Princess Kate: For this important occasion she returns to the public after the end of her chemotherapy

Kate Middleton: All the facts about her time off, surgery and recovery at a glance

On January 19th, Kensington Palace officially announced thathad to undergo a “planned” (meaning: non-emergency) abdominal operation and is expected to be untilwill withdraw from her official duties and from the public eye. And like the one fueled by rumors-world plays like this, there have been numerous hypotheses and even conspiracy myths surrounding her illness ever since. So let’s do a little fact check!

Kate Middleton: Here's what we really know about her illness, her procedure and her recovery

Christmas 2023:Dieattends church service on Christmas Day and everyone seems happy and healthy. It isbefore the procedure.

17 January 2024:Kensington Palace issued a statement saying that the Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital the previous day for planned abdominal surgery, where she will remain for up to two weeks - and that she will continue her scheduled appointments until Easter (31). March) could not perceive while she recovered.

29 January 2024:Two weeks after Princess Kate was admitted to hospital, Kensington Palace announced that the princess had returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery. Prince William also plans to limit or postpone many of his royal duties so that he can care for their three children while his wife recovers.

February 27, 2024: fails to attend the memorial service for King Constantine of Greece (his father's late cousin) at Windsor Castle due to a "personal matter", leading to speculation.told NBC NewsIt is announced that the princess "continues to do well", while two other royal family members - his father, King Charles III, and his aunt Sarah Ferguson -treated for cancerwould. Enough absence of the royals for conspiracy theorists to get Princess Diana flashbacks and suspect a scandal.

At the time, some claimed that the rest of Kate Middleton's family had also "disappeared". Pippa Middleton was with her a few days earlierBeach vacationphotographed in the Caribbean. And that doesn't seem at all like the behavior of someone whose sister is in deep crisis or even terminally ill. With this in mind: We look forward to hopefully seeing Princess Kate healthy and happy again soon, and hope that all the wild speculation doesn't distract her too much from her recovery.

March 4, 2024:Kate Middleton will for the first time since her breakphotographed, while traveling with her mother Carole Middleton in an Audi near Windsor Castle. At the latest, the rumor mill about the princess's absence should come to a somewhat standstill.

March 10, 2024:Kate Middleton shares a photo of herself on the Instagram channel “princeandprincessofwales” for the first time since returning from the hospital - and the comments under the picture show how deep the conspiracy myths surrounding the princess' time off have now reached. Countless users are convinced that the family photo with their three children George, Charlotte and Louis is an AI-generated image. The palace wanted to conceal the fact that something bad happened to Kate Middleton or - according to the wildest myths - that the palace itself was responsible for the supposed “disappearance” of the princess.

Where the image contains traces of image manipulation? Well, the hobby detectives have found some clues for this: it is extremely untypical that Kate Middleton is not wearing her wedding ring, her hair falls too statically in the places where George hugs her from behind, and Princess Charlotte both have boots a different paragraph that it was illogical for Kate Middleton to wear skinny jeans so soon after her operation - and so on and so forth.

By the way, the whole thing got so far that some picture and press agencies withdrew the picture after it was published on their websites due to suspicion of forgery. In fact, there is evidence of image manipulation, which can mean anything from a small Photoshop adjustment to simple filters. There are currently no concrete suspicions of AI fraud from experts. Nevertheless, the German Press Agency (dpa) and the British agency PA have asked Kensington Palace for a statement.

March 11th:In the new picture, the Princess of Wales sits next to Prince William in the back seat of an SUV and is on her way to a “private appointment,” as theDaily Mailreported.

March 12, 2024:Princess Kate confirmed thisfor Mother's Day - giving rise to further speculation. The palace says the original photo will not be published. After numerous photo and press agencies removed the photo from their websites, the Princess of Wales commented on it on X (formerly Twitter) and admitted her mistake.

March 14, 2024:As early as March 5th, interested observers noticed that, according to the British Ministry of Defense, Kate Middleton would take part in the “Trooping the Color” ceremony on June 8th, 2024. That same day, that claim was quickly and quietly deleted from the authority's website after Kensington Palace announced that the princess's attendance had not been confirmed. Then this observation went viral on X (formerly Twitter).

