Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced she has cancer and is starting chemotherapy, requesting privacy as she undergoes treatment.
Kate, widely known as the princess, expressed shock at the cancer diagnosis following successful abdominal surgery, but reassured she is getting stronger every day.
In early February, royal officials revealed that King Charles III was receiving cancer treatment, leading to the cancellation of all public engagements.
Charles expressed pride in Catherine for speaking out, receiving messages of support from UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the White House.
Similar to Charles, the 42-year-old princess, wife of Prince William, did not disclose the specific type of cancer.
She described the past few months as extremely difficult for herself, William, and their three young children since her hospitalization.
In a video statement, she explained that although her January abdominal surgery was deemed non-cancerous, subsequent tests revealed the presence of cancer.
She stated that her medical team recommended preventative chemotherapy after the surgery.
According to Shivan Sivakumar, an associate professor in oncology at the University of Birmingham, preventative chemotherapy is administered post-surgery to prevent the return of cancer.
Sivakumar added that this treatment aims to eliminate any remaining cancer cells.
Kate, a prominent figure in the royal family, tied the knot with Prince William in 2011.
Absence
She shared that it took time to explain the situation to their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and reassure them that she will be alright.
She emphasized her well-being and continuous improvement to her children, focusing on healing her mind, body, and spirit.
Her office at Kensington Palace conveyed her determination to fully recover and resume official duties upon medical clearance.
William, Kate, and their children are viewed as the modern representation of the British royal family, crucial to its future amid declining support and growing republican sentiment.
Her last public appearance was on December 25 alongside the king and other senior royals at a Christmas Day church service.
On January 17, Kensington Palace announced her hospitalization for up to two weeks and subsequent months of recovery following abdominal surgery.
At that time, she was not projected to return to public duties until after Easter on March 31.
However, officialls did not disclose her specific condition, ruling out cancer at that point.
Royal officials omitted the details of her condition but confirmed it was not related to cancer.
Charles illness diagnosis
Shortly before a separate statement from Buckingham Palace, it was announced that 75-year-old Charles was to have surgery for a noncancerous enlarged prostate.
He later spent three days at the same private hospital in central London. Officials then said in early February that tests had identified “a form of cancer”, without providing more information.
The king has cancelled all public commitments except meetings with the prime minister and ambassadors, and worked on official documents while receiving treatment.
Since then, he has been photographed several times and spotted attending church.
However, there has been widespread speculation online about Kate’s health and whereabouts, especially on the internet.
There were no sightings of her arriving or leaving the hospital, and William was only seen visiting once.
Speculation and rumors increased on March 11, after she released a Mother’s Day photo that was later discovered to have been digitally altered.
Kate, who has taken several official photos distributed to the media, apologized in a statement after major news agencies, including AFP, pulled the image.
A week later, new photos of the princess walking with William at a farmers’ market near their Windsor home were published by the British media.
This week, there were allegations that an attempt may have been made to access Kate’s private medical records, leading to a report to the UK’s data protection watchdog.
AFP
