Princess of Wales faces cancer diagnosis: A timeline of key events

The princess, 42, attends the royal family’s traditional Christmas Day church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, along with Prince William, King Charles III, Queen Camilla and other royals. It would be the last time she was seen in public for several months, an absence that was marked by intense public speculation and online conspiracy theories.

Catherine undergoes a successful “planned abdominal surgery,” according to Kensington Palace, which represents William and Catherine.

Kensington Palace announces Catherine’s surgery and says she will not be participating in public duties until after Easter following medical advice. She will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days and continue her recovery at home, it says.

The same day, Buckingham Palace, which represent Charles and Queen Camilla, announces that Charles, 75, will be hospitalized for treatment of a benign enlarged prostate.

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, announces she has been diagnosed with malignant melanoma and is receiving treatment. The news comes about seven months after she underwent successful treatment for breast cancer including a mastectomy and breast reconstruction. Ferguson, 64, became a duchess when she married Prince Andrew and retained the title after their divorce in the mid-1990s.

Charles is admitted to the hospital to undergo a “corrective procedure” for his enlarged prostate, and visits Catherine while at the London Clinic, where she is recovering, according to the BBC.

Charles is photographed leaving the London Clinic looking well after a three-night stay. The same day, Kensington Palace says Catherine has also returned home and is “making good progress” in recovering from surgery.

Buckingham Palace announces that the king has been diagnosed with cancer, which was discovered during his prostate treatment. It does not specify which kind of cancer. Charles was advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties while undergoing a schedule of regular treatments but will continue to undertake state business and official paperwork, the palace says. It says he “remains wholly positive about his treatment” and has “chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”

The palace releases a video of the king reading some of the 7,000 get-well cards it says he has received and has been reading daily. His team has also posted images of the king since his diagnosis, showing him holding Zoom chats with foreign leaders and greeting ambassadors behind closed doors. He was also photographed at Sandringham waving to well-wishers and meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The palace releases a photo of Catherine with her three children to coincide with Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom, the first official image of the princess released since before she was admitted to hospital. William is credited as the photographer and the palace says the photo had been taken in the past week.

That evening, the Associated Press issues a “kill notification,” an industry term indicating subscribers to the AP should not use the image it had distributed. “At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” it says, citing problems including the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s sleeve and wrist. Other major agencies including Getty, Agence France-Presse, Britain’s Press Association and Reuters also pull the photo. (The Post also removed the photo from its story.)

In a statement released by Kensington Palace attributed to Catherine, the princess apologizes for confusion caused by the photo. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she says.

The saga kicks online conspiracy theories, which had already been bubbling for weeks, into overdrive. Social media platforms play host to wild speculation about the princess’s whereabouts and reasons for altering the photo.

Catherine puts the rumors to rest, announcing in a personal video message that she has been diagnosed with cancer that was discovered in tests after her abdominal surgery, and has been in the early stages of chemotherapy. She does not say what type of cancer she has. “William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she says.