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Catherine, Princess of Wales, was not seen officially in public from Christmas 2023 until her recorded television announcement on 22 March 2024 that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Her public absence received extensive international media coverage which frequently posed the question, "Where is Kate?"[1][2][3]
Catherine underwent abdominal surgery at the London Clinic in the middle of January,[4][5] returning home two weeks later.[6] In a statement two days after the operation, Kensington Palace said that it was successful and announced her extended medical leave from public engagements through March, with a request for privacy.[5][7][8] Speculation on social media[9] about the nature of the absence grew after her husband, Prince William, suddenly withdrew from the memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine II of Greece, at the end of February for what was described as a "personal matter".[10][11]
In early March, on Mother's Day in the United Kingdom, Catherine released an edited photograph of herself with her children, which was withdrawn by several major agencies after the editing artefacts were noticed.[8][12] On the following day Catherine released a statement saying she had personally edited the photograph, and apologised for any confusion.[13] The photograph was identified by newspaper commentators as being the catalyst for a surge in coverage and speculation.[14] The photograph and the preceding absence became the primary news item of some major outlets, leading it to dominate global trends on social media platforms,[15][16] with viewers of BBC News accusing its coverage of being excessive and sensationalist.[17] Foreign state-linked entities amplified conspiracies about Catherine, leading it to be prescribed as a Russian disinformation campaign by various security agencies.[18]
Less than two weeks later, Catherine announced in a televised statement that, after her operation, she had been diagnosed with cancer and had been undergoing chemotherapy, alongside another request for privacy.[19] The video was met with praise for her announcement, and much of the preceding speculation and conspiracy theories were condemned.[20]