watch
now
LONDON
—
Kate,
Britain’s
Princess
of
Wales,
on
Friday
revealed
she
has
been
diagnosed
with
cancer
and
is
undergoing chemotherapy.
In
a
video
statement
released
Friday,
she
said
that
she
had
undergone
major
abdominal
surgery
in
London
in
January,
saying
that
it
was
initially
thought
her
condition
was
noncancerous.
“The
surgery
was
successful.
However,
tests
after
the
operation
found
cancer
had
been
present.
My
medical
team
therefore
advised
that
I
should
undergo
a
course
of
preventive
chemotherapy
and
I
am
now
in
the
early
stages
of
that
treatment,”
her
statement
said.
“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.”
Kensington
Palace
said
it
is
confident
she
will
make
a
full
recovery,
according
to
the
BBC.
“I
am
well
and
getting
stronger
everyday
by
focusing
on
the
things
that
will
help
me
heal;
in
my
mind,
body
and
spirits,”
Kate
later
added
in
her
speech.
She
asked
for
space
and
privacy
while
she
completed
her
treatment.
It
was
not
announced
what
type
of
cancer
it
was,
or
at
what
stage
it
was
caught.
Buckingham
Palace
said
King
Charles
III,
her
father-in-law,
was
“so
proud
of
Catherine
for
her
courage
in
speaking
as
she
did.”
Prince
Harry
and
Meghan
Markle
also
released
a
statement,
saying:
“We
wish
health
and
healing
for
Kate
and
the
family,
and
hope
they
are
able
to
do
so
privately
and
in
peace.”
Kate
stayed
in
the
hospital
following
the
surgery.
At
the
time,
there
was
no
confirmation
of
what
the
surgery
was,
with
Kensington
Palace
saying
Kate,
42,
hoped
that
the
public
would
respect
“her
wish
that
her
personal
medical
information
remains
private.”
The
palace
suggested
at
the
time
that
Kate
would
not
be
resuming
public
duties
until
after
Easter.
The
princess
had
not
been
seen
in
public
since
Christmas
Day
2023
when
she
was
seen
walking
to
and
attending
a
church
service
alongside
the
wider
royal
family,
including
her
children
and
husband
Prince
William,
the
heir
to
the
British
throne.
An
online
frenzy
over
her
condition
and
her
whereabouts
dominated
social
media
since
news
of
her
operation.
The
palace
had
largely
stayed
silent
on
the
matter,
which
at
times
added
fuel
to
the
fire.
Obsession
reached
a
peak
after
a
picture
of
the
former
Kate
Middleton
was
released
on
Mother’s
Day
—March
10
in
the
U.K.
News
agencies
pulled
the
picture
later
that
day,
issuing
a
so-called
kill
notice,
finding
it
had
been
edited
too
heavily.
Every
detail
of
the
image
was
scrutinized,
from
Kate’s
hair
to
the
children’s
clothes
that
seemed
inconsistent,
to
a
ledge
in
the
background
that
appeared
warped.
On
March
11,
Kensington
Palace
posted
a
statement
from
Kate
on
social
media,
saying
she
edited
the
picture.
“Like
many
amateur
photographers,
I
do
occasionally
experiment
with
editing.
I
wanted
to
express
my
apologies
for
any
confusion
the
family
photograph
we
shared
yesterday
caused.
I
hope
everyone
celebrating
had
a
very
happy
Mother’s
Day.
C,”
it
read.
Since
then,
images
and
video
of
what
appeared
to
be
Kate
appeared
in
British
tabloid
newspapers,
further
stoking
conspiracies
and
conversation.
Earlier
this
week,
reports
also
emerged
that
a
staff
member
at
the
hospital
Kate
was
being
treated
at
tried
to
access
her
files
without
permission
to
do
so.
King
Charles
III
announced
in
early
February
he
had
been
diagnosed
with
an
undisclosed
form
cancer
and
had
begun
treatment.
