The Princess of Monaco mysteriously withdrew from public life in 2021 (Picture: Getty)
Internet sleuths have had their work cut out for them in the last few days as rumours about Kate Middleton’s health have gone into overdrive.
An edited photo sparked fresh speculation and a flurry of memes on Sunday, as social media ignited with theories about the ‘missing’ Princess of Wales.
But this isn’t the first time a royal illness has sparked an international mystery.
Statuesque and effortlessly glamorous, Princess Charlene of Monaco was a consummate royal who captivated the world with her style and beauty.
But in 2021, the 46-year-old Olympic swimmer abruptly withdrew from public life and spent six months in South Africa, where she grew up.
The princess was said to be suffering from a mysterious ear, nose and throat infection, but a complicated timeline ignited a blaze of rumours.
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco with their children,(Picture: Getty Images)
Kate Middleton is at the centre of a social media firestorm as rumours swirl about her health (Picture: Getty)
A golden couple with ‘dark secrets’
Prince Albert III, head of the monarchy of Monaco, had a glamourous upbringing – his mother was none other than American actress Grace Kelly, widely regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful women.
Albert met Charlene at a swimming pool in Monaco in the early 2000s. The couple married in 2011 in a lavish three-day wedding that reportedly cost $55 million (£43,000,000). The event kicked off with a concert by The Eagles.
But behind the glitzy façade, cracks were beginning to show.
Reports swirled in the lead up that Charlene had got cold feet, and there was much discussion of how visibly upset she appeared on her wedding day.
There were rumours that Charlene tried to leave Monaco before saying ‘I do’, and the couple did little to dispel talk of their relationship woes – they spent the first few days of their honeymoon in separate hotels ten miles apart.
Charlene and Albert married in 2011, but their relationship was rumoured to be sour from the outset (Picture:Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Three years after tying the knot, Albert and Charlene welcomed their twin children, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques on 10 December 2014.
Charlene admitted she didn’t always feel at home in Monaco, where an estimated one in three people are millionaires.
‘Although I have met some wonderful people since I’ve been living in Monaco, I regard them all as acquaintances. I only have two people I consider friends here,’ she told Tatler in 2010.
Albert’s playboy past cast a long shadow over the relationship. He was embroiled in legal battles over his two eldest children, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi and Alexandre Grimaldi.
Jazmin, whose mother is an American real estate agent, was born in 1992, but Albert did not confirm that he was her father until 2006. Alexandre’s mother is former Air France flight attendant Nicole Coste.
Neither of Albert’s two elder children are eligible for any royal titles as they were born out of wedlock.
Then, in 2020, a Brazilian woman living in Italy claimed the Prince was the father of her 16-year-old daughter – a claim which Albert denied.
Charlene holds hands with her children Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella as her husband Albert waves to the crowd at an event in November 2023 (Picture: AFP)
A mystery illness
Despite the ongoing paternity suit against Albert, Princess Charlene carried on with business as usual until the start of 2021.
In April that year, she shared a family portrait of her, Albert and their children painting Easter eggs – a sign that all was well.
Charlene’s six months in South Africa sparked rumours (Picture: Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images)
A month later, Charlene travelled to South Africa and posted an Instagram photo of herself at a rhino conservation event on 18 May.
She was due to attend the Monaco Grand Prix a couple of days later, but failed to appear.
The palace then issued a statement about her absence: ‘During a trip to the African continent as part of a wildlife conservation mission, Princess Charlene contracted an ENT infection that does not allow her to travel’.
ENT stands for ear, nose and throat.
Charlene stayed in South Africa for the next few months, where she reportedly underwent a series of surgeries.
Kate Middleton’s illness: a timeline of everything we know
25 December 2023: Kate attends the Christmas Day service at Sandringham with her family. It is the last time she made a public appearance before her surgery.
16 January 2024: Kate undergoes planned abdominal surgery at the London Clinic. She spent two weeks at the clinic.
17 January: Kensington Palace release a statement to announce that Kate was admitted to the London Clinic. They say that the surgery was successful and that the Princess will return to public duties after Easter.
Later that day, Buckingham Palace revealed that King Charles II was to undergo a medical procedure to treat an enlarged prostate.
18 January: William visits Kate at the clinic.
29 January: Kate is discharged from hospital.
27 February: Prince William misses King Constantine’s memorial service due to a ‘personal matter’.
29 February: As online rumours gain traction, Kensington Palace say that there will not be regular updates on Kate’s health.
4 March: Kate is spotted in public for the first time in a car driven by her mother, Carole Middleton in a photo taken by US news site TMZ.
10 March: Kensington Palace release an image of Kate with her three children to mark Mother’s Day. Several news agencies issue ‘kill notices’ warning against using the image following concerns that it was manipulated.
11 March: Kate admits that she had personally edited the Mother’s Day photo. She is pictured inside a car leaving Windsor Castle.
She said the infection prevented her from flying above 20,000 feet because she was unable to equalise pressure, which meant she was unable to travel back to her family Monaco.
‘Albert and I had no choice but to follow the medical team’s instructions even though it is extremely difficult. He has been the most incredible support to me,’ she said.
Albert and the children finally visited Charlene in South Africa in June, and again in August.
Then, in September, she was admitted to hospital after fainting due to complications related to the infection. At the time, the palace said it was not cause for concern.
Rumours start to swirl
After six months in South Africa, Charlene finally returned to Monaco in November 2021.
However, she did not stay in the Principality for long.
The Princess was not seen in public for several months (Picture: Alfonso Cannavacciuolo/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images)
The palace said she would rest for several weeks and avoid public duties.
‘A period of calm and rest is necessary to ensure the very best recovery for Princess Charlene’s health,’ a statement said.
Then the Princess missed Monaco’s National Day celebrations.
Less than two weeks after her return, Albert confirmed that his wife was not in Monaco, but he could not say where she was ‘for discretion’.
‘There is fatigue, not just physical, that can only be treated with a period of rest and follow-up,’ the Prince told Monaco-Martin.
According to reports, Charlene was staying in a clinic in Switzerland.
The couple have since made several outings together (Picture: Getty Images)
In an interview with People Magazine in November 2021, Prince Albert said that ‘these are not problems within our relationship; not with the relationship between a husband and wife. It’s of a different nature.’
He added that Charlene’s return to Monaco ‘went pretty well in the first few hours, and then it became pretty evident that she was unwell’.
Albert confirmed that his wife did not have Covid-19 or cancer, and denied that she had been recovering from plastic surgery.
‘She realized herself that she needed help. You can’t force anyone to understand that they need treatment, they have to accept that themselves,’ he said.
Royal recovery
In February 2022, Prince Albert said Charlene she was ‘doing much better’, and in March, she returned to Monaco.
In May 2022, she made her first public appearance in over a year at Monaco’s E-Prix race.
The couple have since attended several events together – including King Charles’ coronation.
However, the rumours about their relationship persist.
In August 2023, French and German media reported that the couple were separated, and that Charlene was living in Switzerland. Later that month, the Princess deleted her Instagram account.
They have made public appearances together since, although there have been reports that Prince Albert pays his wife £10million a year to carry out royal duties.