All The Health Problems Kate Middleton Has Addressed Publicly
Catherine, Princess of Wales, stepped into the public spotlight when she and William, Prince of Wales announced their engagement in November 2010. While Kate's savvy fashion choices garnered her plenty of attention from the start, public interest in Kate's health began a year later. In November 2011, royal fans noticed a mark or scar underneath Kate's hair, generating all kinds of speculation as to its cause. While some people believed it was a hair extension track, a palace spokesperson clarified that it was a three-inch scar from a childhood surgery.
Without divulging any specifics, royal sources eluded that it was a significant medical event. However, John Scurr, a consultant surgeon at the Lister Hospital in London, was skeptical, telling the Daily Mail, "I really doubt it was any serious medical condition and I would say it is as a result of an arteriovenous malformation — a birthmark — being removed."
Since then, the media and royal fans have continued to discuss and speculate about the princess's health on various occasions. Depending on the issue and situation, Kate and the palace have chosen the level of detail they wish to disclose. Here are some instances when the royal family has spoken about Kate's health.
Kate's abdominal surgery has created intense speculation
On January 17, 2024, Kensington Palace announced that Catherine, Princess of Wales had undergone planned abdominal surgery on January 16. While the statement revealed that Kate's procedure had been successful, it did not reveal the reason and noted a 10-14 day hospital stay was necessary. On January 29, an additional palace statement revealed that Kate was home and moving forward with her recovery. Kate's initial announcement clearly stated that while she was aware of public interest, she wanted to keep her health information private. Even so, the palace did reveal the condition is not cancerous.
Unfortunately, in the absence of specific disclosures, rumors about Kate's health crisis have abounded. In Spain, a journalist incorrectly reported complications during the procedure, including an induced coma. This claim was refuted by a palace source. "It's fundamentally, totally made-up, and I'll use polite English here: It's absolutely not the case," they informed The Times.
Although Kate doesn't plan to make any royal appearances until after Easter, it was reported that she planned to work from home as she recovered from her surgery. In addition, as a source reported to Us Weekly, it's possible that Kate "may disclose more information in due course" as she recovers from the procedure.
She struggled with hyperemesis gravidarum every pregnancy
During her three pregnancies, Catherine, Princess of Wales experienced severe morning sickness, known as hyperemesis gravidarum. In December 2012, even though she was less than 12 weeks pregnant with Prince George, Kate reportedly decided to disclose her pregnancy after a hospital stay. The statement explained that hyperemesis gravidarum was the reason Kate would remain in the hospital for a few days.
When she was pregnant with Princess Charlotte, Kate had to cancel some royal outings, prompting the palace to explain that she had hyperemesis gravidarum once again. A similar situation occurred in 2017 when Kate was pregnant with Prince Louis and she had to miss a previously scheduled appearance. Kate also couldn't accompany George on his first day of school due to her illness.
In 2020, Kate got candid about suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum when she appeared on the "Happy, Baby, Happy Mum" podcast. "Lots of people have it far, far worse, but it was definitely a challenge," she recalled. The princess also explained it influenced her decision to explore the hypnobirthing method in preparation for labor. "It was through hyperemesis that I really realized the power of the mind over the body because I really had to try everything and everything to try and help me through it."
She injured her fingers while playing with her kids
In September 2023, Catherine, Princess of Wales made a royal appearance with two of her fingers on her right hand taped together. Kate was said to have sustained this relatable, minor injury while bouncing on a trampoline with her three kids. By early October, while Kate no longer needed to keep her fingers bandaged for speaking engagements, she opted to retape her injured fingers before participating in a wheelchair rugby game. "I'm worried about my finger, but willing to try," she reportedly confided to a team member (via Daily Mail).
However, once the game began, Kate's sporty, competitive nature took over. She focused on the game, impressing her teammates with her skills and scoring a conversion. As further evidence that she had put her anxieties about exacerbating her injured fingers out of her mind, during the action, Kate even ran into one of the posts set up for the game, grabbing it with her hands.