Kate Middleton, the princess of Wales, announced Friday that she has cancer and is now undergoing chemotherapy, according to a video recording that she issued.
The 42-year-old UK royal learned of her diagnosis after she had major abdominal surgery in January at the London Clinic, she said. The surgery was successful, the Princess of Wales added, but “tests after the operation found cancer had been present.”
“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,” she said in the statement. “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 is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.”
“My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” the princess said.
The Princess of Wales didn’t disclose the type of cancer. Her statement also did not disclose at what stage the cancer was found.
Her announcement comes amid rumors and speculation about her health and her marriage to Prince William, namely after she apologized for sending out a heavily edited photo on Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom. Princess Kate’s last public appearance was in December when she appeared at the family’s annual Christmas outing in Sandringham.
At the time of her operation, Kensington Palace disclosed the operation was a success and added she spent two weeks in the hospital. It did not disclose the reason for her operation.
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the palace said on Jan. 17. “She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible.”
The palace said in a Jan. 29 statement that she had returned to Windsor to recover.
Her announcement comes weeks after King Charles announced that he, too, was diagnosed with cancer after he underwent a procedure for a prostate enlargement. The palace didn’t specify what kind of cancer he has but said it wasn’t prostate cancer.
On Feb. 5, the 75-year-old monarch “commenced a regular schedule of regular treatments” and was “advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” the statement said. During the treatment, King Charles will “continue to undertake state business and official paperwork as usual.”
“The king is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible,” Buckingham Palace said last month. “His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”
Another member of the UK royal family was diagnosed with cancer several weeks before that. Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, confirmed on social media that she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma after several moles were removed while she was undergoing reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy.
