Kate Middleton Diagnosed With Cancer

Kate Middleton has confirmed that she has been undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

The Princess of Wales acknowledged that the past couple of months had been "incredibly tough" for her "entire family" and praised the medical team who "have taken great care of me."

Her statement in full reads: "I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery.

"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.

"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 preventative 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.

"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 is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.

"As I have 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 spirits.

"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 will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.

"At this time, I am also thinking of 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 royal family has been beset by difficult health news in 2024, staring with the announcement on January 17 that Kate had undergone abdominal surgery the previous day.

Buckingham Palace then announced that King Charles was having a procedure on an enlarged prostate before confirming in early February that doctors had picked up a second issue which was diagnosed as cancer. He has been undergoing regular treatment since.

King Charles is "so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that they've been in close contact over the past few weeks and both he and Queen Camilla will "continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time."

Prince William initially took time off his own royal duties in order to help look after the couple's children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Since the end of February, social media has been rife with conspiracies theories about Kate's health generating huge pressure for Kate to appear in public.

A Mother's Day picture released on March 10 by Kensington Palace turned out to have been doctored by Kate, triggering new frenzied conspiracies alleging a variety of often contradictory palace cover-ups.

Jack Royston is Newsweek's chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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