This certainly couldn’t have been the year the Princess of Wales was expecting; and for royal watchers the world over, Catherine hasn’t been far from our thoughts as she underwent major surgery, a shock cancer diagnosis, and months of chemotherapy. But at least, in her words, she has now begun the recovery process and has begun a gradual return to work.
While it was a heavy year for Catherine and her family, there were still many moments filled with hope and love and today we’re looking back at 10 of the biggest moments of the year for the Princess of Wales.
The Princess of Wales undergoes major abdominal surgery
For many of us it was the fact that Catherine was nowhere to be seen the weekend before her birthday. Usually William and Catherine invite their friends up to Anmer Hall and they’re all photographed attending church at Sandringham. This year, all quiet. Then her 42nd birthday snap came from behind-the-scenes at King Charles’s coronation.
For the scandal-watching, gossip-spreading people who couldn’t help but nefariously focus on the fact that Catherine hadn’t been publicly seen since Christmas Day, it was the start of a deeply troubling conspiracy theory into the whereabouts of the future queen.
But then, on 17 January, Kensington Palace broke their silence and revealed that Catherine had undergone major abdominal surgery at the London Clinic and was now recovering. Remarkably, King Charles was practically down the hall receiving treatment for an enlarged prostate and was able to visit Catherine. In a statement, the palace shared:
“The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen 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. 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 remain private.”
At the time, it was believed Catherine’s condition was non-cancerous and all engagements would be cancelled until at least Easter. William was a constant visitor and after the planned 10-14 days in hospital recovering, Catherine returned home to begin her recovery. It was all there in black-and-white but it didn’t deter the conspiracy theorists, as we’ll find out…
The beginning of ‘Kate-gate’ – a horrid social media explosion
When we look back on 2024 we’re going to be deeply embarrassed—if those who acted in bad faith are even capable of being embarrassed—about how Catherine was harassed while she was recuperating. Even though Kensington Palace had been forthright from the start, that she would be off and away until after the Easter break, raging conspiracies began taking over the internet as to where Catherine was. And none of them were nice. Domestic violence, murder, conspiracy involving the deceased husband of William’s beloved cousin, Kate-Gate took hold with internet sleuths trying to ‘find’ Catherine and find out what happened to her.
Amidst all this, it didn’t help when the British Army announced that Catherine would attend the Colonel’s Review on behalf of the Irish Guards (Catherine is Royal Colonel of the Regiment) without the palace’s approval. Nor did William’s unplanned pulling out of King Constantine’s memorial service—which he had been due to attend as his godson—mere hours before.
But just as they promised, Kensington Palace remained silent on Catherine’s condition and stated once more that the initial timeline promised would be followed.
The Mothering Sunday photo row
Because we can’t have nice things, when Catherine released a Mothering Sunday snap of herself and her children, the internet tore it to shreds. Finding evidence of photo manipulation—also known as amateur editing done by amateur photographer Catherine—to fix minor blemishes, it soon turned into the most infamous royal photo in recent memory.
Photo agencies issued kill notices and would not allow their editorial to use the portrait and Catherine had to issue an apology, writing: “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 the time, only she and those closest to her knew that when the photo was taken, she had just begun preventative chemotherapy after being given a shock cancer diagnosis. Her attempt at family normality was torn to pieces by some.
And if you’ve noticed that ever since all birthday snaps have been shared through social media and not officially issued to photo/news agencies, this incident is why.
Catherine’s medical records at the centre of a potential security breach
If that wasn’t enough, in late March the London Clinic revealed that there were security breaches into Catherine’s medical records, with snoopers trying to find out why Catherine had been hospitalised (spoiler alert: major abdominal surgery). For a scandal this wide, of course there would be police intervention and the London Clinic shared that “There is no place at our hospital for those who intentionally breach the trust of any of our patients or colleagues.”
Kensington Palace released the briefest of statements only to say that this was a matter for the hospital and the police, and if anything has come of the investigation, it hasn’t been made public.
But if you were wondering if this was enough to tamp down the conspiracy theories, it wasn’t. Labour leader—and later in the year, Prime Minister—Keir Starmer told people to ‘butt out’ of Catherine’s private health matters, but we all know how that played out.
‘You are not alone’ – the Princess of Wales reveals cancer diagnosis
And then, just as Kate-Gate hit a fever pitch, the Princess of Wales appeared via video message to share that post-surgery tests revealed that cancer had been present at the time and she would now have to undergo preventative chemotherapy.
“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,” Catherine said.
“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery. At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”
Suddenly those who felt emboldened to speculate gruesome storylines starring Catherine were forced to retract, delete, or—crazily enough—defend their actions. But the wider public sent an outpouring of love and support to the future queen.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Catherine had the “love and support of the whole country.” The Archbishop of Canterbury praised her bravery. Headlines around the world were devoted to Catherine’s announcement. Jamaica’s Governor General was among the international Commonwealth supporters; Queen Camilla chimed in that Catherine would appreciate the well wishes; and King Charles, himself dealing with a shock cancer diagnosis, lent his support to his daughter-in-law.
A return at Trooping the Colour
Despite all the attention, Catherine remarkably only appeared in a few paparazzi snaps in the first half of 2024. But in June, with Trooping the Colour quickly approaching, questions turned to whether Catherine would be well enough to attend.
The day before, Catherine released a new statement announcing her intention to attend Trooping the Colour, saying: “I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times.”
She added: “I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet. I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.”
On the day itself, Catherine couldn’t help but smile as she joined Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in the carriage—watching her Irish Guards with her children rather than on the saluting platform as in 2023—and then again on the balcony alongside William.
A standing ovation for the Princess of Wales at Wimbledon
Normally a constant presence at Wimbledon, Catherine this year only attended the men’s final on the last day of the tournament. But if anyone was worried about the reaction she’d get, they needn’t have worried: Catherine got an impossibly loud cheer when she walked down to the Royal Box at Centre Court and later presented trophies to victor Carlos Alcaraz and runner-up Novak Djokovic.
And when pal Andy Murray announced his retirement after a brief turn at the tennis tournament, Catherine joined the chorus of those praising the Scottish tennis star.
Catherine shares relief as chemotherapy comes to an end
On 9 September, Catherine released another video statement—this time much more cheerful and hopeful—to announce that her chemotherapy has ended and recovery has begun.
“The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown,” Catherine narrates over a video of the Wales Family enjoying time together at Anmer Hall.
“Despite all that has gone before I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life. William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time. Everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling.”
“To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey – I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.”
Together at Christmas
With recovery her main focus, Catherine was upfront that she would begin a gradual return to public duties. By the end of September, it was public knowledge that Catherine was working on her hugely successful Together at Christmas carol service; and in November, Catherine shared that “love is the greatest gift we can receive” as she prepared to bring people together to celebrate love and empathy at Westminster Abbey.
On 6 December, Catherine, William, their three children, and members of the British Royal Family came together for Together at Christmas. And Catherine looked beautiful and festive as ever.
The Princess of Wales marks Remembrance at important events
After the announcement that her chemotherapy had ended, Catherine made only a handful of public appearances throughout the fall. She met with young cancer patient Liz Hatton at Windsor Castle after an Investiture Ceremony; a visit to Southport saw her meeting the families of the young girls killed in a knife attack over the summer; Remembrance Sunday became a cornerstone of her public appearances; and while she didn’t attend the glittering state banquet, she did participate in the Qatari State Visit in November.
Fingers crossed that Catherine’s health continues to improve in 2025 and that she’s able to undertake more public appearances next year. We’ve missed her!
