Mikhaila Friel

<ul><li>Prince Harry and Meghan were not told of Kate's cancer before the public, The Sunday Times reported.</li><li>Harry and Meghan sent well-wishes to Kate after the news broke via their press office.&nbsp;</li><li>Kensington Palace said it won't comment on&nbsp;"speculation about private conversations."</li></ul>

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kate-middleton-diagnosed-with-cancer-undergoing-chemotherapy-2024-3">The Princess of Wales</a>, 42, announced on Friday via video message that she had been diagnosed with cancer after abdominal surgery in January and was undergoing "preventative chemotherapy."

<q><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C402JKPtLVB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg> View this post on Instagram </a></q>

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C402JKPtLVB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading">A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)</a>

Shortly after the video was broadcast, representatives for Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, released a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prince-harry-meghan-markle-kate-middleton-cancer-diagnosis-statement-2024-3">short statement</a>.

"We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace," the statement read.

Roya Nikkhah, The Sunday Times royal editor, wrote in an article published online on Saturday evening that "It is understood that Kate's cancer diagnosis was not shared in advance with Harry and Meghan."

According to the publication, several sources said that there were no conversations with Harry and Meghan before the news broke, and the couple found out "from television, at the same time as the public."

"We do not comment on speculation about private conversations," a Kensington Palace spokesperson told Business Insider.

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry visiting Sandringham in 2018.Samir Hussein/WireImage

In episode four, Harry and Meghan discussed the success of their 2018 Australian tour and the public and press' love of Meghan. Harry said Meghan's popularity was becoming an issue, alluding to the fact that she was overshadowing other royals like the Queen, Charles, and William. "The issue is when someone who's marrying in, who should be a supporting, a supporting act, is then stealing the limelight or is doing the job better than the person who is born to do this," Harry said. "That upsets people. It shifts the balance."William is first in line for the British throne as King Charles' eldest son."Because you've been led to believe that the only way that your charities can succeed and the only way that your reputation can be grown or improved is if you're on the front page of those newspapers," Harry added.

Harry discussed how Meghan's popularity was a threat to Prince William.

The palace's refusal to discuss "speculation" makes sense. The online speculation about Kate's health — dubbed the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kate-middleton-never-complain-never-explain-outdated-strategy-2024-3">"Katespiracy"</a> — led to a swirl of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kate-middletons-cancer-announcement-should-end-conspiracy-theories-2024-3">conspiracy theories</a> that were proved to be untrue after the princess' cancer was announced.

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/people-regret-katespiracy-theories-after-kate-middleton-cancer-announcement-2024-3">Blake Lively</a> was one of the first celebrities to publicly apologize for participating in the online commentary.

Nonetheless, some would argue that the public are right to feel entitled to be informed about the royals' private lives.

The royals cost UK taxpayers 86.3 million, or about $110.5 million, during the 2022-23 financial year.

Harry and Meghan have spoken publicly about their rift with the royal family, including William and Kate, in recent years.

Harry first opened up about a rift with William in 2019, saying in a TV documentary that they were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prince-harry-addresses-rift-prince-william-itv-africa-documentary-2019-10">"on different paths."</a>

"Part of this role and part of this job, this family, being under the pressure that it's under, inevitably stuff happens," he said.

"But look, we're brothers, we'll always be brothers," he added. "We're certainly on different paths at the moment but I'll always be there for him and as I know he'll always be there for me."

Harry and Meghan also spoke about their issues with the royal family in an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-bombshells-revealed-prince-harry-meghan-markle-oprah-interview-2021-3">interview with Oprah Winfrey</a> in 2021, with Meghan saying that Kate made her cry over bridesmaids' dresses before her royal wedding in 2018.

More recently, Harry reflected on his <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wildest-things-prince-harry-said-about-prince-william-in-spare-2023-1">relationship with William in the 2023 memoir, "Spare,"</a> referring to him as a "beloved brother" and "arch nemesis."&nbsp;

It's unclear where Harry and Meghan's relationship with the family stands. In an interview with "Good Morning America" in February, the prince said King Charles, who was also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/king-charles-diagnosed-with-cancer-buckingham-palace-confirms-2024-2">diagnosed with cancer</a> this year, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prince-harry-says-king-charles-cancer-could-bring-royals-closer-2024-2">informed him privately</a> of the diagnosis.

"I jumped on a plane and went to see him as soon as I could," Harry said.

"I love my family," he added. "The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I'm grateful for that."

When asked if Charles' diagnosis could have a "reunifying effect" on the royal family, he said, "Yeah, I'm sure."

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on December 25, 2018 in King's Lynn, England.Stephen Pond/Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle didn't know about Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis before the public announcement, according to <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kate-king-charles-hospital-visits-closer-ever-jx70bqkc7">The Sunday Times</a>.

Prince Harry and Meghan found out about Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis on TV like everyone else, report says

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Mikhaila Friel

Articles written by the author

Prince Harry and Meghan found out about Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis on TV like everyone else, report says