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Catherine, Princess of Wales -

The Princess of Wales released a short video on March 22, 2024, to share that she has been diagnosed with cancer. “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”

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Catherine, Princess of Wales -

The Princess announced that she was stepping back from her royal duties temporarily to recover from her surgery in January, but after two months out of the public eye and a photo-shopped Mother's Day picture, wild theories started to circulate. In the video statement, Middleton revealed that she wished to put an end to the speculation but could only do so once her young family had processed the shocking news. "It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.” She went on to reassure viewers that she is feeling well and “getting stronger every day," despite the fact that it's been "an incredibly tough couple of months" for the whole family.  

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Catherine, Princess of Wales -

In her first public appearance after completing chemotherapy treatment, the princess joined Prince William in a visit to Southport, in northwest England, on October 10. Still gradually returning to public life, Middleton decided to prioritize this visit to offer her condolences to the families of three children who were tragically killed in a knife attack in the area.

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King Charles III -

On February 5, 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer. It was discovered while he was undergoing treatment for a benign enlarged prostate, a condition which is reportedly unrelated. The King started treatment and took several months off from his public duties while he recovered. The monarch, 76, has continued his treatment into 2025.

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Diana, Princess of Wales -

Princess Diana struggled with an eating disorder during her marriage. More specifically, bulimia.

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Diana, Princess of Wales -

"The bulimia started the week after we got engaged. My husband put his hand on my waistline and said: 'Oh, a bit chubby here, aren't we?' and that triggered off something in me," confessed Lady Di.

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Princess Eugenie -

When she was 12, Princess Eugenie underwent surgery to correct her scoliosis (curvature of the spine). "During my operation, which took eight hours, my surgeons inserted eight-inch titanium rods into each side of my spine and one-and-a-half inch screws at the top of my neck. After three days in intensive care, I spent a week on a ward and six days in a wheelchair, but I was walking again after that," she recalled.

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Princess Eugenie -

Princess Eugenie proudly displayed her back scar on her wedding day. In 2021, the titanium rods in her back did prevent her from getting an epidural during the birth of her son August Philip Hawke Brooksbank. As a result, Princess Eugenie had to have a C-section.

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Charles III -

King Charles III suffers from dactylitis, a condition that causes inflammation and water retention, often noticeable in the King's swollen fingers.

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Charles III -

Colloquially known as "sausage fingers," the condition is linked to arthritis and other autoimmune diseases and usually manifests in the fingers or toes.

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Meghan Markle -

Meghan Markle is known to suffer from debilitating migraines. These got so bad at times that she had to be hospitalized. Markle did, however, say that acupuncture and Eastern medicine changed her life.

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Prince Harry -

Like his wife, Prince Harry also suffers from migraines. He even recalls one episode in his memoir, when he had to be assisted by medics in the South Pole in 2013. "Medics pitched a tent, laid me flat, gave me some sort of anti-migraine injection ... When I came to, I felt semi-revived," he wrote.

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Prince Harry -

But perhaps the most debilitating health issues Prince Harry has struggled with are those of a mental nature. Prince Harry has suffered from numerous traumatic episodes throughout his life, including his mother's tragic death.

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Prince Harry -

When he returned home from Afghanistan in 2013, Prince Harry said that he was "alternating between periods of extremely debilitating lethargy and terrifying panic attacks."

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Prince William -

Prince William has opened up about some episodes of anxiety. But it turns out another health issue actually helped him overcome his anxiety of public speaking.

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Prince William -

"My eyesight started to tail off a little bit as I got older, and I didn't used to wear contacts when I was working, so when I gave speeches I couldn't see anyone's face," he said in an interview. "And it helps, because it's just a blur of faces and because you can't see anyone looking at you. I can see enough to read the paper and stuff like that—but I couldn't actually see the whole room. And actually that really helped with my anxiety," added Prince William.

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The Queen Mother -

The late Queen Mother lived until the age of 101, so it's safe to say that she was pretty healthy in general. Though she also had her fair share of health issues. The Queen Mother was once diagnosed with anemia and suffered from ulcers on her left leg, as well as issues with her hips.

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Queen Elizabeth II -

Queen Elizabeth II lived a long, and generally healthy, life, and it was not until the end that the late Queen started to have a few health setbacks, including mobility issues. But there are rumors that Queen Elizabeth II was battling a painful disease at the time of her death.

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Queen Elizabeth II -

Some sources, including royal biography 'Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait' by Gyles Brandreth, claim that Queen Elizabeth II was battling cancer before her death. The late Queen is said to to have fought against painful multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer). This has not, however, been confirmed by the royal family.

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Catherine, Princess of Wales -

The Princess of Wales' hectic work schedule and family life seem to have had an impact on her sleep as well. According to some sources, she sometimes struggles to sleep.

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Catherine, Princess of Wales -

A few years ago, though, the Princess did have a real condition diagnosed during all her pregnancies: hyperemesis gravidarum.

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Catherine, Princess of Wales -

As a result, the Princess experienced severe nausea and vomiting. Dehydration and weight loss are also risks associated with the condition.

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Princess Beatrice -

Princess Beatrice struggled with reading and writing as a child. Beatrice was then diagnosed with dyslexia when she was seven years old.

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Princess Beatrice -

But Princess Beatrice never saw her learning difficulty as bad thing. "I really want to change the narrative around the diagnosis. Even referring to it as a diagnosis I feel does a disservice to the brilliance of some of the most fantastic minds that we have," she said.

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Lady Louise Windsor -

The eldest child of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Lady Louise Windsor was born prematurely and with a squint, which was incorrectly diagnosed as exotropia.

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Lady Louise Windsor -

Lady Louise Windsor underwent corrective eye surgery when she was 18 months old, but it was unsuccessful. She went under the knife again in 2014, and this time the surgery was a success.

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Charlene, Princess of Monaco -

In 2021, Princess Charlene of Monaco underwent a number of surgeries when she contracted a severe throat, ear, and nose infection during a trip to South Africa.

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Charlene, Princess of Monaco -

It was not until six months later that Charlene was able to return to Monaco. The Princess still abstained from attending public events for some time, until she was fully recovered. "My state of health is still fragile, and I don't want to go too fast," she said.

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Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden -

Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden struggled with anorexia when she was a teenager. When she was diagnosed, the Princess put her plans of studying at university on hold and traveled to the US to seek help. "In the US, I got professional help, which was really important for me," she said.

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Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden -

Interestingly, when she returned to Sweden the Princess took up exercise as part of her recovery plan. In one of her gym sessions, she met personal trainer and future husband Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland.

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Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway -

Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway suffers from a rare medical condition. In 2018, she was diagnosed with a rare version of chronic pulmonary fibrosis.

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Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway -

The condition causes scar tissue to form on damaged lungs, affecting the organ's function. The medication Crown Princess Mette-Marit takes seems to have a number of debilitating side effects, and she has had to cancel public appearances as a result.

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Queen Letizia of Spain -

Queen Letizia reportedly suffers from chronic metatarsalgia, which causes pain in the ball of the foot. Some sources also claim that Letizia suffers from Morton's neuroma in one of her feet. This is when the tissue around a nerve leading to the toes thickens.

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Queen Letizia of Spain -

Both conditions may be caused, and are aggravated, by continuous use of high heel shoes. In which case, cushioned flat shoes are usually recommended.

Sources: (The List) (Hello Magazine) (The Guardian) (New York Post) (Elle)

See also: When royals wore items you could afford

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