What is happening to Kate Middleton and when did it start

On January 17th, she underwent abdominal surgery. Since then, Kate Middleton has disappeared. No public appearances. No official comments or paparazzi shots. Just a cryptic note from Kensington Palace specifying that it's an issue unrelated to cancer, that the recovery is going well, and that we shouldn't expect to see the Princess of Wales until after Easter. The lack of details and her absence for four months, longer than when the royal gave birth, has triggered a storm of questions leading to a series of conspiracy theories, mostly centered around the presumed severity of the woman's illness.

On social media, where the hashtag #KateIsMissing is trending, some are convinced the princess is in a coma, some speculate she has undergone cosmetic surgery, some think the illness is a cover-up for a hypothetical separation from her husband, and some even suggest Kate Middleton is Banksy. On March 10th, on Mother's Day in the UK, the official profile of the Prince of Wales shared a photo of the princess smiling with her children. A few hours later, the picture, apparently taken by Prince William, was removed by major news agencies like the Associated Press because it was evidently digitally retouched. The attempt to dispel rumors and reassure had the opposite effect, raising further doubts about Kate's real condition, in defiance of the royal mantra "Never complain, never explain," she issued official apologies attributing the error to her "experimenting with photo retouching," but fans remain unconvinced. How did we get to this point? What is really happening to Kate Middleton? To try to understand, let's go through the chronology of the "Kate Middleton gate", from her last public appearance to the fiasco of the retouched photo.

December 25, 2023: Kate makes her last official public appearance

The last time Kate was seen in public was on December 25th. The princess, along with Prince William and their children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, joined King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and the rest of the royal family to attend the religious service at St. Mary Magdalene Church. After the service, there was a brief walkabout during which Kate, dressed in a blue coat, smiled and waved, giving no hint of what was to come.

January 16, 2024: Kate is admitted to a London hospital

Kate arrives at the London Clinic on January 16th, where she is admitted for a scheduled abdominal surgery. Founded in 1932, the exclusive clinic on the corner of Devonshire Place and Marylebone Road specializes in oncology, women's health, urology, and orthopedics. The London Clinic is the hospital of choice for the royal family, political elite, and Hollywood stars.

January 17, 2024: Kensington Palace reveals Kate underwent a "successful" surgery

On January 17, 2024, Kensington Palace announced that "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to the hospital yesterday for a scheduled abdominal surgery." It specified that "the surgery was successful" and that Kate would remain at the London Clinic "for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery." In the official communication, it was emphasized that the princess apologized for postponing her upcoming engagements and that "based on current medical advice, it is unlikely she will return to public duties before Easter." Finally, it urged to respect the privacy of the patient and her family at this delicate time: "She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality as possible for her children. And her wish is for her personal medical information to remain private." Some sources close to the royal family revealed to the Daily Mail that "it is not cancer, but her condition is serious." On the same day as Middleton's hospitalization news, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles would undergo treatment for benign prostate enlargement, also at the London Clinic. On January 18, 2024, Prince William was photographed leaving the hospital after visiting his wife.

January 29, 2024: Kate is discharged from the hospital

"The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery," Buckingham Palace announced with a statement shared on Instagram, adding that the patient "is making good progress." It continued by thanking the staff at the London Clinic and those who sent well wishes to the princess. Meanwhile, questions and theories about Kate's health issue multiply. Everyone remembers that just 24 hours after the birth of each of her three children, Kate diligently appeared outside the hospital with perfect hair and makeup, a smile on her face, and wonder what procedure justifies her prolonged absence? What prevents her from showing her face? Kensington Palace remains silent and anticipates that updates on Her Royal Highness's progress will only be released when there is significant new information to share.

