“Prince William announces heartbreak: ‘My wife, it’s over.’”
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Britain's Prince William talks to Kate, Princess of Wales, in Boston, on Nov. 30, 2022.
No, Prince William did not say, ‘It’s over,’ about Princess Kate’s health
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In May, Prince William told members of the public who asked about his wife’s health that she is "doing well."
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We found no news reports that William said, "My wife, it’s over."
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One image shared in Facebook posts spreading this claim was from two years ago. Another image that accompanied the claim was generated using artificial intelligence.
Kate Middleton, the princess of Wales, announced her cancer diagnosis in March. But her husband, William, prince of Wales and heir to the throne, has not made an announcement about her health since then, as social media posts suggest.
"Prince William announces heartbreak: ‘My wife, it’s over…’," multiple Facebook posts said. The comment section of the posts contain links to blog posts that say William "said he hasn’t seen much of his wife lately due to her health issues, which has affected his life."Another linked blog post says William discussed his family’s health at a charity fundraiser dinner. But none of the blog posts mention Prince William saying, "My wife, it’s over."
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
Middleton said March 22 in a video message that she is undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer.
Twice in May, William told people who have inquired about Kate’s health that she is "well."
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The Facebook posts include an image of William embracing his brother, Prince William. A reverse-image search led us to a 2023 Medium blog authored by someone who creates artificial intelligence images and who said he created the picture using the AI program Midjourney.
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(Screenshot from Facebook)
The other Facebook posts contained an image of Middleton from 2022, when she discussed mental health for new parents.
We searched Google and the Nexis news database and found no credible reports of William describing Middleton’s health by saying, "It’s over."
We rate the claim that Prince William announced a heartbreak, saying, "My wife, it’s over," False.
Our Sources
Facebook post (archived), May 22, 2024
Facebook post, May 22, 2024
Facebook post, May 22, 2024
Facebook post, May 23, 2024
Positivity of life, New Update: Prince William Shares Sad News: "My wife is Over..", May 21, 2024
In the zone bb, Prince William talks about Kate Middleton’s health with a sad face, May 23, 2024
YouTube, A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales, March 22, 2024
Vanity Fair, Prince William Shares Kate Middleton Cancer Health Update, May 1, 2024
Time, Prince William Shares New Update on Wife Kate Middleton After Her Cancer Diagnosis, May 11, 2024
Medium, Prince William Welcomes Prince Harry Home at King Charles’ Coronation!, April 23, 2023
YouTube, Duchess becomes patron of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, May 5, 2022
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No, Prince William did not say, ‘It’s over,’ about Princess Kate’s health
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