That is, at one point the Ministry of Defense had good reason to believe that Kate would attend the ceremony. But the Royal Family doesn't yet know for sure whether they will actually be at the event or not. Kensington Palace had officially stated that Kate Middleton would likely be absent from public duties until Easter, i.e. March 31st. However, that is two months before the “Trooping the Color” ceremony.

It is currently unknown whether Kate Middleton will be at the parade or not. Neither the Palace nor the Ministry of Defense have yet commented again.

March 18, 2024:New week, same questions. It remains unclear when Kate Middleton will be seen in public again. Recently there was speculation as to whether the Princess of Wales would return to her royal duties around Easter - but that doesn't seem to be confirmed: LoudSunday TimesThe princess's first public appearance could not take place until April 19, 2024 - a good two weeks after the Easter holidays, as was originally reported.

And Kensington Palace also spoke up: Due to the Princess's current health condition, it would be highly unlikely that she would resume her royal duties before Easter, it was said.

March 18, 2024: TMZreleases a video that purports to show Kate Middleton and Prince William shopping at a local farmers' market. But the speculators on the internet cannot be dissuaded and suspect that the woman in the video was actually Kate Middleton's lookalike Heidi Agan and that the royal couple pulled off a big PR stunt to get away with itwithto distract.

March 22, 2024:Kensington Palace announced at 6pm on Friday March 22 that the Princess of Wales has been diagnosed with cancer.:

March 23, 2024:After Princess Catherine made her cancer diagnosis public on March 22, 2024, her brother-in-law came forwardin the US magazineUs Weeklyto say: “We wish Kate and her family health and a speedy recovery. We hope they can recover with appropriate privacy and in peace.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped back from all their royal duties in 2020 and left the kingdom. The couple, who now live in California, have been devastated since their departure (and Prince Harry's memoirs) is said to have a chilly relationship with the English royal family.

March 23, 2024:Prince William and Princess Kate also spoke together again. A spokesman for Kensington Palace reported on March 23rd: "The Prince and Princess are both very touched by the kind messages from people here in the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness's message," the statement said.

13. April 2024:Princess Kate is slowly returning to everyday life and her duties. Kate and William wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “We are shocked and saddened by the terrible events in Sydney this morning. Our thoughts are with everyone affected, including the families of the victims and the heroic rescue workers who risked their own lives to save others.”

In Princess Kate's absence, William signed only “W”. Now you can see both abbreviations again: “W & C”. This indicates that Kate will slowly but surely make her way back into the public eye.

2. May 2024: Now Prince William has once again commented on the health of his wife, Princess Kate: During a visit to a charity organization in Newcastle, the heir to the throne also talked to visitors to the event and citizens on the street. You can see in photos how he interacts with men and women. Apparently he was, according to the English newspaperDaily Mailasked by a citizen how he and his family were doing. The prince replied that they were fine. But the passer-by then explicitly asked about Princess Kate again. “We’re fine,” Prince William replied emphatically. It is still unclear when Princess Kate will next appear in public.

8. May 2024:Prince William is spending two days in Cornwall, where he is staying overnight for the first time since Princess Kate's cancer diagnosis. Royal expert Ephraim Hardcastle interprets this as a good sign regarding Kate Middleton's recovery. Until now, the prince had reduced his royal obligations to a minimum in order to support his partner as much as possible on her road to recovery. “His willingness to stay away for a night is the best indication yet that the Princess of Wales is on the mend,” he toldMailOnline.

23. May 2024:A royal insider, who is also in contact with Princess Kate's closest friends, reportsMailOnline,that the planned date for Kate Middleton to resume her royal duties has been postponed. More specifically: One can be prepared that the princess will not return to the public before autumn. At the same time, he warns that this should not be taken as a bad sign for her recovery. On the contrary, it is the case that “no one wants to exert pressure” and that the royal family’s desire for Kate Middleton to make a full recovery is a sign of the importance that “Her Royal Highness has for the future of the monarchy”.

