Kate, Britain’s Princess of Wales, said on Friday (March 22) she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy after medical tests revealed the presence of cancer.
The video announcement comes after she was hospitalised in January for abdominal surgery.
Kensington Palace at the time said that Kate’s condition was not cancer-related.
Kate has not been seen publicly since Christmas until a video surfaced of her with her husband, Prince William, walking to a shop near their home in Windsor.
Kate’s absence from public view sparked weeks of speculation as to her condition.
In her video announcement, Kate said that while her medical team initially thought that her condition was non-cancerous, tests taken after her surgery revealed the presence of cancer.
Kate said that the discovery was “a huge shock” but she was “well and getting stronger every day”.
She said that her family needed “time, space and privacy” as she completes her treatment.
Last month, Britain’s royal family announced that King Charles III was being treated for an unspecified type of cancer.
A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/5LQT1qGarK
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2024
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Following the announcement, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Kate had been unfairly treated by media outlets.
“The Princess of Wales has the love and support of the whole country as she continues her recovery,” Sunak said.
“She has shown tremendous bravery with her statement today. In recent weeks she has been subjected to intense scrutiny and has been unfairly treated by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media,” he said.
“When it comes to matters of health, like everyone else, she must be afforded the privacy to focus on her treatment and be with her loving family.”
Meanwhile, the White House wished Kate a full recovery.
“All of us just heard the terrible news. Our thoughts are with the Duchess of Cambridge and her family,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
This article was originally published on DW.
