Turbulent 2024 for Britain's royal family

Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, said she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy after tests following an abdominal surgery revealed that cancer had been present.

Below is a timeline of recent events involving Britain's royal family, including King Charles' cancer diagnosis:

January 17

Kensington Palace says Kate, the Princess of Wales, has undergone successful abdominal surgery. On the same day Buckingham Palace says King Charles will undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate.

January 18

Prince William, the king's eldest son and heir to the throne, is pictured visiting his wife Kate, 42, at the private London Clinic.

January 22

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and the ex-wife of Charles' brother Prince Andrew, says she been diagnosed with a malignant form of skin cancer - her second cancer diagnosis in a year.

January 26

Charles undergoes planned treatment to address an enlarged prostate. The king is admitted to the same hospital where Kate is still recovering from her surgery.

January 29

Both Charles and Kate return home from hospital.

February 5

Buckingham Palace says Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer and will postpone public-facing duties while he undergoes treatment.

February 6

Charles is seen in public for the first time since his cancer diagnosis. The king and his wife Queen Camilla take a helicopter to his Sandringham estate in rural England.

February 7

William thanks the public for their messages about Kate and Charles.

February 21

Charles meets Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a weekly private audience. Charles says he has been reduced to tears by messages of goodwill.

March 10

Several news agencies including Getty, Reuters, Associated Press and AFP withdraw a photograph of Kate and her children issued by Kensington Palace after analysis showed it did not meet their editorial standards.

The photograph was released alongside a message from Kate thanking the public for their support in her first public message since undergoing surgery.

It causes intense speculation about Kate on social media.

March 11

Kate issues an apology for "any confusion" caused by the edited photograph, saying "like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing".

Charles misses an event to mark 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth Day as he continued to undergo cancer treatment.

March 21

Camilla, Charles' wife, says the king is doing "very well", as she greets crowds during a visit to Northern Ireland.

March 22

Kate says tests following the abdominal surgery she had in January found cancer had been present and she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy.