King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer in early February, just 17 months into his reign. Buckingham Palace announced that the 75-year-old monarch has suspended public engagements to undergo treatment. Queen Camilla, Prince William, took over some of the king’s duties, and Prince Harry rushed to the U.K. to visit his father.
Charles is not the only royal dealing with health issues. Just weeks before news broke about the king’s cancer, Kate Middleton underwent a “planned” abdominal procedure. The Princess of Wales was not seen in public for months and the palace offered few updates on her health, leading to wild speculation about her condition — though she was not expected to resume her duties until after Easter.
Here’s a roundup, which we’ll keep updated, of the latest news about the king and the princess’s health, and how Britain’s royal family is handling the situation.
What is wrong with Kate Middleton?
It’s not entirely clear. On January 17 Kensington Palace announced that the 42-year-old Princess of Wales had undergone a “planned abdominal surgery” at The London Clinic the previous day.
The statement said she was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter” and expressed “her wish that her personal medical information remains private.” A royal source told CNN that her condition was noncancerous.
Why do people think Kate Middleton is ‘missing’?
Though Kate Middleton famously posed outside the hospital in heels within days of giving birth to each of her three children, the public only learned that she had surgery a day after the January 16 procedure. She had not been seen in public since Christmas Day, and was not photographed leaving the hospital.
While some found her “disappearance” a bit curious all along, the story only exploded on February 27, when Prince William pulled out of attending a memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece, at the last minute due to a “personal matter.”
The Princess of Wales had said all along that she’d be recovering until Easter, and a royal source told CNN that she “continues to be doing well.” Nevertheless, people started spreading wild conspiracy theories about her health, prompting her rep to issue a statement to “Page Six” on February 29.
“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” the rep said. “That guidance stands.”
What is going on with that photo of Kate Middleton?
On March 10, which was Mother’s Day in the U.K., this photo of Kate Middleton and her children was posted to her social media feeds:
Clearly the photo, which was credited to “The Prince of Wales, 2024” was supposed to calm concerns about Kate’s health by showing her smiling with her three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis. But instead it reignited the controversy.
Hours after the photo was released, several news agencies — including The Associated Press, Getty, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse — issued advisories urging news outlets to remove the photo over concerns that it was doctored.
On Monday, Kensington Palace took the extraordinary step of issuing an apology from Catherine herself, claiming that she made adjustments to the photo William took. (She is an amateur photographer and the Palace has distributed her photos before.)
So where is Kate Middleton?
Supposedly, she is recuperating at her home in Windsor, right where the palace said she’d be.
After days of frenzied social media speculation and media coverage, paparazzi happened to spot the princess on March 4. She was sitting in the passenger seat of a black Audi SUV while her mom, Carole Middleton, drove near Windsor Castle. But the photos were grainy and everyone loves conspiracy theories, so the rumors continued.
The princess was spotted in a car again on March 11, hours after she took the blame for the altered photo debacle.
No other photos or videos of Middleton were published, just this one shot of her looking away from the camera. The Daily Mail reported that she was heading to a private appointment, and she was no longer in the car when William arrived in London, which is about a 1 hour drive from Windsor:
The Prince of Wales was heading to Westminster Abbey for the annual Commonwealth Day service this afternoon with his wife beside him.
But rather than an extraordinary return to royal duties, MailOnline understands that Kate was heading to a private appointment instead.
It is not known where the Princess of Wales was going, but it was clearly on her husband’s route into central London because he arrived alone for the 2.45pm service attended by senior royals including Queen Camilla and Princess Anne.
Kate had looked out of her window as William appeared to read some notes on his phone as they were swept out of the grounds of Windsor Castle in a blue Range Rover that later dropped William at the Abbey without her.
Following online speculation that this photo was doctored too, the paparazzo who took the shot, Jim Bennett, insisted that it was authentic. “We don’t change our photos in Photoshop other than adjusting the light levels if necessary,” he told the New York Post.
Bennett said he initially didn’t realize he’d captured a photo of the “missing” princess:
“The cars left Windsor Castle and I photographed them a short distance away on Datchet High Street — outside No. 39, to be precise!” he said. “Car shots are unpredictable at the best of times and with some reflection on the glass, it can be difficult.”
He added: “As it happened, it wasn’t until I checked on the back of the camera to make sure I had a frame of Prince William that I realized there was someone sitting next to him. It turned out to be Catherine!”
What kind of cancer does King Charles have?
We don’t know the type of cancer Charles has, or its stage. Buckingham Palace announced the king’s diagnosis on February 5, a week after he was released from a London hospital following unrelated treatment for an enlarged prostate. The statement read:
During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.
His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties. Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.
The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.
His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.
Palace officials confirmed Charles does not have prostate cancer, according to the New York Times, but “made clear that they would not issue regular updates on the king’s condition, and they asked reporters not to attempt to contact those involved in his treatment.”
It was unusual for the king to reveal he was being treated for an enlarged prostate, as the royals are extremely private about their health (for example, Queen Elizabeth II’s official cause of death at the age of 96 was listed as only “old age” on her death certificate).
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak may have disclosed a small detail during a BBC radio interview days after Charles’s diagnosis. “Thankfully, this has been caught early,” he said. “And now everyone will be wishing him that he gets the treatment that he needs and makes a full recovery.”
What treatment is the king receiving?
Charles began outpatient treatment on Monday, February 5. No further details have been released.
Is Charles still able to perform his royal duties?
