Princess Kate's battle with cancer different from King Charles: 'serious illness'

The experiences and challenges Princess Kate faces with her cancer diagnosis and treatment are not the same as those faced by King Charles, a royal commentator has claimed.

The Princess of Wales has not undertook any public engagements in 2024, following the royal's abdominal surgery and cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

King Charles, 75, has also been diagnosed with a form of cancer, and in recent weeks has started to make a staggered return to royal duties.

Speculation surrounding Kate, 42, and her whereabouts has been rife, ever since her operation was announced at the beginning of the year. However, the princess's video message announcing she had begun a course of preventative chemotherapy saw a decrease in the conspiracy theories circulating online.

Gareth Russell, a royal author, told GB News that Kate's health concern cannot be compared to King Charles's condition.

He said: "I think it's very important to remember that every case of serious illness, particularly every case of cancer, is different and that every patient is entitled to privacy when they request it.

"Also, not to be held to a timetable that really works for another cancer sufferer. So I don't think there's any way that we can correlate the Princess of Wales's treatment and journey with cancer in the same way we can with her father-in-law's.

"Every cancer patient's journey will be different for each one of them."

Earlier this week, it was reported that Princess Kate was "out and about" amid her recovery, although Kensington Palace has not verified this.

Last week, a royal insider claimed the Princess of Wales is "in a very different position" to King Charles as she continues to recover from her cancer treatment.

King Charles returned to public-facing duties last month and has undertaken multiple royal engagements in May.

The insider told the Mail: "As Sovereign, His Majesty is in a very different position from the Princess of Wales. There is no need for her to be seen while she’s recovering."