By SYLVIA HUI (Associated Press)
LONDON (AP) — On Friday, Kate, the Princess of Wales, shared that she is receiving chemotherapy for cancer. This comes during a tough year for the British royal family.
First, there were alarming headlines when palace officials announced that King Charles III and Kate both had health issues. A lack of information about Kate’s health and location fueled an increasingly wild rumor mill that spread from social media to frontpages worldwide.
Distrust of the monarchy grew stronger after Kate confessed to editing an official family photo. Palace officials have struggled to regain control of the story as speculation and conspiracy theories continue.
Here is a timeline of recent events involving the royal family:
Dec. 25, 2023: Kate attends Christmas service at Sandringham, the royal estate on the eastern English coast, alongside Prince William, their children, and other royal family members. This is the princess’s final public appearance.
Jan. 16, 2024: Kate, 42, undergoes abdominal surgery at the London Clinic. The news isn’t announced until the following day.
Jan. 17: Kensington Palace reveals that Kate is recovering from a planned operation. Officials say her condition isn’t cancer-related but did not specify what surgery it was, only saying it was successful. They say she will remain in the private hospital for 10-14 days and be away from public view until after Easter.
Buckingham Palace announces on the same day that King Charles will be treated for a benign enlarged prostate.
Jan. 21: Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, says she has malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
Jan. 26: King Charles is admitted to a London hospital for a three-day stay for his prostate treatment.
Jan. 29: Both Kate and Charles are discharged from the hospital. Charles is seen leaving the hospital with Camilla and waving at well-wishers. Kate is not pictured leaving but officials say she is “making good progress” and will continue her recovery at home.
Feb. 5: Buckingham Palace announces that Charles has cancer and will receive treatment. Officials did not say what form of cancer the king has.
Feb. 7: Prince Harry arrives in the U.K. from California to visit his father. He departs the next day.
Feb. 27: William pulls out of a memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece, at the last minute, due to a “personal matter.” The palace declined to elaborate but said Kate continues to do well.
Later on the same day, Buckingham Palace says Thomas Kingston, the son-in-law of Prince Michael of Kent, has died at the age of 45. Prince Michael is a cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
March 1: An inquest hears that Thomas Kingston died from a “traumatic head wound” on Feb. 25. A gun was found near his body at his parents’ home.
March 4: A photo reportedly showing Kate riding in a car with her mother Carole Middleton in Windsor circulates on social media. It is published by some international news outlets but not in any of Britain’s newspapers.
March 6: People magazine reports that a royal spokesperson said William is concentrating on his job and not on social media.
March 10: Kensington Palace shares a picture of Kate with her three children to celebrate Mother’s Day in Britain. The photo, the first official one since the princess had surgery, was withdrawn later by The Associated Press and other news agencies due to concerns about digital manipulation.
March 11: Following renewed speculation about her health arising from the altered family photo, Kate apologizes on social media for the “confusion” caused. She mentions that she sometimes tries out editing techniques like many amateur photographers.
March 16: The Sun newspaper releases a video supposedly showing a happy and relaxed Kate shopping with William at a farm shop near their Windsor home.
March 20: The Information Commissioner’s Office announces that it is looking into a claim that at least one staff member at the London Clinic attempted to access Kate’s medical records while she was a patient at the hospital.
March 22: In a video statement, Kate reveals that she is receiving cancer treatment, including preventative chemotherapy. She states that she is doing well and getting stronger every day, but that she needs to concentrate on her recovery.
