job following news of Kate and
03:58 Charles' health struggles.
04:00 He made his return to royal duties with back-to-back events, hosting an investiture ceremony at
04:04 Windsor Castle, before heading to a gala for London's Air Ambulance Charity.
04:08 As he took the stage at the gala, he shared thanks for all the love people have sent to
04:11 Charles and Kate.
04:12 "I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you also for the kind messages of support
04:17 for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days.
04:21 It means a great deal to us all."
04:23 Days later, the Daily Mail reported that Kate, William and their children had traveled to
04:26 Sandringham for the kids' half-term break to visit King Charles.
04:29 The reporter described her taking the trip as a "clear sign of her improvement," and
04:33 a source told the outlet that Kate was "recovering well."
04:36 The following week, William was back from the countryside and in London to attend the
04:39 BAFTAs, and he had two more royal outings over the next few days.
04:43 But when it came time for his next planned outing on February 27th, he pulled out last
04:47 minute.
04:48 William was supposed to be at Windsor Castle to attend a memorial service in honor of his
04:51 late godfather, King Constantine of Greece.
04:53 However, Kensington Palace confirmed in a statement that morning that the Prince of
04:57 Wales could no longer go due to a personal matter.
04:59 The nature of the personal matter was not specified, but at the time, a palace source
05:03 assured multiple outlets that Kate, quote, "continues to be doing well."
05:06 On the day of William's cancellation, Charlie Langston gave Access Hollywood her take on
05:10 his decision, and if it was any cause for concern.
05:12 "I think the message that the palace is really trying to get across here is that William
05:17 didn't miss the memorial service because of a personal emergency.
05:21 It was because of a personal matter.
05:23 I do think that William is going through a very difficult time in his life right now.
05:28 His father is undergoing treatment for cancer.
05:31 His wife is recovering from a major surgery.
05:34 And not only is he having to pick up more responsibility as a father and a husband,
05:39 as well as a son, he's also having to shoulder a lot more of the burden of the responsibility
05:44 of the royal family.
05:46 But since Charles ascended to the throne, the royal circle has drastically reduced in
05:52 size.
05:53 So, it makes sense to me that he may have reached a point where he needs a break.
05:57 He may well have decided, but actually, no, on this occasion, Kate needs to take priority,
06:03 or his father needs to take priority, and I just don't think that's something we'll
06:07 ever truly know.
06:09 But to my mind, that's exactly what's happened here.
06:12 It's William, his position as a father, a husband, a son, before his position as a member
06:18 of the royal family.
06:19 William rarely drops out of events, which put many royal fans on alert.
06:23 Charlie Langston told Access Hollywood about the rampant speculation and how the palace
06:26 seemed to address it in a statement the following day, and reiterated that Kate would not be
06:30 back till after Easter.
06:31 All of this got so incredibly frenzied online that the palace made the very rare move of
06:38 actually addressing all of these conspiracy theories.
06:41 They issued another statement reminding people that they had said from the off that Kate
06:47 would not be back in public until after Easter, and they assured royal well-wishers, as well
06:53 as all of these conspiracy theorists, that she was doing fine and she was recovering
06:57 well.
06:58 At the time William pulled out of the memorial service in late February, royal fans had not
07:02 seen Kate in public or in photos in more than two months.
07:05 Then in early March, Kate was spotted for the first time since.
07:08 TMZ obtained pictures of her riding in the front seat of an SUV, wearing sunglasses,
07:12 as her mom Carol drove the car near Windsor Castle.
07:14 But as Charlie Langston told Access Hollywood at the time, the paparazzi photos did not
07:18 quell the rumor mill.
07:19 Unsurprisingly, they have sparked yet another wave of conspiracy theories.
07:24 Having looked at the images myself, I would argue that it looks very much like Kate.
07:28 They are very grainy photos.
07:30 We believe that the images were taken shortly after Kate and her mother finished the school
07:35 run.
07:36 And honestly, my hope is that these photos do give people the confidence and the reassurance
07:41 that Kate is doing okay, that she's taking her recovery step by step, and to see her
07:47 out and about with her mother doing normal things like the school run is a really wonderful
07:52 thing for us to be able to see, because it indicates that she is taking steps forward
07:57 in her recovery, and that she is, as the palace said, on that right timeline that doctors
08:02 put in place from the off."
08:04 Other speculation emerged days later, when news of Kate's upcoming return to the public
08:07 eye ended up being premature.
08:09 On March 5th, the British Army listed the princess on their website as one of those
08:12 who would take part in the Horse Guards Parade in June, right before Trooping the Color.
08:16 But Kensington Palace said the next day, per People magazine, that they weren't consulted
08:20 about her appearing, and her name has since been removed from the website, meaning her
08:23 attendance is still up in the air.
08:25 On March 6th, a spokesperson for Williams seemed to address the rampant chatter about
08:28 Kate, making it clear he pays it no mind, saying, "His focus is on his work and not
08:32 on social media."
08:34 But things escalated to a new high days later, when Kate posted her first Instagram photo
08:38 in months, in honor of Mother's Day in the UK.
