How Are King Charles & Kate Middleton Doing? Latest Health Updates.
12/20/2024 12:43 PM
Britain's royals suffered a double blow in 2024: two of the most senior members of the family are now battling cancer. King Charles III was diagnosed in early February, just 17 months into his reign. The 75-year-old monarch's daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, underwent a "planned" abdominal procedure in January, then was not seen in public for several months. Following wild speculation about her condition and whereabouts, the princess shared devastating news on March 22: she was also diagnosed with cancer and underwent "a course of preventative chemotherapy." On September 9, Catherine announced that she has "finally completed my chemotherapy treatment."
Here's a roundup, which we'll keep updated, of the latest news about the king and the princess's health, and how Britain's royal family is handling the situation.
What type of cancer does Kate Middleton have?
We don't know. On January 17 Kensington Palace announced that the 42-year-old Princess of Wales had undergone a "planned abdominal surgery" at The London Clinic the previous day.
The statement said she was "unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter" and expressed "her wish that her personal medical information remains private."
At the time, a royal source told CNN that Kate Middleton's condition was noncancerous. But as the princess explained in a video posted March 22, that diagnosis changed.
"The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present," she said. "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."
A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/5LQT1qGarK
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2024
Kate has three children with Prince William: George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 5.
The princess said that the news came as "huge shock," but, "I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal, in my mind, body and spirits."
What treatment is Kate Middleton recieving?
Beyond the princess saying she's undergoing "preventative chemotherapy" we don't know anything about her treatment.
In June rumors surfaced online that Kate Middleton was spotted at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, which is one of the best cancer hospitals in the world. On June 10 the Houston Chroniclereported that the rumor "is false, according to a Kensington Palace representative."
What's the latest news on Kate Middleton's health?
For three months following her March 22 cancer announcement, Kate Middleton did not appear on royal social media accounts and was not spotted in public. During this time Kensington Palace released only one official health update. On May 22 a palace spokesman told the BBC, "The princess is not expected to return to work until it's cleared by her medical team." The palace was responding to speculation that she might return to work soon following a post on William and Kate's social media feed about a new report from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
Then on June 14, the princess shared a written health update on Kensington Palace social media feeds.
"I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days," she wrote. "On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well."
The princess added that she plans to attend some public events as she continues treatment over the next few months, but "I am not out of the woods yet."
Catherine attended Trooping the Colour on June 15. The annual event honoring King Charles III's birthday was her first official public appearance since Christmas 2023. The princess rode down the Mall in a carriage with her three children; Prince William joined the procession on horseback. Then the family watched the parade and appeared with King Charles, Queen Camilla, and other top royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
In another high profile outing on Sunday, July 14, the princess attended the Wimbledon men's singles final with her daughter, Charlotte, and sister, Pippa Middleton. Catherine, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, was greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd.
The princess made a brief appearance — along with Prince William and his new beard — in a video posted to the royals' Instagram account on August 11 congratulating "Team GB" for their performance in the Olympics.
Catherine appeared with her family at Crathie Church on the Balmoral Estate on Sunday, August 25. It was her first public appearance in over a month.
On September 9, Catherine announced that she has completed chemotherapy in a video posted to her official social media accounts.
The Princess returned to work in-person for the first time since starting her cancer treatment on September 17. She attended a private meeting at Windsor Castle for her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood organization.
What has Prince William said about his wife's health?
After taking several weeks off to support his wife, Prince William returned to public duties on April 18 with a visit to a food charity. William mentioned Kate while visiting a high school on April 25, telling a staff member, "I am sorry Catherine can't be here as well. She would have loved to."
While greeting members of the public on April 30 at James' Place Newcastle in England a woman asked Prince William "Do you mind if I ask how your wife and children are?" He replied, "We're all doing well, thank you." The woman asked, "And obviously Catherine?" and William said, "We're all doing well."
When asked about his wife's health while talking with British outlets before his Earthshot Prize awards were announced on November 6, Prince William said, "She's doing really well thanks. And hopefully, she is watching tonight. So cheering me on." He added, "She's been amazing this whole this whole year. I know she will be really keen to see tonight be a success."
What kind of cancer does King Charles have?
We don't know the type of cancer Charles has, or its stage. Buckingham Palace announced the king's diagnosis on February 5, a week after he was released from a London hospital following unrelated treatment for an enlarged prostate. The statement read:
During The King's recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.
His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties. Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.
The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.
His Majesty 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.
Palace officials confirmed Charles does not have prostate cancer, according to the New York Times, but "made clear that they would not issue regular updates on the king's condition, and they asked reporters not to attempt to contact those involved in his treatment."
