Elizabeth Murray
Global Editor ʼ26
After weeks of international speculation about her whereabouts and well-being, Catherine, Princess of Wales, also known affectionately by the public as Princess Kate, announced her cancer diagnosis, The New York Times reported.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Amann via Flickr
In a video recorded by BBC Studios, the princess explained that after undergoing surgery in January, doctors discovered cancer growths. Since then, she has begun preventative chemotherapy. She did not specify the type of cancer she was diagnosed with and asked for privacy for her and her family to navigate these circumstances.
In the United Kingdom, the announcement was met with an outpouring of support and sympathy for the princess, who is one of the most popular members of the British royal family, The New York Times reported.
Palace officials have asked the media not to speculate about her condition and have not given further information other than that the princess began treatment in February. She is not expected to return to public duties any time soon, and she and Prince William were absent from the royal family’s Easter celebrations, ABC News reported.
In the weeks leading up to Princess Kate’s announcement, there was a slew of conspiracy theories surrounding her absence from public duties. Theories ranged from severe surgical complications, her and Prince William divorcing, to the more lighthearted belief that she was waiting for a bad set of bangs to grow out, as Vox reported. Kensington Palace gave very few updates about her condition, which seemed to only add fuel to the fire.
On March 10, Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom, a photo was released of the princess and her children to mark the occasion, but a few hours later, several media outlets — including the Associated Press — removed the photo from their platforms because it had been manipulated, Vox reported.
The next day, the princess issued an apology from the prince and princess of Wales’ official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, but the gasoline had already been poured on the fire.
Later, it was revealed that many of the conspiracy posts regarding Kate’s disappearance were linked to a Russian disinformation campaign, NBC reported. However, Security, Crime and Intelligence Innovation Institute at Cardiff University, in Wales, did not find them responsible for the theories.
The frenzy played out by social media users with large followings ranged from lighthearted memes to farfetched conspiracies and media outlets reporting on it, according to NBC News. At least 45 accounts on X were believed to be linked to a disinformation campaign known as Doppelgänger, whose goal is to spread disinformation about the war in Ukraine. This campaign is believed to be run privately by hired contractors.
“I don’t know why anyone cared in the first place,” Josefa Falkner ʼ26 said, when asked about the frenzy.
“I just don’t believe we should be digging up things on people’s personal lives,” Marci Edwards ʼ24 said. She continued, “We quite literally forced someone to reveal a cancer diagnosis before she was ready, and her PR team definitely messed things up. This situation reminds me of other instances where social media created a circus that forced people to divulge personal information, like their sexuality, with the public before they were ready.”