Looking Back At The Royal Family's Tragic Year Since King Charles' Coronation

There have been several signs that King Charles would have a challenging reign. Apart from the intense scrutiny following the Queen's passing, the new King's coronation was marred with family drama. Royal fans were upset with Prince Andrew's planned attendance, and there was tension over the Sussexes, Harry and Meghan. But most of all, there was an undeniable growing disillusionment with the royals. Charles just didn't seem to have the same pull his mother had. 

While over 8,000 guests attended the late Queen's coronation in the 2,200-seater Westminster Abbey, the new King reportedly had some trouble getting his pick of celebrities. In fact, several major celebrities had turned down the request to attend the coronation. The royal family also faced criticism for allegedly arresting anti-monarchy demonstrators. Coupled with these events, astrologer Lisa Stardust predicted that King Charles' reign would be difficult. It's been one year since his coronation and so far, the prediction has been apt.

During King Charles's coronation, one guest rekindled age-old rumors about the Prince and Princess of Wales' marriage. In 2022, an anonymous submission on a celebrity gossip platform hinted at marital issues within the royal family. The anonymous person claimed that a certain royal's wife — as well as many Londoners — was aware that he was cheating on her. No names were mentioned, but social media users speculated that the submission referred to William and Kate. This might be because of speculation of friction between Kate and Rose Hanbury.

When royal fans noticed that Hanbury was invited to the coronation, there was gossip that William had intentionally insulted Kate by inviting his mistress to his father's coronation. Expectedly, these rumors reached the couple, but there were no official statements. Instead, sources say that the affair rumors brought Kate and William closer together. Undoubtedly, the added public scrutiny requires that the couple put extra work into keeping their marriage healthy. That has got to be stressful!

Nine months into his reign, the King of England was incidentally diagnosed with cancer while he received medical attention for an enlarged prostate, also known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. The royal family announced King Charles' health issues on February 5, 2024, but kept some key details from the public. We do not know what type of cancer it was, what stage it was in, or what treatment plan the King will be following. However, we know that he postponed scheduled engagements to focus on select royal tasks and his cancer treatment.

Thankfully, the subsequent updates on the monarch's health have been positive, with the monarch resuming official duties at the end of May, starting with a visit to cancer patients. Despite having access to world-class care, Charles's interaction with patients highlighted the emotional toll of battling cancer. "It's always a bit of a shock, isn't it, when they tell you?" he recalled (via New York Post). Sadly, there are rumors that the King worries that his cancer diagnosis isn't a good look on the royals. Not exactly what a recovering patient should be worrying about.

The Kate Middleton rumors began due to her disappearance from the public eye after the royal Christmas celebrations in 2023. About two weeks into the new year, Kensington Palace announced that the mother of three had undergone abdominal surgery, which only raised more questions about her whereabouts. Soon, social media was awash with some of the wildest theories about Kate Middleton's absence from the public eye. There were speculations of plastic surgery as well as rumors of a royal order for a hysterectomy.

For weeks, #WhereIsKateMiddleton trended across social media platforms. Soon, darker rumors emerged, suggesting Kate was in a coma, treating an eating disorder, or even dead. The rumor went that the Princess of Wales had been murdered and was replaced by a body double. This led people to draw similarities between Princess Diana and Catherine, starting up hurtful rumors. Some wondered if the royal family had" done a sequel of Diana," indirectly laying serious accusations. Considering that the subject of Diana's death is still a touchy one, it must have been a tough couple of weeks for the royals.

On March 10, The Kensington Royal Palace's official X account posted a photo of Kate and her children to celebrate Mother's Day, crediting William as the photographer. However, her prolonged absence prompted eagle-eyed fans to scrutinize the image for clues, and it soon became clear that the photo had been digitally altered. Beyond the peculiar smiles, fans noted unnatural body postures, missing features, and other discrepancies hinting at manipulation. What began as an unsubstantiated rumor quickly became a significant controversy, leading to the Kate Middleton fake photo op conspiracies. 

The following day, the Kensington Royal account apologized, acknowledging the use of "photoshop" on the image. Signed by Catherine, the apology sparked considerable backlash towards the mother of two, with critical comments flooding social media platforms. The photo was meant to put the rumors about her absence to rest, but it did quite the opposite. Many considered the post evidence that the royal family had something to hide and was playing on people's intelligence, triggering a heavy backlash. This speculation turned out to be accurate, as Kate revealed she had cancer days later.

On March 22, Princess Kate released a video addressing her health, publicly sharing that she had been diagnosed with cancer during her abdominal surgery. She also explained that one reason they had been so secretive was to break the news to their children delicately. It must have been tough for Kate to endure intense public backlash and hurtful rumors while dealing with such a huge medical burden.

Unfortunately, the Princess of Wales hasn't been able to focus solely on her treatment. That same month, her uncle, Gary Goldsmith, went on "Celebrity Big Brother," where he seemed eager to name-drop the royal family. Then, in April, it was reported that her brother was engaged in a very public disagreement with a neighbor. We imagine that Kate and Charles are finding it tough to stay rested amidst all the family drama and rumors. Hopefully, the rest of the King's reign will take an upward turn. The royals are certainly due for some good news.