31. May 2024:Kate Middleton will not attend the traditional rehearsal for the royal spectacle “Trooping the Color” on June 8th. Kensington Palace confirmed this on May 30, 2024 in a rare announcement about the Princess of Wales and her health.

According to the British daily newspaper portalMailOnlineit is said that the Princess of Wales will not attend the traditional "Colonel's Review" next week and will not receive the salute in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards. LoudMailOnlineIt is also unclear which members of the royal family will take part in the “Trooping the Color” parade.

Especially recently, the reports about Princess Kate and her health were positive because she had been seen in public several times. According to English news portals, it seemed as if the mother of three had “got the ball rolling” with the preventative chemotherapy she has undergone since her cancer diagnosis.

10 June:Kate Middleton has promoted her long-time and much-loved stylist Natasha Archer to senior personal assistant. This honors the princess who likeMailOnlinereports, the long-standing close relationship that the two have maintained with each other and which, according to insider reports, became particularly important for Princess Kate, especially after Kate Middleton's abdominal surgery and preventative chemotherapy. Archer was even said to have been tasked with picking up Kate Middleton after the operation.

Princess Kate also personally apologized to the Irish Guard for missing the traditional “Trooping the Color” rehearsal. A public letter from Kate Middleton said she was “proud” of the regiment and sent her “best wishes”. She continued, "I appreciate that everyone participating in the ceremony this year has practiced for months and put in many hours to ensure their uniforms and drill are impeccable." She also hopes, the letter says, to be able to represent the regiment publicly again soon.

15 June:While Princess Kate was still apologizing for the rehearsal of the “Trooping the Color” event, on the day of the actual military parade the time had come: Kate Middleton took part in a royal event for the first time since her cancer. And she made a particularly elegant appearance in a sheath dress that was typical of Kate and all in white.

However, it is still uncertain whether her appearance at the parade in King Charles' honor means that we will see her in public more often in the future. After her long break, it is quite possible that she will return to her royal duties rather slowly. Royal fans still draw hope from her appearance - on the one hand because the princess was beaming from ear to ear on the royal balcony, and on the other hand because she chose a color palette that symbolizes a new beginning!

We'll definitely keep you updated on how Kate Middleton's recovery continues!

6 July 2024:The Wimbledon Championships, which take place every year in London, are the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world - and are known for attracting quite a star cast. Attending the tournament is also a tradition among the British royals. This year, however, we will probably have to do without the sight of Princess Kate in the VIP box - because Kate Middleton has not appeared at any extra-royal events since her cancer diagnosis.

She made a rare public statement from her recovery time when champion Andy Murray withdrew from the tournament - the last tournament of his tennis career. “An incredible #Wimbledon career is coming to an end. You should be very proud, @andy_murray. On behalf of all of us, thank you! C”,wrote Kateon X (formerly Twitter). So is there still hope that Wimbledon will be Kate Middleton's first semi-private appearance since her diagnosis? We'll definitely keep an eye out for her and her iconic looks.

14 July 2024:There has been speculation for a long time as to whether Kate Middleton would be there after her first public appearance since her cancer diagnosiswill appear. A visit that is actually a royal tradition. And indeed! On July 14th, for the grand finale, Kate Middleton took a seat in the royal box of the tennis event together with her daughter Charlotte and sister Pippa Middleton.

It was clear to everyone else in the stadium that this was a big moment, and they greeted the princess with a standing ovation! A reception that Kate Middleton was visibly touched by and for which she stopped and waved to the crowd before even arriving at her seat.

It remains unclear whether we will see Kate Middleton more often again. It was only in June that the princess made a public statement saying that she was feeling better, but was “not out of the woods yet”. That's why she "takes each day as it comes" and tries to listen closely to the signs her body is giving her.

11. August 2024:Towards the end of thePrincess Kate and Prince William took the opportunity to thank the British team for their commitment with a video message. “From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB,” says Kate Middleton in the video, which the royal couple shared on their Instagram channel @princeandprincessofwales. Prince William added: “Congratulations on everything you have achieved. You are an inspiration to us all.”

