The Princess of Wales was diagnosed with cancer: what is known about Kate Middleton’s condition

In a video message posted on Friday, Kate said the diagnosis came after she had abdominal surgery in January. Her condition was initially thought not to be cancerous, but later tests “revealed the presence of cancer,” she said.

As CNN recalls, 42-year-old Kate practically did not appear in public after undergoing surgery in January, which caused a storm of rumors about her health. The shock diagnosis comes after King Charles III was also diagnosed with cancer following a procedure to remove an enlarged prostate.

Kate shared the news of her treatment in a video message on Friday and revealed that she was undergoing preventive chemotherapy.

The statement follows weeks of social media speculation and conspiracy theories about her whereabouts after she had not been seen at an official event since December last year.

What did Kate say?

Kate posted a video on Friday afternoon to give an update on her health, two months after she temporarily stepped back from public life following initial treatment.

“I had major abdominal surgery in London in January and at the time my condition was not thought to be cancerous,” said Kate, who is married to heir to the British throne Prince William.

“Operation was successfully completed. However, tests after surgery showed the presence of cancer. Therefore, my medical team advised me to undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of this treatment,” the Princess of Wales said.

She said her diagnosis came as a “huge shock” and that “William and I did everything we could to deal with it privately for the sake of our young family.”

Recall that Kate and William have three children: 10-year-old Prince George, 8-year-old Princess Charlotte and 5-year-old Prince Louis.

A royal source told CNN that Kate began chemotherapy at the end of February, and that she and William waited until now to update on her condition because their children started their Easter school holidays on Friday.

“It took me a while to recover from major surgery to begin treatment. But most importantly, we took the time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that suited them and reassure them that I would be fine,” she said in a video message.

Kate did not specify what type of cancer she was diagnosed with.

Preventative chemotherapy is often used after surgery as a “bailout” therapy to reduce the chances of cancer returning, Dr. Karen Knudsen, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society, told CNN.

The Princess of Wales was expected to return to official duties after Easter but will now delay further work until her medical team clears her to do so, a source said.

What was the reaction?

King Charles III said he was “very proud” of Catherine, his daughter-in-law, for “her courage to speak up the way she did” while sharing her cancer diagnosis, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said late Friday.

Charles said he has “kept in very close contact” with Kate since they were treated at the same London hospital, and that he and Queen Camilla will “continue to offer their love and support to the whole family at this difficult time.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Kate’s statement showed “tremendous courage” and added that she had been “unfairly treated” during weeks of “scrutiny” from the press and social media.

The White House said the Biden administration was “incredibly saddened by this news” and wished her a full recovery.

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, said: “We wish health and healing for Kate and her family and hope they can do so in privacy and quiet.”

When was Kate first hospitalized?

Kensington Palace announced on January 17 this year that the princess would spend two weeks recovering in hospital after successfully undergoing elective abdominal surgery.

It was unclear why the operation was carried out, but the palace said Kate was unlikely to return to public duties before Easter, which falls on March 31 this year.

Kate was discharged from the London clinic – a private hospital near Regent’s Park in the center of the British capital – on January 29. She returned home to Windsor, west of London, to continue her recovery.

King Charles III was discharged from the same private hospital on the same day as Kate after treatment for an enlarged prostate. But Buckingham Palace announced on February 6 that he had been diagnosed with cancer.

What happened to Kate after leaving the hospital?

Kate’s health and whereabouts have been the subject of wild speculation, despite Kensington Palace repeating that in January it had “clearly outlined the timeline for the Princess’s recovery” and that the public should not expect to see her until after Easter.

Kate made her first public appearance earlier this month after she was spotted in Windsor wearing dark sunglasses while sitting in the front passenger seat of a car driven by her mother Carole Middleton.

CNN notes that the channel decided not to publish the paparazzi photo, like most major British media, because the press linked public interest in Kate’s health with the need to comply with privacy laws.

What about a photo for Mother’s Day?

Speculation about Kate’s health continued, putting pressure on the family to reveal more details.

In an attempt to put an end to the rumors, Kate posted an official photo of herself and her three children – George, Charlotte and Louis – on Mother’s Day, which was celebrated in the UK on March 10.

But rather than putting an end to speculation, the snap only fueled it after members of the public quickly noticed several inconsistencies in the image.

Why was Charlotte’s sleeve cuff blurred? And why was her skirt depicted at an odd angle? Why was Kate’s zipper misaligned? Where was her ring? And why did the children cross their fingers?

Several global news outlets pulled the image from circulation hours later, citing concerns about manipulation.

After a day of amateur searching, Kate admitted that she had edited the photo and apologized.

“Like many amateur photographers, I sometimes experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion caused by the family photo we shared yesterday,” Kate wrote on platform X, formerly Twitter, the next day.

The princess was later photographed next to her husband in a car leaving Windsor Castle.

Why is there an investigation involving the hospital?

Earlier this week, Britain’s data watchdog said it was “assessing” reports that an employee at a London clinic allegedly tried to access Kate’s private medical records.

The Daily Mirror tabloid reported that the hospital had launched an investigation into allegations that the princess’s privacy had been breached.

In a statement, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data regulator, confirmed it had “received a report of the breach and is assessing the information provided.”

The London clinic said on Wednesday that “all appropriate investigative, regulatory and disciplinary action will be taken.”

The alleged incident is not the first time Kate’s medical secrets have come under concern. In 2012, when the princess was pregnant with her first child, an Australian radio station jokingly called the hospital where she was being treated and tricked the nurse into revealing private medical information, which was then broadcast.