Stephen Colbert addressed jokes about the Princess of Wales’s absence on The Late Show on March 25, 2024, three days after she announced her cancer diagnosis. He said he did not make light of another person’s tragedy and offered well-wishes. He expressed regret, though contemporaneous coverage noted he did not explicitly say, “I’m sorry.”
What happened before Colbert responded?
The Princess of Wales underwent planned abdominal surgery in January 2024. Tests after the surgery found cancer, and she began preventive chemotherapy in late February, according to TIME’s timeline. She announced her diagnosis publicly on March 22. She did not disclose the cancer type in that announcement.
Her absence from public duties, together with a family photograph later withdrawn by news agencies over concerns about manipulation, became the focus of intense public speculation. Colbert’s jokes referred to that conversation and to rumors involving Prince William and Rose Hanbury. Those affair claims were rumors, not established facts.
What did Stephen Colbert say?
On the March 25 episode of The Late Show, Colbert addressed his earlier jokes. In a sentence reproduced by Inside Edition, he said: “I do not make light of somebody else’s tragedy.” He also described a cancer diagnosis as harrowing for patients and their families and expressed hope that the Princess’s recovery would be swift.
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ABC News and other outlets reported on his remarks on March 26. The timing matters: Colbert spoke after the March 22 diagnosis announcement, not before it.
Did Colbert apologize to Kate Middleton?
Colbert expressed regret and offered well-wishes, but it is more precise to distinguish that from an explicit verbal apology. LateNighter’s contemporaneous account noted that he did not say the words “I’m sorry.” The Los Angeles Times described the segment as a serious reflection on his recent jokes. Some coverage used “apologizes” in its framing; the reported substance was an expression of regret, recognition of the seriousness of cancer, and well-wishes.
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What the episode does—and does not—establish
- Colbert’s response followed the Princess of Wales’s public cancer announcement.
- His jokes drew on public speculation about her absence; the rumors were not verified facts.
- The available accounts do not establish that Colbert caused the speculation or caused the Princess to disclose her diagnosis.
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