While Catherine, Princess of Wales, commonly known as Kate Middleton, made a public appearance last month for the 2024 Trooping the Colour, she has largely remained out of the public eye to undergo preventative chemotherapy.
Many people have wondered when and if she will ever fully return to the public eye as she did before. Some insiders believe she’ll return partially this summer, while others think it will never be the same. However, in a recent interview with the Royal Record podcast, cancer specialist Carol Sakora shed light on the potential length of time Kate’s treatment might take.
“We were asked not to speculate on the type of cancer she had, but we were told it was in the abdomen,” Sakora stated. “She is undergoing preventative chemotherapy, which is typically given for six months. Most of the time, the day of the treatments is not too bad, but the day after you feel exceptionally drained, and then it’s really unpredictable.”
Sakora also explained why people refer to it as preventative chemotherapy: “The reason we call it adjuvant chemotherapy is to reduce the risk of the disease returning. Scans don’t show any cells that might have spread; however, adjuvant chemotherapy is administered when we believe there is a possibility of disease recurrence.”
In her video statement, Middleton said, “It has been an extremely difficult couple of months for our entire family, but I have had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful. I had major abdominal surgery in London in January, and it was thought at the time that my condition wasn’t cancerous. The surgery was successful; however, after the surgery, tests revealed the presence of cancer. As a result, my medical team recommended that I receive preventative chemotherapy, and I am currently in the early stages of that treatment.”
She then affectionately discussed her family of five, adding, “As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has required me to recover from major surgery to start my treatment, but most importantly, it has required us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I will be all right.”
Other than rumors and speculation that she may travel to the United States for treatment, not much else is known about her treatment. Although I am a Royals reporter, I absolutely did not anticipate this month’s Royal news. There was a false report a few weeks ago that Kate Middleton would attend a Trooping the Colour dress rehearsal. After that, the palace made a correction. Then, there was Princess Catherine’s statement of regret for missing the dress practice. But even after all of that, neither I nor the rest of the world knew for sure if she would be at the actual Trooping the Colour celebration, which was held to mark King Charles’s birthday.
And then came the stunner: Kate Middleton revealed a brand new picture, an update on her health, and the information that she would be attending Trooping the Colour. She posted a message on social media: “I’m looking forward to attending the King’s Birthday parade this weekend with my family.” Mic drop—the Royal headlines began. However, it was her actual appearance that truly made the news.
