Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has announced she has been diagnosed with cancer. In a video released on Friday, she confirmed undergoing abdominal surgery for a condition initially thought to be noncancerous on Jan. 14; however, further tests uncovered the presence of cancer.
“It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family. But I’ve had a fantastic medical team who’ve taken great care of me for which I’m so grateful,” Middleton said.
The royal said the news came as a “huge shock” and announced she is in the early stages of “preventative chemotherapy.”
In the video, Middleton also talked about her disappearance from the public eye. Her last public outing was on Christmas Day 2023 when she walked with Prince William and their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.
“William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time, it has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that’s appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I’m going to be OK,” Middleton said, adding, “As I’ve 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.”
The princess said she is being supported by her husband during the treatment and referenced him as “a great source of comfort and reassurance to as the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you.”
“We hope that you will understand that as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when I move on. But for now, I must focus on making a full recovery. At this time, I’m also thinking of all those whose lives are being affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease in whatever form please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone,” Middleton said.
Middleton’s video was released almost two months after Buckingham Palace announced King Charles has also been diagnosed with a form of cancer and is currently facing “regular treatments.”
“He [King Charles] remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible,” the statement said.
Kate Middleton’s cancer announcement:
“I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding. Whilst I’ve been recovering from surgery, it has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family. But I’ve had a fantastic medical team who’ve taken great care of me for which I’m so grateful. In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London. And at the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous. The surgery was successful, however, test after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team, therefore, advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy. And I’m now in the early stages of that treatment. This of course, came as a huge shock. And William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time, it has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that’s appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I’m going to be OK. As I’ve 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 the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both. We hope that you will understand that as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when I move on. But for now I must focus on making a full recovery. At this time, I’m also thinking of all those whose lives are being affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease in whatever form please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”
