One spate of rampant, incorrect conspiracy theories surrounding the Princess of Wales and her health and well-being was enough for one year (and, really, one lifetime). Even people who couldn’t give two shakes about the royal family were dialed in and invested into the whereabouts of Kate earlier this year, in that dark period between the Palace announcing that she had undergone a planned abdominal surgery on January 16 and Kate’s own brave announcement that she had been diagnosed with and was receiving treatment for cancer on March 22. (The type and stage of her cancer, as well as that of her father-in-law King Charles, heretofore remains unknown; Charles, following his own planned procedure at The London Clinic in January, announced his diagnosis on February 5, the same day he began treatment.)
In what we hope isn’t a second wave of Kate conspiracy mongers, the latest Kate speculation seemingly appeared out of nowhere: that she isn’t in the U.K. but is instead in Houston, Texas, undergoing treatment for cancer at that city’s famed MD Anderson Cancer Center, long considered one of the most respected centers dedicated exclusively to cancer patient care and research in the world. According to Town & Country, this theory was amplified in this now-viral TikTok, which referenced a recent Reddit post where a user shared they had heard that Kate stayed at the St. Regis Houston while in town receiving treatment.
Now, let’s stop here—if our primary sources are Reddit and TikTok, let’s pause and take a beat before we believe them. In a new story from The Houston Chronicle, a Kensington Palace representative debunked this story, saying it was false; The Chronicle also reached out to MD Anderson, which, of course, declined to comment because of patient privacy laws.
Additionally, local news station KHOU contacted the BBC, which told the outlet that their royal sources said that Kate hasn’t left the U.K. since her cancer diagnosis earlier this year, which reportedly was given around February.
The understandably frustrated Palace said, when speaking to Us Weekly, that “We have been really clear that [Kate] needs the space and the privacy to recover right now. She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors.”
Another conspiracy theory worth debunking? That Kate isn’t returning to royal duty at all, which a source speaking to Harper’s Bazaar called “unfair and untrue”: “There is no information about Kate’s ‘return’ because the focus at this moment in time is 100 percent on her health,” a source said. “To suggest she won’t return to her role is unfair and untrue. Conversations of that nature are just not being had. When the time is right, she will resume her work.”
Royal author Katie Nicholl said that, thankfully, the news is positive surrounding Kate’s cancer treatment and progress, and that the Princess of Wales has “turned a corner” as of late. “She’s tolerating this preventative chemotherapy better,” Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight. “I think she had a hard time in the beginning. These are strong drugs that she’s on, but she’s tolerating it better, and she’s doing better.”
Nicholl added “We’ve had reports from members of the public that she’s been out and about. I’ve heard from certain people that she’s out with the children [Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis]. That’s a really positive sign.”
