Kate Middleton Cancer Diagnosis Sparks Fiery Response in UK

Kate Middleton revealed this weekend that she has been diagnosed with cancer, casting the press’ speculation about her over the last several weeks in a new light. After the news spread, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak issued a fiery message to pundits, social media commenters and conspiracy theorists. He condemned their rhetoric and encouraged them to consider people’s feelings and privacy before sharing such rumors in the future.

“My thoughts are with the Princess of Wales, Prince of Wales, the Royal Family and in particular her three children at this difficult time,” Sunak wrote. “The Princess of Wales has the love and support of the whole country as she continues her recovery. She has shown tremendous bravery with her statement today. In recent weeks she has been subjected to intense scrutiny and has been unfairly treated by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media. When it comes to matters of health, like everyone else, she must be afforded the privacy to focus on her treatment and be with her loving family.”

“I know I speak for the whole country in wishing her a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her back in action when she’s ready,” Sunak concluded. The Prime Minister’s message was not universally accepted or rejected – it drew continued divisive comments from other users including some who still harbored conspiracy theories.

Up until this weekend, Middleton’s last public appearance had been on Christmas Day in 2023. Spokespeople for the royal family announced in mid-January that Middleton had undergone a “planned abdominal surgery” successfully, but that she would need to cancel or postpone all of her public engagements through Easter to recover. 

As weeks dragged on without a glimpse of Middleton, commenters and news outlets wondered what could be keeping her out of sight. In recent weeks, the topic even extended into jokes on social media, but Middleton set the record straight on Friday. In a video posted on social media, Middleton said that cancer had been detected during her surgery.

“My medical team, therefore, advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” the princess shared. “This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”

Middleton’s diagnosis comes on the heels of a cancer diagnosis for her father-in-law, King Charles III as well. The royal family is adjusting their workload to allow for these two to get treatment and recover. Further details on the nature of their conditions are not expected to be announced publicly.