Princess Kate Middleton truly spoke from the heart as she publicly disclosed her cancer diagnosis on Friday, March 22.
“It allowed her to speak directly to the public who, overwhelmingly, have always been with her and her family and who don’t buy into the noise and gossip,” one of Kate’s friends told The Sunday Times on Saturday, March 23. “It was all her, she wrote every word of it. It came together very quickly.”
Kensington Palace confirmed on Friday that Kate, 42, had been diagnosed with cancer by sharing a video of the princess sitting on a bench outside Windsor Castle and speaking about her health battle. In the video, Kate was surrounded by daffodils, which have long symbolized hope for cancer patients and survivors.
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous,” the Princess of Wales said in the video. “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’m now in the early stages of that treatment.”
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She continued: “[Prince] William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.”
Kate and William, 41, share three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. They waited to publicly disclose Kate’s condition until they had a chance to inform their kids privately. In her Friday video, Kate noted that she reassured George, Charlotte and Louis that she is “going to be OK.”
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The Princess of Wales also reassured viewers about her treatment plans, explaining, “I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirits.”
As Kate undergoes treatment, she is expected to forgo any public appearances, including Easter services on Sunday, March 31.
“The Princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team. She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery,” Kensington Palace told Us Weekly in a Friday statement, adding William “will continue to balance supporting his wife and family and maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year.”