February 7, 2024: William resumes public duties, and on February 18, 2024, he attends the BAFTA Awards without Kate

William suspended his royal duties during Kate's surgery and recovery. He returned to work on February 7th for an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, standing in for his father, King Charles III, who announced on February 5th that he has cancer. In the evening, the prince attended a fundraising gala with Tom Cruise for the London Air Ambulance Charity, where he spoke about both Charles and Kate, thanking for the "kind messages of support directed to Catherine and my father, especially in recent days. It means a lot to all of us." Since then, William has attended a handful of public events including the BAFTA Awards on February 18th. William admitted he hadn't seen all the nominated films he would have liked, hinting at his wife's recovery.

February 27, 2024: William misses royal engagement due to "personal matters"

On February 27th, members of the royal family attended a memorial service for King Constantine of Greece, who died in January of last year, a second cousin of King Charles and one of William's godfathers. The Prince of Wales was absent due to a "personal matter." His absence from the event fueled social media buzz about Kate's illness, but also about Charles's health.

February 29, 2024: Palace spokesperson shares update on Kate. Kate is "doing well" and continues to recover

In an attempt to stem the growing speculation online about Kate's health, a palace spokesperson told ABC News on February 29th that Kate "is doing well" and continues to recover. In a subsequent statement, they reiterated that Kate's healing timeline announced in January holds and that only significant updates will be released. Meanwhile, Prince William, who has resumed his public service, is photographed visiting the Western Marble Arch synagogue to support the Holocaust Educational Trust.

March 4, 2024: Kate is photographed in a car with her mother

Away from the public eye, according to English tabloids, Kate spent a few days at the country estate of Amner Hall with her husband William and their three children George, Charlotte, and Louis. It seems that during this time, she may rely on a select group of people taking care of her. In addition to her parents Michael and Carole, siblings Pippa and James, close to Kate during these convalescent days are nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, Natasha Archer, Middleton's personal assistant and trusted friend, and Natalie Barrows, Kate's private secretary, who is coordinating the princess's future engagements. No images from these weeks away from the spotlight have leaked. Only on March 4th did TMZ publish a snapshot showing Kate with sunglasses sitting in a car next to her mother near Windsor Castle.

March 6, 2024: Kensington Palace releases William's response to online speculation about Kate

On March 5th, news outlets like BBC News reported that Kate's name was included on tickets posted online for The Colonel's Review, an event hosted on June 8th by the British Army during Trooping the Colour. Middleton's inclusion on the tickets was immediately interpreted as a sign of her imminent return, but shortly after, the army swiftly removed all references to Kate because Kensington Palace had not confirmed her attendance. Almost simultaneously, a royal spokesperson spoke about William and how he reacts to conspiracy theories, specifying that "his focus is on his work and not on social media."

March 10, 2024: Kate shares photo and message for Mother's Day, which photo agencies withdraw shortly after

In the meantime, conspiracy theories about what is happening to Kate multiply, ranging from claims she is in a coma after donating a kidney to King Charles, to hiding for a buttock surgery. Middleton attempted to reassure the public and her fans by posting on social media a photo of herself surrounded by her three children on Mother's Day. The result? It backfired, sparking criticism and further absurd speculations about her current situation. The photo was withdrawn within hours by press agencies because it was deemed too digitally altered. Justifying the decision, AP wrote that "upon closer examination, it was apparent the source had manipulated the image in a way that does not meet AP's standards for photojournalism. The photo shows a discrepancy in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand." Observers noted several inconsistencies in the image, especially in the section around Princess Charlotte's hand.

March 11, 2024: Kate publicly apologizes for the photo

On Monday, March 11th, Middleton did something the English royals never do: she apologized. She admitted to manipulating the image, claiming that "like many other amateur photographers, I like to play around with photo editing apps and experimenting with different filters." She concluded by saying, "I regret having done it, and I'm sorry if I disappointed you." Later on the same day, Kate was photographed sitting next to William in a chauffeur-driven car. Antonio Caprarica, writer and journalist, Italy's foremost expert on Windsor affairs, commented that Kate's attempt to reassure instead "created serious uncertainty and alarm," undermining "the climate of trust. Fundamental for royal communication." According to Caprarica, "we are facing a crisis of Buckingham Palace's authority." Will the royals manage to recover? And will we ever know what is truly happening to Kate?