Kate Middleton announced her cancer diagnosis in a video statement in March (File/Reuters)
Months after Princess of Wales Kate Middleton announced she had been diagnosed with cancer and was in the “early stages” of treatment, royal family sources revealed she might “not appear in public for the rest of the year.”
Kate is “surrounded” by her family as she undergoes preventive chemotherapy, The Daily Beast reported.
The Princess of Wales is expected to spend the next week at the country home on the Sandringham Estate with her family. Her parents would likely join them.
Over the next six weeks, Prince William will likely spend more time with his family. He was given time off after the British royal family noted they would be stepping back from a few engagements to avoid distracting from the upcoming general elections scheduled for July 4.
A source, quoted by the publication, said the Princess of Wales is not expected to be seen in any public-facing role in the medium term, adding to the possibility of her remaining absent from public life for the rest of 2024.
"Lots of people involved in planning need to know what the principals are doing a long way in advance. I am told that Kate's diary for this year is empty. There is nothing planned. She may not appear in public for the rest of the year," the source told the outlet.
So, how does the Royal Family plan to deal with the inevitable resurgence of conspiracy theories and speculations that her absence would trigger?
The source shared the possibility of another video message updating the country on her health can't be ruled out, adding it worked as an "effective way" to keep the conspiracy theorists at bay.
A friend of the royal couple, on the condition of anonymity, said that for now, the most crucial thing for Kate is to avoid stress and anxiety so she can move on with getting better. They will bail out and be off to Sandringham the moment school breaks up, the friend said.
The Princess of Wales prefers to confide in her family rather than her friends - most of whom are expected to attend the Duke of Westminster's wedding next month, the friend said, adding that she is surrounded by her parents, Carole and Michael, and her sister Pippa Middleton and brother James have "obviously been there for her as well."
"They are an incredibly tight family, and Catherine feels absolutely confident relying on them. They have been there for her for decades and never let her down," the source added.
According to reports, the Princess of Wales has not appeared in public in the last several months. On March 22, she announced her cancer diagnosis in a video statement.
In the video, she said initially her condition was believed to be non-cancerous. But she discovered the truth after a successful abdominal surgery in January as subsequent tests revealed cancer was present.