Kate Middleton finally broke her silence on Friday about her medical condition as she announced she has cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy.
In a video on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ social media account, Middleton said that when she went in for “major abdominal surgery” in January she believed that was for a non-cancerous situation. But test results later showed that she had cancer.“
It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful,” Middleton said in a videotaped message.
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous,” she added. “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 preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” Middleton continued. “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.”
Princess Kate said it has not only taken time for her to recover from major surgery so she can start the chemo, but it’s also taken them “time to explain everything” to their three children “George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.”
The Princess then said that she is “well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits” and said having her husband by her side has been a huge “source of comfort and reassurance too.”
She also asked for her family to have “some time, space and privacy” while she completes her treatment and is then able to focus on making her “full recovery.”
While she never addressed exactly what kind of cancer she’s dealing with, she closed out her message sending love to all “those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”
The message came after weeks of speculation about Middleton’s health after being completely absent from public events since the surgery in January. The rumors reached a fever pitch last week after Kensington Palace shared a family photo of Middleton and her children in honor of U.K. Mother’s Day. However, hours after it appeared in publications, the Associated Press issued a “kill notification” on the photo it said had been “manipulated.”
Later, the palace acknowledged the photo had been edited.
In January, Kensington Palace released a statement saying that the Princess of Wales would remain in the hospital for up to two weeks before being released to continue her recovery at home. The statement said she would not return to royal public duties until after Easter. It is unclear from her message when exactly she will be returning to royal duties.
