Everything That Kate Middleton Said After Surgery as TMZ ‘Investigates’ the Controversy Around Her

Princess of Wales Gone 'Missing'

Since Princess Kate Middleton withdrew from the public spotlight after surgery earlier this year, there has been much talk regarding her whereabouts and general well-being. The Princess of Wales had scheduled stomach surgery in January, and she hasn't gone to any public events since. Even when Kensington Palace said that she wouldn't be returning to her royal responsibilities until after Easter, admirers continued to speculate about her whereabouts. TMZ had to release TMZ Investigates: Where is Kate Middleton?  on March 21 with particular attention to how the Royal Family has responded to inquiries about Middleton and how this has sparked a firestorm of controversy. Here is a list of all her statements made since her operation that took place two months ago.  

1. The Princess had ‘Planned Abdominal Surgery'

The Princess of Wales had 'planned abdominal surgery' at The London Clinic, according to a statement released by Kensington Palace on January 17. As reported by People, the palace released a statement that read, "The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter." In an effort to keep things regular for her kids, the message also requested privacy: "The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private."

2. Kate Middleton Returns Home

The Princess of Wales returned home less than two weeks after undergoing scheduled stomach surgery at The London Clinic. Kensington Palace shared this significant health update on social media, calling the future Queen's rehabilitation at her and Prince William's Adelaide Cottage residence in Windsor 'good'. The statement said, "The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress." The Palace continued by thanking fans whose words have meant a great deal to Prince William and Kate during this difficult period, as well as everyone at The London Clinic for their professional care. The message concluded, "The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world." 

3. Kensington Palace Addresses the Rumors

A statement issued by Kensington Palace officially addressed the speculations and conspiracy theories that have been circulating on social media about the Princess of Wales's disappearance from the public spotlight. The surge of memes and postings seemed to correspond with Prince William's decision to postpone his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece memorial ceremony because of personal issues. Princess of Wales Catherine is 'doing well', a royal spokesman informed People and ABC News in a statement. The spokesperson revealed, "We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant."

4. Princess Apologizes for the Edited Mother’s Day Picture

The Princess of Wales apologized for 'any confusion' the picture may have created after her 'experiment' with photo manipulation raised questions about Kensington Palace and made her prolonged absence from the public spotlight more apparent. The image, which was made public earlier this month in honor of Mother's Day, was Kate's first official portrait since her January surgery. Four major photo agencies sent 'kill notices' hours after Kensington Palace published it, citing suspicions that the image had been altered. Middleton shared an apology on X, "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. 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"

5. Princess of Wales Announced That She Was Receiving Prophylactic Chemotherapy

In a shocking video message, recently Kate Middleton disclosed her cancer diagnosis to the world. As per CNN, she said in the message, "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." She further added, "As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok." She said that she was also thinking about "all those whose lives have been affected by cancer" as she concluded her moving message.