08:40 She shared a picture of her smiling surrounded by her three kids, which was taken by William,
08:44 and captioned it, "Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last
08:48 two months.
08:49 Wishing everyone a happy Mother's Day.
08:50 C."
08:51 Though royal fans at first were happy to see the image, some spotted apparent discrepancies
08:55 in the photo, and major news agencies, including the Associated Press and Reuters, pulled the
08:59 portrait within hours of its release, citing concerns that it had been manipulated, and
09:03 saying it did not meet their editorial standards.
09:05 Soon after, Kate issued a statement, explaining the editing and apologizing for the questions
09:09 it sparked.
09:10 She wrote on Instagram, "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment
09:13 with editing.
09:14 I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday
09:18 caused.
09:19 I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day."
09:22 The next day, a photo of William and Kate in a car was published, and while some questioned
09:25 the paparazzi shot, the photo agency behind the snap, Goff Photos, denied editing it,
09:30 telling E! News that, quote, "nothing has been doctored."
09:33 In the wake of all the photo talk, William continued on with his royal duties as usual.
09:36 He attended the annual Commonwealth service on March 11th, alongside other members of
09:40 the royal family, including Queen Camilla, Prince Edward, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh,
09:45 and Princess Anne.
09:46 Later that week, on March 14th, he attended a ceremony for the Diana Award, in honor of
09:50 Princess Diana, and he mentioned Kate on stage while discussing his late mother's impact.
09:54 "She taught me that everyone has the potential to give something back.
09:59 That everyone, indeed, deserves a supporting hand in life.
10:04 That legacy is something that both Catherine and I sought to focus on through our work,
10:09 as have the 50,000 young people who have received the Diana Award over the past 25 years."
10:16 It was two days later, on March 16th, that William and Kate were seen together for the
10:19 first time on video.
10:20 A clip published by TMZ and The Sun showed the pair outside a farm shop near their Windsor
10:24 home.
10:25 For some, the video did not put speculation to rest, but the man who captured the video
10:29 affirmed to The Sun that it was William and Kate and slammed conspiracy theories.
10:33 And when Charlie Langston spoke to Access Hollywood at the time, she also shared that
10:36 Kate's next step could be to make a public statement herself.
10:39 "I personally believe that we will hear from Kate herself, who will deliver an update as
10:45 to what has been going on with her health, what procedure she's undergone.
10:50 But the palace is very eager to allow her the space to do that, to give her the opportunity
10:55 to share her own story.
10:57 So it isn't written in a stale press release that's been typed out by people sitting in
11:01 an office.
11:03 It's Kate addressing the British public, addressing the world in her own words, and providing
11:08 them with a personal recollection of what she's been through.
11:12 But you know, as I said, anyone who's been through a major surgical procedure knows that
11:17 it takes time.
11:18 There's a difference between popping to the local shops and allowing people to see you
11:23 out and about, and sitting down and sharing what might be a very serious health matter
11:29 with the world, you know?
11:31 That's a big deal.
11:32 And I think that we need to allow Kate the time to recuperate enough that she feels comfortable
11:37 and confident enough to do that."
11:40 It was not long before Kate did just that, finally revealing details of her health journey.
11:44 On March 22nd, the princess shared a video message on Instagram, which began with her
11:47 sharing gratitude to those who had wished her well.
11:50 "I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you personally for all the wonderful
11:54 messages of support and for your understanding whilst I've been recovering from surgery.
12:01 It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I've had
12:05 a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I'm so grateful."
12:10 Kate went on to reveal her cancer diagnosis, explaining that at the time she underwent
12:14 her procedure in January, it was not believed to be related to cancer.
12:17 "In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was
12:22 thought that my condition was non-cancerous.
12:26 The surgery was successful, however tests after the operation found cancer had been
12:31 present.
12:33 My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy,
12:38 and I'm now in the early stages of that treatment."
12:41 Kate went on to share how she and William have prioritised their children during such
12:44 a difficult time.
12:45 "This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we
12:49 can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.
12:56 As you can imagine, this has taken time.
12:59 It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment, but
13:04 most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and
13:08 Louis in a way that's appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I'm going to be
13:13 okay.
13:15 As I've said to them, I am well, and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things
13:20 that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirits.
13:24 Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too, as is the
13:29 love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you.
13:34 It means so much to us both."
13:36 Kate concluded her message by asking for privacy and sharing support for those on their own
13:39 cancer journeys.
13:40 "We hope that you'll understand that as a family, we now need some time, space and
13:46 privacy while I complete my treatment.
13:51 My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when
13:55 I'm able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.
14:02 At this time, I'm also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer.
14:07 For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope.
14:14 You are not alone."
14:16 After Kate's announcement, Charlotte Langston gave Access Hollywood her analysis on the
14:19 princess sharing her health news at this time and in this way.
14:22 "I think we've known all along that when it came to this significant a health update
14:30 that Kate would want to be the person to share it with the world.
14:34 There is obviously a difference between saying she's going in for surgery and then sharing
14:40 the news that you are going through this kind of serious health battle.
14:45 And I also think that Kate felt it was important to address the world personally for a number
14:50 of reasons.
