Kate’s announcement came after months of speculation and conspiracy theories following her planned abdominal surgery in January 2024. She ultimately chose to address the public directly through a video message to announce her cancer diagnosis and request privacy. In contrast, King Charles’s announcement came swiftly after his diagnosis, with Buckingham Palace making the announcement. He chose to go public specifically because he had been a patron of cancer-related charities
For Kate, Kensington Palace explicitly stated they would not reveal the type or stage of cancer, and indicated she would return to work only when cleared by her medical team. Similarly, for King Charles, the Palace has maintained privacy about the specific type of cancer, only confirming it was not prostate cancer, though they did disclose he began a “schedule of regular treatments” in February.
Despite his diagnosis, King Charles continued with his constitutional role as head of state, maintaining paperwork duties and private meetings, including weekly sessions with the prime minister. Kate took a more gradual approach, starting with “a little work from home” and emphasizing the need to be patient with uncertainty, taking each day as it comes and listening to her body.
Kate was notably personal in her communication, discussing the shock of diagnosis and how she and William managed the news with their young children, emphasizing her focus on healing in mind, body, and spirit. King Charles’s updates have been more formal, with palace sources describing his cancer as a “managed condition” requiring ongoing treatment into the following year
Kate has been more emotionally expressive about her journey, describing the past nine months as “incredibly tough” for her family and acknowledging how life can change in an instant. King Charles has maintained a more stoic public approach, even joking when asked about his health by saying “I’m still alive,” while continuing public engagements to demonstrate his health was “to some degree under control”
