On Mar. 22, 2024, Kate Middleton released a video announcing her cancer diagnosis. However, prior to this, she seemingly vanished from the public eye. Fueled by the media, rumors within the international community became rampant..
According to an article by ABC News, Middleton’s last public appearance was Christmas Mass of 2023, in Sandringham. Twenty-two days later, Kensington Palace revealed that Middleton had undergone surgery and that she likely wouldn’t resume public duties until Easter. As she recovered and her absence continued, speculation grew amid updates from Kensington Palace that she was doing well in what seemed to be an attempt to corral the public’s imagination.
On Mar. 10, speculation was fueled further when the Princess of Wales shared a Mother’s Day photo where she was notably not wearing her wedding ring. The image was used by multiple news agencies such as Reuters, Getty Images and Agence France-Presse. These agencies issued a kill notice for the images after they discovered that they had been edited. Middleton released a public apology taking responsibility for the editing; however, the global news director at Agence France-Presse claimed that Kensington Palace is not a reliable source due to the incident. Later on Mar. 19th, another photo credited to the princess was released that Getty Images identified as being “digitally enhanced.”
Throughout her time away from the public eye, strange and often unserious rumors spread about her. Some of these included her being killed and replaced with a body double, or that she was the villain in the viral Willy Wonka experience. One major existing rumor that William and Middleton’s marriage was on the rocks due to an alleged affair with Rose Hanbury resurfaced.
After months of rumors both serious and jokes, Middleton finally revealed the truth behind her disappearance, her cancer diagnosis. The public’s reaction was largely supportive with many of those who had spread the vicious gossip feeling embarrassed and apologizing. Moreover, people across the world, including many world leaders, voiced their support for the princess.
