Where is Kate Middleton? Speculations, controversies as Princess of Wales ‘disappears’ from public eye

Nearly two months ago, the UK’s royal family announced that the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, is postponing her public engagements till the end of March due to a planned surgery. In the weeks that followed, Kate’s absence became a source of controversy with onlookers flagging the secrecy surrounding her health as suspicious. As we step into the month of March, her “disappearance” continues to evoke speculations — so much so that a paparazzi photo, allegedly of the Princess taken on Monday, is being dismissed as a “fake”.

Speculations about Kate’s health and the exact nature of the surgery have been swirling around on social media for the past few weeks, especially as King Charles III, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, continued to carry out select duties and remain visible in the public eye. The contrast between the openness with which Buckingham Palace has dealt with King Charles’ health and the secrecy surrounding that of the Princess of Wales too has triggered questions about the seriousness of Kate’s current condition.

Who is Kate Middleton?

Princess Catherine, popularly known by her maiden name Kate Middleton, is a philanthropist and art history graduate who is married to King Charles and Princess Diana’s elder son Prince Williams, the first in line to the throne.

A “commoner” prior to her marriage to Prince Williams in April 2011, she is now an active member of the royal family and supports the King by undertaking royal duties both in the UK and abroad. The couple have three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — and reside at the Kensington Palace.

The family of five shared a never-seen-before photograph for Christmas 2022. (Chris Jackson/PA via AP, File)

What is her health situation?

Princess Kate has been away from the public eye since January, reportedly recovering from an abdominal surgery.

“Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter,” the Kensington Palace said in a statement on January 17, 2024.

“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private,” it said, adding, “Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.”

“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible,” the statement said.

In a follow-up issued on January 29, Kensington Palace said that the Princess had returned home and was making good progress from her surgery.

 

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A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

Then why the controversy?

The attention on Kate’s health could partly be attributed to the timing of her absence.

With Buckingham Palace announcing King Charles’ prostate cancer diagnosis in early February, two key royal family members appeared to have retired from public-facing duties, leaving a vacuum in the wake of Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022.

Already, Prince Harry’s decision to move to the US with his wife Meghan Markle had cut down the number of younger members of the family, leaving elder members like Duke of Kent Prince Edward (88), Queen Camilla (76),  Princess Anne (73) and Duchess of Edinburgh Sophie (59) to hold down the fort.

The Duke of Kent has attended a special Service of Thanksgiving at @WAbbey, as the @RNLI celebrates 200 years of saving lives at sea.

Since being founded in 1824, the charity’s crews and lifeguards have saved nearly 150,000 lives. Click to read more.

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 5, 2024

Prince William, who had taken a break from royal duties to support his wife, had tried to bridge the gap, but his sudden withdrawal from a memorial service for his godfather due to “a personal matter” added fuel to the fire, despite his team reportedly denying that the last minute decision was not related to Princess Kate’s health.

However, a spokesperson for Kate has refused to comment on her health status. “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’s recovery. We said we’d only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands,” the spokesperson told BBC.

The argument that the princess is entitled to her privacy, while valid, has been further questioned by how Buckingham Palace is handling King Charles’ cancer news. The Palace continues to provide occasional updates on the King’s health status and he is often seen going to the church, meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the British Army, and reading “get well” cards from the public.

A very special day for @TheRoyalWelsh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Today, on Saint David’s Day, we are honoured with the news that His Majesty King Charles III will become their new Colonel-in-Chief.#StDavidsDay #BritishArmy @RoyalFamily pic.twitter.com/k2Y0aLWfc1

— British Army 🇬🇧 (@BritishArmy) March 1, 2024

British govt jumps the gun

Meanwhile, a TMZ photo of Kate being driven to Windsor by her mother, Carole Middleton, leaked on Monday showing her looking different from her usual self, triggering further speculation on the internet.

Hold on a minute there internet. Someone removed the distortion from the Kate Middleton image produced on TMZ.

Prince William, please come and ID your wife. Harpo, who dis? pic.twitter.com/11gKuVyVkI

— Carmen’s Granddaughter (@CarmenGranddau1) March 4, 2024

A day later, the British government, in an apparent gaffe, announced that Kate would be attending the Trooping the Colour ceremony in June, before taking it off the Ministry of Defence website after a few hours.

The UK media said that the announcement was made without consulting the Kensington Palace.

Prince William and Kate’s office did not confirm any scheduled public events for the Princess. Royals’ attendance at events is announced and confirmed by palace officials, not government departments.

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