Kim Kardashian kept silent when asked about Kate Middleton – after receiving a barrage of criticism for a joke about the Princess of Wales.

This past Sunday, several days before Kate announced she is battling cancer, Kim had weighed in on the speculation surrounding her whereabouts.

The reality star cheekily posted pictures of herself standing by a sports car and wrote: ‘on my way to go find Kate,’ in a nod to the conspiracy theories that had sprung up because of the Royal’s absence from the public eye.

On Friday, Kate released a video revealing she was undergoing ‘preventative chemotherapy,’ and Kim’s Instagram comments were duly flooded with furious social media users attacking her for her joke and demanding she take it down.

That day, Kim faced a flurry of photographers while leaving her son Saint’s soccer game, and when one of them asked: ‘Any comments on Kate?’, Kim remained quiet, and clambered into her car without a word.

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Kim Kardashian kept silent when asked about Kate Middleton – after receiving a barrage of criticism for a joke about the Princess of Wales

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When she was asked asked: ‘Any comments on Kate?’ she declined to provide an answer, clambering into her car without a word

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On Friday, Kate released a video revealing she was undergoing ‘preventative chemotherapy,’ and Kim’s Instagram comments were duly flooded with furious denunciations of her joke

It’s unclear if Kim merely just didn’t hear the question, however her original post about Kate remains on her account with the caption unedited.

When the princess broke the news of her health crisis, Kim was scathingly attacked by fans for her ‘on my way to go find Kate’ Instagram post.

Enraged followers flooded the comments section, writing: ‘You should take this down!’, ‘Kate Middleton has cancer Kim’ and ‘She’s having cancer treatment… this didn’t age well.’

Others wrote: ‘Busy getting treatment for the cancer she has been diagnosed with’; ‘I would take this down and apologize, she has cancer’; ‘take your s****y post about Kate down!’ – before labelling Kardashian a ‘snake’.

Before the diagnosis was revealed Kardashian commentators had already branded the star ‘classless’, ‘tacky’ and ‘ignorant’ for fueling speculation on Kate’s whereabouts following her abdominal surgery.

In a deeply personal, unprecedented and emotional video message, filmed at Windsor on Wednesday, Kate revealed the news had come as a ‘huge shock’ and that she and William ‘have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family’.

It came days after she was seen smiling with Prince William as they left their favourite farm shop close to their Windsor home, and she said her husband had been ‘a great source of comfort and reassurance’ during her cancer fight.

Speaking from a bench surrounded by daffodils and spring blossom, the future queen said: ‘It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.

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On Sunday, days before Kate’s video, Kim cheekily posted pictures of herself standing by a sports car and wrote: ‘on my way to go find Kate’

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In a deeply personal and emotional video message, filmed at Windsor on Wednesday, Kate revealed that she has cancer which was detected after her abdominal surgery

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

‘As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.

‘Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.’

Catherine’s cancer was discovered only after she underwent major abdominal surgery at The London Clinic in January. Kensington Palace has said it will not be sharing details of what kind of cancer the princess has, or what stage of cancer it is and has asked people not to speculate.

The King – who is also currently undergoing cancer treatment himself – and the Queen were both been informed of the news.

In a statement His Majesty said he is ‘so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did’ and remains in the ‘closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law’.

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Enraged followers flooded the comments section, writing: ‘You should take this down!’, ‘ Kate Middleton has cancer Kim’ and ‘She’s having cancer treatment… this didn’t age well’

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Before the diagnosis was revealed Kardashian commentators had already branded the star ‘classless’, ‘tacky’ and ‘ignorant’ for fueling speculation on Kate’s whereabouts following her abdominal surgery’

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The Princess of Wales with her children in her Mother’s Day portrait, which now has added significance given her diagnosis

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Catherine’s emotional and extraordinary words in her unprecedented video message

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The Princess of Wales said her family (pictured together on December 25) ‘need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment’

 The King and Queen said they ‘will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time’.

It is not known if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were told in advance of the 6pm announcement. Harry, who once described Kate as the ‘big sister I never had’ and fondly called her ‘Cath’, is estranged from his brother and sister-in-law. It remains to be seen whether he will fly back to the UK to see her.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the Princess of Wales has ‘the love and support of the whole country’ as her cancer battle was revealed and good wishes came in from around the globe, including from the White House where Joe Biden is ‘incredibly sad to hear of the news’. Her bravery at revealing her cancer to the world has also been praised.