Princess Kate Passes Key Milestone

Princess Kate has passed a key milestone as Kensington Palace's reformed PR strategy handling updates on her health and cancer treatment has kept public calls for more information at bay.

It has been 53 days since Kate revealed her cancer diagnosis and so far there has been no surge in conspiracy theories and demands for updates. This has surpassed the previous 41-day milestone that was set in February that sparked a media meltdown.

On January 17 it was announced by the palace that Kate was stepping out of the public eye having undergone major abdominal surgery. They explained that she was not expected to return to official duties until "after Easter" and would not be providing updates on her health unless there was "significant new information to share."

Despite a subsequent announcement on January 29 saying Kate had been discharged from hospital, their "no comment" PR approach to her condition backfired spectacularly when 41 days later, speculation, conspiracy theories and public outcry filled the information vacuum the palace had created for itself.

On February 27—the 41st day after Kate's surgery announcement—the palace lost control of its tightly held narrative that all was as it should be.

This developed after Prince William's last minute cancellation of an appearance at a service of thanksgiving for his godfather King Constantine II of Greece, sparking fears for the princess. This was despite an unofficial comment made by the palace that Kate continued to be "doing well."

Almost immediately social media and press outlets began to question the palace's narrative and Kate and Prince William's handling of the unfolding events. This created an increase in speculation not only about Kate's condition, but also the state of the royal marriage and the princess' whereabouts.

What followed was a PR nightmare as conspiracy theories snowballed finally reaching fever pitch when the palace released the first photograph of Kate since Christmas Day, 2023, to mark Mother's Day in the U.K. on March 11.

The photo of the princess surrounded by her three children caused a sensation for all the wrong reasons. The image taken by William was soon revealed to have been edited by Kate with visible seams, masking and manipulation throughout the frame.

This added fuel to the conspiracy theorists' fire, suggesting that Kate wasn't "doing well" as the palace had said. It also damaged the royals' credibility as an information source as picture agencies who had distributed the image issued "kill" notices to media outlets stating that the manipulation violated guidelines.

"Where's Kate?" became a social media phenomenon, with major celebrities participating in a trend questioning her whereabouts.

With the fallout from the photo scandal dominating news cycles, the palace needed to change tactics, something they finally did on Friday, March 22, with the release of an emotive video message recorded by Kate herself.

In it, the princess revealed the reason for her absence from public life, explaining that while she had been recovering from her abdominal surgery she had also received a cancer diagnosis and was undergoing "preventative chemotherapy."

In the video she spoke openly about her experience but clearly stated what the palace hadn't been able to say so explicitly before.

"We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment," she said, going on to manage public expectations by adding: "My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery."

The message had an almost instant effect with an outpouring of support for the royal coming from social media and high profile global figures.

A number of celebrities who had joked about Kate after the photo scandal publicly apologized and demands for proof of life, details about what was going on behind the walls of Kensington Palace and new images of the princess were significantly reduced.

The statement was a reset for the Palace's PR approach to Kate's health and the public, and it is one that appears to have been successful so far.

It has been 53 days since the cancer announcement and there has been no repeat of the demands for information or images that were seen on the previous milestone of February 27.

In fact, according to polling, the public has indicated support for no further information about Kate's health being released.

The downturn in outrage and speculation about the royal could in part have been aided by semi-regular unofficial updates being given by Prince William during his reduced rounds of public engagements since the March 22 announcement.

When asked about Kate by members of the public at events, he has stated that she is "doing well" thus providing some positive reassurance that a faceless spokesperson at Kensington Palace is incapable of.

Reflecting on the palace's handling of Kate's health developments, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Newsweek that after the royal's "courageous" video statement, further explanations should now be "unnecessary."

"There was undoubtedly a problem with the palace's communications, when we were not informed of the Princess of Wales condition for some two and a half months," he said. "Then there was the contretemps over the edited photograph released on Mother's Day."

"However, the video message that Catherine put out was truly moving and is probably the most courageous on a health issue made by a public figure in Britain.

"We know she has had abdominal surgery and is undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer. She has had enormous sympathy from the public here and in the wider world. Now that the situation is understood, periodic statements about her condition are surely unnecessary," he concluded. "Prince William has said informally that she is doing well. Her situation, and that of her family, is pressurized enough."

Newsweek approached Kensington Palace via email for comment.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.