The Princess of Wales has been diagnosed with cancer, she confirmed in a recorded video statement on March 22. “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’m so grateful,” her message begins. “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. 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 preventive chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”
“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,” the Princess continued. “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’s appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I’m going to be okay… As I’ve said to them, I am well, and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body, and spirit. Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance, too, as is the love, support, and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both. We hope that you’ll understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment.”
The news comes after weeks of widespread concern and speculation about the Princess’s whereabouts. Kensington Palace first announced that she had undergone abdominal surgery at The London Clinic on January 17, revealing that she was expected to remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days before returning to Adelaide Cottage to recover fully. “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the press release at the time noted. “She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible, and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.”
As rumors began to proliferate regarding the Princess’s wellbeing—particularly following the dramatic response to the editing of her Mother’s Day photograph—the Palace doubled down on its plea for privacy. “We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant.”
The news of Kate’s illness comes at a particularly difficult time for the royal family. His Royal Highness King Charles III has, of course, also been diagnosed with cancer, although Buckingham Palace has declined to reveal its form or stage. “His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” the King’s communications team explained on 5 February. “Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake state business and official paperwork as usual… He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.”
It remains to be seen how much either Buckingham or Kensington Palace will share about the progress of the King and the Princess’s respective treatments—with the health of senior royals typically treated as a closely guarded secret. Despite the fact that Charles’s grandfather, King George VI, died of lung cancer, there was no mention of it in his death announcement, nor was it made public when it was first detected in the months preceding his passing. Rather, the BBC simply reported that “the decision to operate was taken on Friday after doctors noticed ‘structural changes’ in the King’s lung, which were giving cause for concern.” Similarly, it was only revealed after the Queen Mother’s death that she had battled with both colon cancer in her sixties and breast cancer in her eighties.
This post will be updated if and when more details emerge about the Princess’s health.