So far, so usual. However, the couple was not alone in delivering the message to the team, but was seen in a cut back to back with rapper Snoop Dogg, football legend David Beckham and other British celebrities from politics and pop culture. “Snoop Dogg x Kensington Palace is the crossover we never knew we needed,” one fan commented under the video. The rapper, who became a fixture at this year's Olympics as a correspondent for NBC News, ended the royal message by saying to Team GB athletes: "Thank you, Great Britain. In the name of the great Snoop Dogg, the Prince and his lovely wife.”

But even more fun than seeing the royal couple alongside Snoop Dogg, Princess Kate and Prince William's summery look gave off a lot of holiday vibes - which fans took under the video as a clear sign that Kate Middleton remains on the road to recovery following her cancer diagnosis. The couple appeared to have recorded their part of the video in the garden of their summer residence in Norfolk, as royal expert Jane Barr confirms. Both of them look relaxed, with a noticeable tan on their faces - and Prince William even seems to be taking things so easy these days that he's sporting a casual stubble. “We haven't seen that in years, what a sight!” commented one user enthusiastically.

9. September 2024:Princess Kate has finished her chemotherapy. The princess reports this in a video that she publishes on the shared Instagram channel with Prince William. “The last nine months have been incredibly hard for us as a family. “Life as you know it can change in an instant, and we had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and the unknown road,” says Princess Kate.

Now it's the little moments that she no longer wants to take for granted, and her health should continue to be her top priority in the future. But: She now feels strong enough to continue working, and after already taking part in the celebrations at the “Trooping the Color” military parade and in Wimbledon, she wants to attend more appointments this year.

Of course, we don't know for sure what these are. Journalists fromThe Timessollbut suspect that this could be the national memorial service on the Day of Remembrance and the Christmas celebration in Westminster Abbey.

Last but not least, Princess Kate thanked her for all the support she received from her closest circle and the public: “William and I are so grateful for the support we have received. The kindness, empathy and compassion from everyone was truly touching.”

27. September 2024:Now Princess Kate's brother James has commented on his sister's illness. On the US TV show “Today”, Kate Middleton's 37-year-old brother said that his sister was on the mend and was receiving good treatment. He didn't want to prejudge his sister's very personal story, but he confirmed that Princess Kate's battle with cancer is not over yet: "Like everything, you have to digest it and keep watching," said James Middleton.

Middleton repeatedly battled depression and was supported during these phases by his sister and her husband Prince William - and he now wants to give this support back. “Catherine and William both work with various mental health organizations who were able to help me during my depression.” The royal couple would have built a bridge for him within the family: Thanks to their help with the charity organizations, he would have been able to say more clearly how he felt.

Back in March, the entrepreneur commented on the cancer diagnosis of his sister, who was five years older than him, on Instagram: “We have conquered countless mountains together over the years. As a family, we will overcome this challenge together with you,” he wrote in an emotional post.

10 October 2024:Attended for her first public appearance after finishing her chemotherapytogether with Prince William the community center in Southport. In July, a knife attack on a children's dance class took place in the northwestern city of England and shocked the community.

During their visit, Prince William and Kate Middleton met representatives of the local fire department, rescue service, air rescue and police. The prince and princess learned from first responders how they responded to the attack - and what impact it has had on their mental health to this day. The couple also met with mental health professionals who provide long-term community support.

Back in the summer, Prince William and Princess Kate's royal foundation supported the National Police and Wellbeing Service's fundraising campaign for the psychological and physical rehabilitation of the police and emergency services personnel involved in the attack.

09. November 2024:

On the weekend before the annual Remembrance Day (November 11th), Princess Kate took part in several commemorations and public events. Rememberance Day has been celebrated in Great Britain and the Commonwealth states since the end of the First World War to remember fallen soldiers - and to call for international peace.

This article was prepared with text passages from our GLAMOR colleagues from the USA.