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King Charles III, Kate Middleton, and Sara Ferguson.
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Kate Middleton announced on Friday that she was diagnosed with cancer.Her health news comes after King Charles III shared his cancer diagnosis in February. Here are other British royal members who’ve been diagnosed with cancer and how they shared the news.
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After weeks of speculation about the whereabouts and welfare of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales announced that her doctors had diagnosed her with cancer and that she is undergoing treatment.
She is not the first member of the royal family to share a scary diagnosis.
Here are other members of the British royal family who have received a cancer diagnosis, including the sitting monarch.
Kate Middleton announced her cancer diagnosis with a video in March.
Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales.
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Middleton was hospitalized with a “planned abdominal surgery” in January. Kensington Palace said she would likely remain absent from her royal duties until Easter on March 31.
After a photo released of Middleton with her children was taken down because it had been edited, fans kept their eyes peeled to spot the princess. Her absence stirred weeks of speculation.
That chatter abruptly changed tune after an announcement from the Palace that Middleton has cancer.
In a pre-recorded video, Middleton shared with the world that cancer had been detected following her procedure. As a result, the princess said she was undergoing chemotherapy.
“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” the princess said in the video.
Buckingham Palace announced King Charles III had cancer in February.
King Charles III.
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Similar to his daughter-in-law, King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer following a procedure in January. The 75-year-old monarch underwent a “corrective procedure” for an enlarged prostate, which is common in men of his age.
While the situation was initially considered benign, Buckingham Palace later announced in a statement in February that King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer.
That announcement came as a statement from Buckingham Palace that said the King had “chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation.”
The announcements of the two cancer diagnoses marked a shift in the royal PR strategy, which has traditionally been to hold its cards close to the chest.
The King and his daughter-in-law have been in close contact amid their diagnoses, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson told the BBC.
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, was diagnosed with breast cancer and skin cancer.
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.
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Ferguson disclosed her first cancer diagnosis to outlets, including Business Insider, in June 2023 through a representative. The representative confirmed that Ferguson underwent surgery for breast cancer.
“Sarah, Duchess of York, was recently diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer detected at a routine mammogram screening. She was advised she needed to undergo surgery which has taken place successfully,” the statement said.
Less than a year later, Ferguson announced that she had been diagnosed with skin cancer.
“Her dermatologist asked that several moles were removed and analyzed at the same time as the duchess was undergoing reconstructive surgery following her mastectomy, and one of these has been identified as cancerous,” a representative told The Guardian.
Ferguson wrote about her reaction to news of the second cancer diagnosis in an Instagram post.
“Naturally another cancer diagnosis has been a shock, but I’m in good spirits and grateful for the many messages of love and support,” she wrote.
Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor, was diagnosed with throat cancer.
King Edward VIII.
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Edward VIII only ruled as a king in 1936 before abdicating the throne to his younger brother, King George VI. The change in royal title allowed Edward to become the Duke of Windsor, according to The National Archives.
Outlets, including Royal Central, reported that Edward was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1971 and died in May 1972 at age 77 while in Paris.
The general public appeared to be aware of Edward’s ailment since The New York Times mentioned it in a 1972 report covering his death.
“He was known to have suffered from cancer of the throat. He underwent a hernia operation in Paris last February,” the outlet reported. “His general condition deteriorated sharply in the last month, and the Duke ended his evening walks with his dogs, his only recent outings.”
King George VI was diagnosed with lung cancer.
King George VI
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King George VI — the father of Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret — ruled the United Kingdom from 1936 to 1952.
At the time, the general public was unaware that George had lung cancer as the palace did not make an announcement, according to the Associated Press. George was a heavy smoker and a study published by pathologists in August 2021 said doctors surgically removed his left lung in September 1951 over “structural abnormalities.”
However, the study reports that George actually had carcinoma, a type of cancer that forms in the epithelial tissue. AP reported that some historians believe George was not aware that he had cancer.
“His physicians withheld this diagnosis from him, the public, and the medical profession,” the study said, adding that the cancer appeared to spread to George’s right lung.
He died in February 1952 at age 56.
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