Catherine, Princess of Wales, has an undisclosed form of cancer. She announced the news Friday after months of speculation about her condition and whereabouts.
The British princess, in a video announcement posted on her and Prince William’s official Instagram, said that after undergoing “major abdominal surgery” in London in January, she was diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
“The surgery was successful; however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” she said after noting that she had initially been told her condition was not cancerous.
The 42-year-old, who married into the British royal family in 2011, added that it has been “an incredibly tough couple of months” and took a while to go public with her diagnosis because the family needed to take time to inform their young children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte, ages 9, 5 and 8, respectively.
“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 added. “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.”
The senior royal is expected to return to public-facing duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team and is said to be “in good spirits and … focused on making a full recovery,” Kensington Palace said. “The Princess wanted to share this information when she and The Prince felt it was right for them as a family.”
The announcement comes days after the princess’ medical records at the London Clinic were allegedly breached by hospital staffers and months after Buckingham Palace announced that her father-in-law, King Charles III, had been diagnosed with cancer.
Conjecture ran amok after Kensington Palace confirmed that the duchess-turned-princess formerly known as Kate Middleton had been hospitalized in mid-January and would not return to her public duties until after Easter (March 31). With few details clarifying her condition, wild speculation filled the void along with frenzied internet obsessions, conspiracy theories and intense public interest into her well-being.
The crisis was further compounded by the palace’s misstep earlier this month — now affectionately referred to as “Kate-gate” — when it released a doctored photo of the royal family. That move sowed broad distrust in any and all Kate sightings and sourcing and of the monarchy as a whole. Her husband, Prince William, the heir apparent to the British throne, has continued to carry out his public duties and was spotted with her over the weekend, but had deflected questions about his wife’s health.
On Friday, the potentially future queen was dressed casually in a sweater and jeans while seated on a bench in the video, which was shot by BBC Studios. Getting choked up at a times, she said that she is “well and getting stronger every day” by focusing on the things that will help her heal “in my mind, body and spirits.”
“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery,” she said.
She also urged anyone battling cancer not to lose faith or hope and added, “You are not alone.”
In a statement to The Times, Kensington Palace said it will not be sharing any further private medical information, noting that “the Princess has a right to medical privacy, as we all do.” The palace also would not comment on the type of cancer, stage of cancer or treatment that she is undergoing.
“The Princess is now on a recovery pathway having commenced a course of preventative chemotherapy,” a palace spokesperson said.
Catherine found out about the cancer once post-operative tests had been completed and results were reviewed, the palace said. When she was initially told her condition was non-cancerous, no tests had confirmed the presence of cancer, the palace said. She also decided to share the update now that her children are home from school during the Easter holidays.
Meanwhile, William will continue to balance supporting his wife and family while maintaining his official duties. He is likely to resume carrying out his engagements when their children return to school after the holidays.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace confirmed to the Telegraph that Catherine was slowly returning to her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood commitments, charity work that seeks to improve the lives of babies and young children. She has reportedly been receiving updates about her campaign during her recovery.
This story is developing.