The king initially stopped appearing at public events as he was undergoing treatment. But as the Times reported that he was still conducting some royal business:
Palace officials said the king would continue to carry out other duties, including his weekly meeting with the prime minister, as well as the daily pile of paperwork he completes as Britain’s head of state. Officials said there were no plans to appoint counselors of state to act in his place — a procedure that could signal that the sovereign was unable to fulfill his duties because of illness.
On March 6 Buckingham Palace shared a photo of King Charles on a video call with the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.
A day later the palace posted more photos showing the king conducting royal duties in person. He was photographed greeting Samba Mamadou Ba, the ambassador from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and Nourredine Yazid, the ambassador from the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria. Charles also met with Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt earlier in the week.
How has Queen Camilla responded to Charles’s diagnosis?
Queen Camilla, who broke royal protocol by accompanying her husband to the hospital for his prostate procedure, is expected to continue her usual schedule of public engagements during his cancer treatment.
After filling in for Charles at some official engagements she took her regularly scheduled vacation at the beginning of March — which, naturally, outraged some people. Camilla is scheduled to return royal duties on March 11.
How has Prince William responded to his father’s diagnosis?
Yes. Hours before Charles’s diagnosis was made public, it was announced that Prince William would return to public duties on February 7. He had taken time off to support his wife after her surgery.
Prince William attended an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on the morning of February 8. Later that evening he showed up to a gala dinner for London’s Air Ambulance Charity, which Tom Cruise also attended.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days,” William said at the gala.
“It’s fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather medical focus, so I thought I’d come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all,” he joked.
How has Prince Harry responded to his father’s diagnosis?
Though Prince Harry’s relationship with his father has been rocky since he stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and released a tell-all memoir last year, Charles called Harry to break the news before the news was made public, according to a spokesperson for the prince and his wife Meghan Markle.
Harry immediately took an 11-hour flight from Los Angeles to London to be with the king. Markle and their two young children, Archie and Lilibet, did not accompany Harry to the U.K.
On February 6 the prince was spotted arriving at Clarence House, the king and queen’s London residence, where Charles was resting following outpatient treatment, per The Guardian. A short time after reuniting with Harry, Charles and Camilla were driven to Buckingham Palace. About ten minutes later, a helicopter took off from the palace grounds and later landed at the king’s Sandringham estate.
Harry spent the night in a London hotel, not a royal residence, and did not see his brother William, according to the Daily Mail. The prince left the U.K. a day later.
Harry talked about his father’s diagnosis in an interview with Good Morning America that aired on February 16. The prince was in Whistler, British Columbia touring the site of the 2025 Invictus Games.
“I jumped on a plane and went to go see him as soon as I could,” Harry said. “Look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that.”
Harry declined to give more details on Charles’s health, saying that “stays between me and him.” But he revealed that he intends to visit his father again soon. “I’ve got other trips planned that will take me through the U.K., or back to the U.K., and so I’ll stop in and see my family as much as I can,” he said.
When asked if Charles’s illness might have a “reunifying effect” on the family, Harry replied, “Absolutely. Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Throughout all of these families, I see it on a day-to-day basis — again, the strength of the family unit coming together,” Harry said. “So, yeah, I think any illness, any sickness, brings families together. I see it time and time again, and that makes me very happy.”
What happens if Charles can’t perform his duties at all?
If King Charles is temporarily unable to conduct his constitutional duties, two “counselors of state” can be appointed to carry out official business. CNN has more details:
Two counselors can be appointed to act on the monarch’s behalf through what’s known as a letters patent and help keep the state ticking over. They would be authorized to sign documents, attend Privy Council meetings, and receive new ambassadors, but not perform some of the most important constitutional roles, such as appointing a Prime Minister. CNN understands there are no current plans to appoint any counselors.
Usually, the counsellor of state position can go to the monarch’s spouse and the first four people in the line of succession over the age of 21. After Prince Andrew and Prince Harry ceased being “working royals,” Charles added two of his siblings to the list in 2022. Since Harry no longer resides in the U.K., the following people are eligible to fill this role: Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Prince Edward, and Princess Anne.
Will King Charles abdicate?
That does not appear to be under consideration at the moment, and there is a step between appointing counsellors of state and Charles permanently giving up the throne.
If the monarch is completely unable to fulfill their duties, the person next in line to the throne, in this case Prince William, could fully assume those powers as regent. Per CNN:
For that to happen, there has to be medical evidence “that the Sovereign is by reason of infirmity of mind or body incapable for the time being of performing the royal functions” or “is for some definite cause not available for the performance of those functions.”
A panel of four needs to be satisfied with the evidence by a majority vote. That panel consists of the Lord Chancellor, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Lord Chief Justice of England, the Master of the Rolls, and The Queen. They would need to declare their decision in writing and would also declare if or when the King is ready to resume his duties. In the meantime, Prince William would act in his name.
Once Charles recovers, William could relinquish the role of regent with the declaration of a “cessation of incapacity.”
Who is next in the British line of succession?
The royal website features a list of the next 24 people in line to the throne. From the top, the order is Prince William; his children George, Charlotte, and Louis; then Prince Harry; his children Archie and Lilibet; and Prince Andrew.
This post has been updated throughout.
More on the royals
- Kate Middleton Photo Editing Made Me a Conspiracy Theorist
- The Royal Family’s Kate Middleton Crisis
- Prince Harry Infuriates Royals by Saying Nice Things About King Charles
