Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed Friday that she had been diagnosed with cancer, a surprise revelation that followed a long period of frenzied public speculation about her health.
In a video statement, Catherine, 42, said her cancer was discovered following “major abdominal surgery” she underwent in January.
She said the operation was successful and at the time his condition was considered “non-cancerous”. Tests after the operation, however, revealed that “the cancer was already there,” she said, and so her medical team recommended that she undergo preventative chemotherapy.
She said she is now in the “early stages” of this treatment. She did not specify what type of cancer she is dealing with.
Dr. Shivan Sivakumar, associate professor of oncology at the University of Birmingham, said it was not clear what the princess meant by “preventative” chemotherapy, but he assumed it was what which is called “adjuvant” chemotherapy in the medical profession.
“It’s chemotherapy after an operation to prevent recurrences,” he explained. “It’s about trying to destroy all the cancer cells in circulation.”
2 members of the royal family face cancer
News of Catherine’s cancer diagnosis came just weeks after it was revealed that her father-in-law, King Charles, was also battling a cancer diagnosis. Charles was also treated for an enlarged prostate – a procedure which was undertaken at the same private London hospital where his stepdaughter was being treated.
The 75-year-old king has suspended his public duties while he undergoes treatment. He did not reveal the type of cancer.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, says in a video posted to her social media pages that tests after her operation revealed “the cancer was already there” and that she is in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy.
King Charles praised “the courage of his daughter-in-law to speak as she did,” according to a statement released Friday by Buckingham Palace. He and Queen Camilla, 76, “will continue to offer their love and support to the entire family during this difficult time,” the statement said.
The princess said the news of her own cancer had been “a huge shock” to her and her family.
Kensington Palace said the news about his health was shared at a time when Catherine and William’s children were on a school break, to protect them from media coverage of the matter.
Catherine married Prince William in 2011, after meeting him at university ten years earlier. The couple have three children: George, 10 years old, Charlotte, 8 years old and Louis, 5 years old.
William, 41, is the heir to the throne, and his children follow him in the formal line of succession. Prince Harry, only brother of the Prince of Wales, is fifth in this same line.
Harry, 39, and his wife, Meghan Markle, who moved to California together in 2020, wished the princess well.
“We wish health and healing to Kate and her family, and hope they can do so privately and peacefully,” they said in a statement.
On Friday, Catherine’s brother, James Middleton, shared a childhood photo on Instagram, showing the two siblings.
“Over the years we have climbed many mountains together,” he wrote in the accompanying caption. “As a family, we will climb this one with you too.”
Stress amid ‘sinister speculation’
Speculation about Catherine’s health has reached fever pitch in recent weeks. Friday’s revelation provides more context on the challenges she faced.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced she is undergoing treatment for cancer, in a video released Friday after a prolonged absence from the public eye.
Earlier this week, a British privacy watchdog said it was investigating a report that Catherine’s medical records were inappropriately accessed around the time of her surgery in January.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak referenced the scrutiny the princess has faced over health, commenting on the very personal information Catherine revealed.
“When it comes to health issues, like everyone else, she must be given the privacy to concentrate on her treatment and be with her loving family,” Sunak said on Friday. in a post shared on.
Labor leader Keir Starmer sounded a similar note while offering his own wishes for the princess in her recovery.
‘Any cancer diagnosis is shocking,’ says Starmer said Friday. “But I can only imagine the added stress of receiving this news amid the lurid speculation we have seen in recent weeks.”
Two weekends ago, Kensington Palace released a photo of Catherine, which created controversy when news agencies recalled its use after identifying concerns about changes to it.
Princess Catherine’s cancer diagnosis, at the age of 42, highlights the increasing rates of certain types of early cancers among young people.
Catherine later apologized, via a statement, for any confusion caused by the image.
Erin Hill, senior royal editor at People magazine, says she thinks the decision to release Friday’s video statement was informed by all the recent events surrounding Catherine.
“I think she decided she wanted to address this head-on, not speculate about how she was doing, right on camera, seeing her in the flesh, making this very personal announcement,” he said. -she told Reuters.
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