14:51 A, to stop all of the crazy conspiracy theories, which I hope will now end as a result of this
14:58 very, very emotional video.
15:01 And B, because she wanted people to hear it from her in her own words in order to bring
15:09 a bit more humanity back to the situation.
15:12 It feels very much to me like the world, or at least some of the world, has forgotten
15:17 that this whole thing involves a wife and a mother of three children.
15:22 Yes, she is the princess of Wales.
15:24 Yes, she is one of the most senior members of the royal family.
15:29 But at the foundation, she is a wife and a mother and a daughter.
15:34 And I really hope that by sharing this message in such a personal way, Kate will have reminded
15:41 those around the world who forgot that fact that she's a person and she deserves a little
15:46 bit more respect than she's been afforded.
15:49 I think that the timing of it will have been down to a number of different reasons.
15:54 First and foremost, they wanted to make sure that they had all of their ducks in a row,
16:00 as it were.
16:01 You know, they want to make sure that her treatment plan is set out, that they are sure
16:06 that there are no kind of hiccups that they might be dealing with in the next few days.
16:11 And also because Kate said in the video, she is in the very early stages of her treatment,
16:16 which suggests that she still has some way to go in continuing that treatment.
16:21 And I think that by releasing the video now, what the palace and indeed what Kate and William
16:26 will be hoping for is that people take this as an opportunity to step back, to afford
16:32 them the privacy that she asked for so graciously in that video.
16:37 And also to remember that she has three young children and that she has been taking the
16:42 time needed to get them through dealing with this diagnosis, making them understand what
16:48 it means without scaring them.
16:51 And now that she's had the opportunity to do that, now that her family has been able
16:55 to sit with that for a little bit, she feels ready to tell the world.
16:59 Kensington Palace tells NBC News that Kate started her preventative chemotherapy in late
17:03 February and that she chose to share this information, quote, "when she and the prince
17:07 felt it was right for them as a family."
17:09 As to her next steps, the palace said, "The princess will return to official duties when
17:13 she is cleared to do so by her medical team.
17:15 She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery."
17:17 Meanwhile, William will, quote, "continue to balance supporting his wife and family
17:21 and maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year."
17:26 Following her announcement, the princess received an outpouring of love on social media, including
17:30 from public figures and loved ones.
17:32 Her brother, James Middleton, wrote on Instagram, "Over the years, we have climbed many mountains
17:36 together.
17:37 As a family, we will climb this one with you too."
17:39 Meghan Markle and Prince Harry also spoke out, sharing in a statement to Access Hollywood,
17:43 "We wish health and healing for Kate and the family and hope they are able to do so
17:46 privately and in peace."
17:48 A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told NBC News that King Charles is, quote, "so proud
17:52 of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did."
17:55 The spokesperson added that Charles, who was also diagnosed with cancer this year, has,
17:58 quote, "remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout
18:02 the past weeks" and that he and Camilla, quote, "will continue to offer their love
18:05 and support to the whole family through this difficult time."
18:08 Charlie Langston weighed in on Kate and Charles both undergoing cancer treatment and the impact
18:12 on the whole royal family.
18:13 "For any family to be affected by cancer is devastating.
18:18 For two members of a family to be going through cancer treatment at the same time is absolutely
18:24 heartbreaking.
18:25 I think if you're looking at the monarchy as, you know, the firm, as a business, it
18:31 will require them all to come together and to step up to the plate where they might not
18:37 have been needed before.
18:39 I think we will see other members of the royal family taking on more responsibility in order
18:44 to share some of the burden and take some of that away from William especially.
18:51 I think we can expect to see Princess Anne, we can expect to see Prince Edward and his
18:55 wife Sophie doing a lot more engagements.
18:58 It may be that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are called upon to go to more events
19:03 and things like that.
19:05 And typically speaking, during times of hardship, we really have seen that core group of royals
19:12 rally around one another and really step up to the plate.
19:15 And I think that's going to be more important now than it ever has been before.
19:20 I think William is dealing with a huge amount right now, both professionally speaking and
19:27 personally.
19:29 He has a wonderful support system in place and Kate's family, I know, has been there
19:34 every step of the way.
19:36 Kate's parents have been a huge support to William, who is doing his best right now to
19:43 kind of navigate keeping up with the royal duties that he needs to keep up with, but
19:49 also being there for his children.
19:51 Because at the end of the day, no matter how duty-bound you are, your children will always
19:56 come first and they always have for William.
19:59 And I think that he's made that clear.
20:01 I think this situation will likely have William feeling much more emotional about his rift
20:07 with his brother.
20:09 I think that times like this make those kinds of fractured relationships seem even more
20:15 distant.
20:17 But at the same time, William is not someone who dwells on the negatives.
20:21 He's not someone who likes to sit in kind of terrible feelings, as it were.
20:28 And I think that what he will be focusing on right now is ensuring that he fulfills
20:33 the duties that he himself must absolutely fulfill, but making sure that Kate knows that
20:39 she is his number one priority and that their family ranks much higher on his priority list
20:45 than being the future king.
20:48 [MUSIC]