Aimee Walker
A heartbreaking update has been issued on Kate Middleton‘s health.
The Princess of Wales, 42, disappeared from the public eye after attending a Christmas service last year.
At the event, she joined other royal family members, including her husband Prince William and their children.
Months later, Middleton would announce that she had undergone ‘a course of preventative chemotherapy’ following a cancer diagnosis.
Now, sources and friends of Middleton have provided an update on the princess.
Middleton announced her illness following heightened speculation on her whereabouts – #WhereisKate was even starting to trend online.
It also came amid a photogate scandal – in the thick of theories on her whereabouts, an image of the princess with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis was shared on Mother’s Day.
To everyone’s shock, the photo was pulled by news outlets including Reuters, Associated Press (AP), Getty Images, and Agence France-Presse (AFP).
A spokesperson for AP told Sky News: “The Associated Press initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. The AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appears that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards.”
Reuters said the photo had been withdrawn following a ‘post-publication review.’
Following the scandal, Middleton broke her silence – in a statement she claimed she had ‘experimented with editing.’
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” it read.
“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.
“I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”
At a later date, Middleton disclosed her cancer diagnosis in a video – she admitted it had been ‘an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family.’
She said: “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful.
“However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. 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.
“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”
The 42-year-old added that ‘space and privacy’ would be needed.
Middleton’s announcement was made shortly after King Charles disclosed his own cancer diagnosis.
He recently returned to public duties and when asked how he was doing, he responded (via The Guardian): “I’m all right, thank you very much, not too bad.”
Meanwhile, Prince William offered an update on Middleton during his visit to the Isles of Scilly.
A woman who spoke to the prince revealed (per Sky News): “I asked William about his wife Kate and he said, ‘She’s doing well, thanks,’ and I suggested they might like to come for a visit and bring the children.”
The prince reportedly told her: “The children are very jealous that I am here… Maybe we might come later in the year.”
Sources and friends of Middleton have shared a further update on when we may see her again.
A source tells The Daily Beast that Middleton’s diary for the year is ’empty’ and it’s likely she will ‘not appear in public for the rest of the year.’
“The key thing for her now is avoiding any kind of stress or anxiety and just getting on with the business of getting better. They will bail out and be off to Sandringham the moment school breaks up,” a friend tells the outlet.
They add that Middleton’s ‘circle of trust’ is small and she’s leaning on her family during this difficult time.
Daily Mail’s Richard Eden reports that the princess’ friends have told him ‘we might not see Catherine again until the autumn – and only then if she has recovered fully.’
Buckingham Palace has also announced that Middleton will be missing a major royal event.
It was confirmed to the BBC that the princess would not inspect the troops at the Colonel’s Review on June 8, a dress rehearsal for the actual Trooping the Colour.
General James Bucknall will inspect the troops in Middleton’s stead.
This appears to signify that the princess will also be absent for Trooping the Colour, the monarch’s official birthday celebration, set to take place on June 15.
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