US talk show host Stephen Colbert has sparked fury by failing to apologise for the jokes he made about the Princess of Wales as he finally addressed the backlash he faced following her cancer diagnosis.

The 59-year-old comedian told his audience on The Late Show on CBS last night that he does ‘not make light of somebody else’s tragedy’ – but he stopped short of apologising to Kate who has been the subject of cruel conspiracy theories in recent months.

Colbert – a self-confessed anti-monarchist – accepted that his jokes had ‘upset some people’, adding that he was aware ‘any cancer diagnosis of any kind is harrowing for the patient and for their family’.

The presenter – who had made jokes about Kate’s ‘disappearance’ – also said that he and everyone on the programme ‘would like to extend our well wishes and heartfelt hope that her recovery is swift and thorough’.

In a monologue on last night’s show, he began by saying: ‘You know, folks, I don’t know if you have noticed, but we do a lot of shows and I tell a lot of jokes, and I tell jokes about a lot of different things, mostly what everybody’s talking about.

Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy in a video released last Friday

‘I have cancer’: Emotional Kate delivers a brave message of hope

Stephen Colbert spoke about his Kate jokes during The Late Show on CBS last night

‘And for the last six weeks to two months, everybody has been talking about the mystery of Kate Middleton‘s disappearance from the public life.

Stephen Colbert’s full Late Show statement on his jokes about Kate

‘You know, folks, I don’t know if you have noticed, but we do a lot of shows and I tell a lot of jokes, and I tell jokes about a lot of different things, mostly what everybody’s talking about.

‘And for the last six weeks to two months, everybody has been talking about the mystery of Kate Middleton‘s disappearance from the public life.

‘We did some jokes about that mystery and all of the reporting about that. And when I made those jokes, that upset some people — even before her diagnosis was revealed, and I can understand that.

‘I mean, a lot of my jokes have upset people in the past. And I’m sure some of my jokes will upset people in the future. But there is a standard that I try to hold myself to. And that is, I do not make light of somebody else’s tragedy.

‘Now, I don’t know whether her prognosis is a tragic one, she is the future Queen of England and I assume she’s going to be getting the best possible medical care, but regardless of what it is, I know and I’m sure many of you, far too many of us know that any cancer diagnosis of any kind is harrowing for the patient and for their family.

‘And, though I’m sure they don’t need it from me, I and everyone here at ‘The Late Show’ would like to extend our well wishes and heartfelt hope that her recovery is swift and thorough.’

‘We did some jokes about that mystery and all of the reporting about that.’

He said that when he made those jokes, ‘that upset some people, even before her diagnosis was revealed, and I can understand that’.

Colbert added that ‘a lot of my jokes have upset people in the past – and I’m sure some of my jokes will upset people in the future’.

But he continued: ‘There is a standard that I try to hold myself to. And that is, I do not make light of somebody else’s tragedy. Now, I don’t know whether her prognosis is a tragic one, she is the future Queen of England and I assume she’s going to be getting the best possible medical care.

‘But regardless of what it is, I know and I’m sure many of you, far too many of us know that any cancer diagnosis of any kind is harrowing for the patient and for their family.

‘And, though I’m sure they don’t need it from me, I and everyone here at ‘The Late Show’ would like to extend our well wishes and heartfelt hope that her recovery is swift and thorough.’

But Colbert’s lack of apology sparked a fresh backlash, with Queen Elizabeth II’s former press secretary Dickie Arbiter writing: ‘He might be full of regret for himself but he didn’t apologise.’

The royal commentator also fumed on X/Twitter: ‘American chat show hosts have a cruel capacity of making jokes at others expense and Colbert is no exception.

‘Buckingham Palace said she’d had surgery, and would be away for several weeks. The Princess of Wales didn’t disappear, she was recuperating.

‘This was not good enough for chat show hosts or the twitterati – SHAME on you all. There’s a clear message – engage brain before mouth if at all the former exists.’

Mr Arbiter was joined by social media users in condemning Colbert for the jokes he made and failing to apologise.

One wrote: ‘Is he [sorry]? He never said sorry. He acknowledged the joke upset people but I never heard a sorry or even any regret.’

Another posted: ‘Did not hear much of an apology to everyone he mocked, in this clip. His slurs were grotesque and outrageous. Like the others, it seems another forced attempt to redeem their optics and reputation. You are an adult with a platform, audience and followers SC, do better and be better.’

A third added: ‘I didn’t hear the word “apology”.’

Dickie Arbiter, the Queen’s former press secretary, led the fury as Stephen Colbert failed to apologise to Kate Middleton for the jokes he made after it was revealed that she was battling cancer

And a fourth said: ‘I see no regret there, just words out of his mouth and he doesn’t feel any of them.’

Others blasted Colbert for ‘not being sorry at all’ and claimed that he ‘doesn’t sound terribly sincere’.

And another user suggested that he should make a full apology to the Princess of Wales.

‘Did not apologise. Did not accept his jokes were distasteful. The only think he regrets is being in hot water right now,’ another user fumed.’

Kate, 42, revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy in an emotional video message issued by Kensington Palace last Friday evening.

The announcement came after weeks of intense speculation and conspiracy theories on social media around her health and whereabouts.

There has since been a global outpouring of support, including from the King, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Prince Harry and members of the public.

Rumours online about the princess intensified after Prince William missed, at very short notice, the memorial service of his godfather the late King Constantine of Greece at Windsor on February 27.

It is now understood William’s decision not to attend was related to Kate’s condition, but it is not known when the Princess was told about the positive test for cancer.

King Charles III at Buckingham Palace for a Windsor Leadership Trust event this morning

December 25, 2023: Kate was last seen with her family attending church at Sandringham

Further speculation was triggered after the princess admitted to ‘editing’ her official Mother’s Day photograph which had irregularities.

A further development saw an investigation launched by the UK’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, into allegations there were attempts to access Kate’s private medical records at the London Clinic where she had her surgery.

It is not known how long Kate will be receiving treatment but it is understood she may be keen to attend events as and when she feels able to, in line with medical advice, although this will not indicate a return to full-time duties.

William will continue to balance supporting his wife and family, and maintaining his official duties as he has done since her operation.

The Prince is due to return to public duties after his children return to school following the Easter break.

He and his wife will not attend the royal family‘s traditional Easter Sunday service at Windsor Castle‘s St George’s Chapel.

Buckingham Palace confirmed today that the King is expected to attend this service with Queen Camilla, but it is not likely to be a large family gathering.

Charles has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer since early February after he was treated for an enlarged prostate at the same hospital where Kate had abdominal surgery.