Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed Friday that she has been diagnosed with cancer, a surprise disclosure that follows an extended period of frenzied public speculation on the state of her health.
In a video statement, Catherine, 42, shared that her cancer had been discovered following a “major abdominal surgery” she underwent in January.
She said that the surgery was successful and, at the time, her condition was thought to be “non-cancerous.” Tests done after the surgery, however, revealed that “cancer had been present,” she said, so her medical team recommended she undergo a preventative course of chemotherapy.
She said she was now in the “early stages” of that treatment. She did not publicly identify the specific type of cancer she is facing.
News of Catherine’s cancer diagnosis came only weeks after it was revealed that her father-in-law, King Charles, is also dealing with a cancer diagnosis of his own. The 75-year-old king has suspended his public duties while undergoing treatment. He has not revealed the type of cancer.
King Charles praised his daughter-in-law’s “courage in speaking as she did,” according to a Friday statement from Buckingham Palace.
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, says in a video released to her social media pages that tests after her surgery revealed ‘cancer had been present,’ and that she is in the early stages of preventive chemotherapy.
The princess said the news of her own cancer had been “a huge shock” for herself and her family.
Kensington Palace said the update on her health was shared at a time when Catherine and William’s children were on break from school, to shield them from related news coverage.
Catherine married Prince William in 2011. They have three children — George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and five-year-old Louis.
Stress amid ‘lurid speculation’
Speculation about Catherine’s health had reached a fever pitch in recent weeks. Friday’s disclosure provides more context on the challenges she has been facing.
Britain’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, referenced the health-related scrutiny the princess had faced, when commenting on the very personal news that Catherine had divulged.
“When it comes to matters of health, like everyone else, she must be afforded the privacy to focus on her treatment and be with her loving family,” Sunak said in a post shared on X.
Labour Leader Keir Starmer sounded a similar note while offering his own well wishes for the princess in her recovery.
“Any cancer diagnosis is shocking,” Starmer said on X. “But I can only imagine the added stress of receiving that news amid the lurid speculation we’ve seen in recent weeks.”