Prince Harry and Meghan found out about Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis on TV like everyone else, report says

• Prince Harry and Meghan were not told of Kate's cancer before the public, The Sunday Times reported.
• Harry and Meghan sent well-wishes to Kate after the news broke via their press office.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle didn't know about Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis before the public announcement, according to The Sunday Times.

The Princess of Wales, 42, announced on Friday via video message that she had been diagnosed with cancer after abdominal surgery in January and was undergoing "preventative chemotherapy."

Shortly after the video was broadcast, representatives for Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, released a short statement.

"We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace," the statement read.

Roya Nikkhah, The Sunday Times royal editor, wrote in an article published online on Saturday evening that "It is understood that Kate's cancer diagnosis was not shared in advance with Harry and Meghan."

According to the publication, several sources said that there were no conversations with Harry and Meghan before the news broke, and the couple found out "from television, at the same time as the public."

None of the sources were named.

"We do not comment on speculation about private conversations," a Kensington Palace spokesperson told Business Insider.

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The palace's refusal to discuss "speculation" makes sense. The online speculation about Kate's health — dubbed the "Katespiracy" — led to a swirl of conspiracy theories that were proved to be untrue after the princess' cancer was announced.

Blake Lively was one of the first celebrities to publicly apologize for participating in the online commentary.

Nonetheless, some would argue that the public are right to feel entitled to be informed about the royals' private lives.

The royals cost UK taxpayers £86.3 million, or about $110.5 million, during the 2022-23 financial year.

Harry and Meghan have spoken publicly about their rift with the royal family, including William and Kate, in recent years.

Harry first opened up about a rift with William in 2019, saying in a TV documentary that they were "on different paths."

"Part of this role and part of this job, this family, being under the pressure that it's under, inevitably stuff happens," he said.

"But look, we're brothers, we'll always be brothers," he added. "We're certainly on different paths at the moment but I'll always be there for him and as I know he'll always be there for me."

Harry and Meghan also spoke about their issues with the royal family in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, with Meghan saying that Kate made her cry over bridesmaids' dresses before her royal wedding in 2018.

More recently, Harry reflected on his relationship with William in the 2023 memoir, "Spare," referring to him as a "beloved brother" and "arch nemesis."

It's unclear where Harry and Meghan's relationship with the family stands. In an interview with "Good Morning America" in February, the prince said King Charles, who was also diagnosed with cancer this year, informed him privately of the diagnosis.

"I jumped on a plane and went to see him as soon as I could," Harry said.

"I love my family," he added. "The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I'm grateful for that."

When asked if Charles' diagnosis could have a "reunifying effect" on the royal family, he said, "Yeah, I'm sure."