It was unusual for the king to reveal he was being treated for an enlarged prostate, as the royals are extremely private about their health (for example, Queen Elizabeth II's official cause of death at the age of 96 was listed as only "old age" on her death certificate). (In his memoir Unleashed, which is set to be released on October 10, 2024, former British prime minister Boris Johnson says the monarch "had a form of bone cancer.")
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak may have disclosed a small detail during a BBC radio interview days after Charles's diagnosis. "Thankfully, this has been caught early," he said. "And now everyone will be wishing him that he gets the treatment that he needs and makes a full recovery."
What treatment is the king receiving?
Charles began outpatient treatment on Monday, February 5. No further details have been released.
Have there been any updates on Charles's health?
The king initially stopped appearing at public events as he was undergoing treatment. But the Timesreported that he would still "continue to carry out other duties, including his weekly meeting with the prime minister, as well as the daily pile of paperwork he completes as Britain's head of state."
On April 27, Buckingham Palace said King Charles's progress has been encouraging, so he would resume some public engagements — though it wouldn't be a full return. Per the BBC:
"It is too early to say" for how much longer his treatment will continue, the palace said.
It added that doctors were "very encouraged by the progress made so far and remain positive about the King's continued recovery".
The type of cancer has not been disclosed, but the King's medical team are "sufficiently pleased with the progress made so far that the King is now able to resume a number of public-facing duties".
On Tuesday, April 30 Charles and Camilla visited the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London to show their support for cancer research and highlight the importance of getting an early diagnosis. (It is not the facility where the king is receiving treatment.) The king was smiling and looked healthy during the visit, and told one patient, "I'm alright, thank you," when asked about his health.
King Charles has appeared at a number of public events in recent weeks, including the unveiling of a very red official portrait some compared to the Vigo the Carpathian painting from Ghostbusters 2:
In late May, shortly after U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a parliamentary election for July 4, Buckingham Palace said the royals would cancel most public engagements to avoid distracting from the campaign.
King Charles took his first overseas trip since his diagnosis on June 6. He crossed the English Channel with Queen Camilla to take part in commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France.
The king appeared with his daughter-in-law and other senior royals at Trooping the Colour on June 15.
While visiting Dyson Cancer Center in Bath, England on September 3, 2024, Queen Camilla was asked about Charles's condition. She answered, "He is doing very well."
King Charles paused his cancer treatment for a nine-day tour of Australia and Samoa in October. The trip was seen as a test of Charles's stamina, and it seems he passed. Though he raised health concerns by leaving a luncheon in his honor after just 10 minutes, afterward a Buckingham Palace official told the BBC to expect a full return to royal duties next year. "We're now working on a pretty normal looking, full overseas tour programme for next year, which is a high for us to end on," the palace aide said.
During a farewell ceremony in Samoa, Charles said he hopes "that I survive long enough to come back again and see you all."
NEW King Charles speaks of hoping "to survive long enough" to return to Samoa: "I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world and hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you." As the heavens opened, Queen Camilla got the giggles, hiding behind her fan pic.twitter.com/35ohoIJ6EX
— Roya Nikkhah (@RoyaNikkhah) October 25, 2024
On December 20, Sky News reported that King Charles's cancer treatment is expected to continue in 2025:
Palace sources have said "his treatment has been moving in a positive direction and as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into next year".
The source added there is a sense of optimism, which can be seen in the King's desire to keep up a busy schedule of public engagements, including during the festive period.
How did Queen Camilla respond to Charles's diagnosis?
Queen Camilla, who broke royal protocol by accompanying her husband to the hospital for his prostate procedure, continued her usual schedule of public engagements during his cancer treatment.
After filling in for Charles at some official events she took her regularly scheduled vacation at the beginning of March — which, naturally, outraged some people. Camilla returned to royal duties on March 11.
How did Prince William respond to his father's diagnosis?
Hours before Charles's diagnosis was made public, it was announced that Prince William would return to public duties on February 7. He had taken time off to support his wife after her surgery.
Prince William attended an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on the morning of February 8. Later that evening he showed up to a gala dinner for London's Air Ambulance Charity, which Tom Cruise also attended.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days," William said at the gala.
"It's fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather medical focus, so I thought I'd come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all," he joked.
Prince William thanked the nation for its 'kind messages of support' for his wife and father tonight
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) February 7, 2024
He said the heartfelt words of comfort received by his family following Kate's hospitalisation and King Charles' shock cancer diagnosis 'means a great deal to us all'. pic.twitter.com/UmP8vTMT70
How did Prince Harry respond to his father's diagnosis?
Though Prince Harry's relationship with his father has been rocky since he stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and released a tell-all memoir last year, Charles called Harry to break the news before the news was made public, according to a spokesperson for the prince and his wife Meghan Markle.
Harry immediately took an 11-hour flight from Los Angeles to London to be with the king. Markle and their two young children, Archie and Lilibet, did not accompany Harry to the U.K.
On February 6 the prince was spotted arriving at Clarence House, the king and queen's London residence, where Charles was resting following outpatient treatment, perThe Guardian. A short time after reuniting with Harry, Charles and Camilla were driven to Buckingham Palace. About ten minutes later, a helicopter took off from the palace grounds and later landed at the king's Sandringham estate.
BREAK: King Charles & Queen Camilla have left Buckingham Palace for Sandringham via helicopter. #KingCharlesIIIpic.twitter.com/lu98KfGLL5
— Oliver Whitfield-Miočić (@olivermiocic) February 6, 2024
Harry spent the night in a London hotel, not a royal residence, and did not see his brother William, according to the Daily Mail. The prince left the U.K. a day later.
Harry talked about his father's diagnosis in an interview with Good Morning America that aired on February 16. The prince was in Whistler, British Columbia touring the site of the 2025 Invictus Games.
"I jumped on a plane and went to go see him as soon as I could," Harry said. "Look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I'm grateful for that."
Harry declined to give more details on Charles's health, saying that "stays between me and him." But he revealed that he intends to visit his father again soon. "I've got other trips planned that will take me through the U.K., or back to the U.K., and so I'll stop in and see my family as much as I can," he said.
When asked if Charles's illness might have a "reunifying effect" on the family, Harry replied, "Absolutely. Yeah, I'm sure."
"Throughout all of these families, I see it on a day-to-day basis — again, the strength of the family unit coming together," Harry said. "So, yeah, I think any illness, any sickness, brings families together. I see it time and time again, and that makes me very happy."
EXCLUSIVE: Prince Harry to @ReeveWill on visiting King Charles after cancer diagnosis: "I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go see and spend anytime with him, I'm grateful for that." https://t.co/yDp82WU7Bkpic.twitter.com/lO0cebeO9i
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 16, 2024
What happens if Charles can't perform his duties at all?
If King Charles is temporarily unable to conduct his constitutional duties, two "counselors of state" can be appointed to carry out official business. CNN has more details:
Two counselors can be appointed to act on the monarch's behalf through what's known as a letters patent and help keep the state ticking over. They would be authorized to sign documents, attend Privy Council meetings, and receive new ambassadors, but not perform some of the most important constitutional roles, such as appointing a Prime Minister. CNN understands there are no current plans to appoint any counselors.
Usually, the counsellor of state position can go to the monarch's spouse and the first four people in the line of succession over the age of 21. After Prince Andrew and Prince Harry ceased being "working royals," Charles added two of his siblings to the list in 2022. Since Harry no longer resides in the U.K., the following people are eligible to fill this role: Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Prince Edward, and Princess Anne.
Will King Charles abdicate?
That does not appear to be under consideration at the moment, and there is a step between appointing counsellors of state and Charles permanently giving up the throne.
If the monarch is completely unable to fulfill their duties, the person next in line to the throne, in this case Prince William, could fully assume those powers as regent. Per CNN:
For that to happen, there has to be medical evidence "that the Sovereign is by reason of infirmity of mind or body incapable for the time being of performing the royal functions" or "is for some definite cause not available for the performance of those functions."
A panel of four needs to be satisfied with the evidence by a majority vote. That panel consists of the Lord Chancellor, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Lord Chief Justice of England, the Master of the Rolls, and The Queen. They would need to declare their decision in writing and would also declare if or when the King is ready to resume his duties. In the meantime, Prince William would act in his name.
Once Charles recovers, William could relinquish the role of regent with the declaration of a "cessation of incapacity."
Is Buckingham Palace making plans for the funeral of King Charles?
Following Charles's cancer diagnosis his funeral plans are being "regularly updated," according to the Daily Beast:
The Daily Beast has been told, for example, that not only are Charles' funeral plans being regularly updated but that a document reviewing what went well after the queen's funeral, and what could be done better next time a monarch dies—a kind of "lessons learned" crossed with a scorecard, the most esoteric of business reviews—is circulating in Whitehall.
The government department responsible for state funerals, the Cabinet Office, declined to comment on claims that the Operation Menai Bridge (as Charles' funeral plan is codenamed) document is being regularly updated, but again emphasized that making no comment on such plans was routine.
But that isn't necessarily a sign that his health is declining. The plans for Queen Elizabeth's funeral dated back to the 1960s, The Guardianreported, and they were regularly refined over the years.
Who is next in the British line of succession?
The royal website features a list of the next 24 people in line to the throne. From the top, the order is Prince William; his children George, Charlotte, and Louis; then Prince Harry; his children Archie and Lilibet; and Prince Andrew.
This post has been updated throughout.
