As Buckingham Palace continues in the spotlight, we look at the Royal Family’s latest statements

The British Royal Family continues to attract global attention and every single piece of news from Buckingham Palace is granted top billing on news programmes around the world.

The recent news that Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, had undergone “planned abdominal surgery” was followed by a period of absence from public life. Aside from the occasional long-distance shot, Kate has not been seen in public since December 2023.

A recent photograph shared by the Royals, showing Kate with her three children, was later found to have been photoshopped. That controversy only served to heighten interest in her condition and strengthen calls for a formal statement from Kensington Palace.

With rumours of an upcoming public announcement swirling, we take a look at the recent statements from the British Royal Family...

King Charles’ hospital treatment - 29 January 2024

The most recent formal communication from the Royals came in January. A communication entitled ‘A statement from Buckingham Palace’ announced that King Charles had been discharged from hospitals following a planned medical treatment. The King thanked the medical team and well-wishers for their supporter.

However, this statement failed to share the news that the King had been hospitalised after being told that he has cancer. The Palace has remained tight-lipped on his precise condition, but maintain that he is able to continue his royal duties in private.

Holocaust Memorial Day - 26 January

As part of his royal duties the King often issues messages in response to global events and days of recognition. Shortly before news of his hospitalisation emerged a statement ‘A message from The King on Holocaust Memorial Day 2024′ was released by the Palace.

“Holocaust Memorial Day offers a valuable opportunity for the richly diverse communities of this nation to come together and recommit to building a society free from antisemitism, persecution and hatred,” it read.

King’s Poetry award - 25 January

Every year the monarch awards the Gold Medal for Poetry to a recipient from the United Kingdom or a Commonwelath Realm. The custom began with King George V in 1933 and the latest winner, approved by King Charles, is Mimi Khalvati.

A statement entitled ‘The King’s Gold Medal for Poetry 2023′ read: “The Poetry Medal Committee, chaired by the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, recommended Mimi Khalvati as the recipient of the Medal for 2023 due to her outstanding talent and ability to draw on diverse cultural traditions – Iranian, English and American – to enrich British poetry.”

Princess of Wales admitted to hospital - 17 January

The first royal statement of 2024 brought the news that Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, had been admitted to hospital for “planned abdominal surgery”. She had not been seen in public since December and even now, two months on from that statement, has not attended a single public engagement.

At the time ‘A statement from Kensington Palace’ confirmed: “The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”

There has been no official confirmation of any further comment from the Palace, although rumours of an upcoming statement have gathered momentum as interest in Kate Middleton’s condition has increased.

The Royal Family as an entity are famously discreet, rarely choosing to share details of their private lives except for in the most rare of cases. That secrecy has become their modus operandi but in the modern world, as people demand greater accountability from leaders, transparency on key issues like health is required to prevent the institution of monarchy from losing legitimacy.