Princess of Wales Diagnosed With Cancer, Begins Chemotherapy Treatment

The Princess of Wales has been diagnosed with cancer and is in the early stages of receiving chemotherapy treatment.

In a personal message recorded in the gardens of Windsor castle by the BBC, Princess Catherine disclosed this, saying that her condition was discovered after she had major abdominal surgery in January.

This came after weeks of speculation about her health.

Catherine said she and her husband, Prince William, had needed time to explain the situation to their three children, George, 10, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five.

It is understood that the announcement have been timed to coincide with the children breaking up from school for the Easter holidays in the United Kingdom.

“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,” Catherine said.

“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.”

The palace said Catherine had started her chemotherapy treatment in late February.

Sitting on a bench, Catherine spoke for two minutes and 16 seconds. The message was filmed on Wednesday by BBC Studios.

Catherine, wearing a white jumper with black stripes, talked without apparent nerves but had looked down briefly when talking of her family’s shock at the news.

The palace said Catherine had wished to provide a medical update in order to put an end to further speculation.

Catherine said it was only after the surgery that the cancer had been found. The king is also currently being treated for cancer.

In her statement – made public on Friday, and which began with words of thanks for those who had sent messages of support – Catherine said she felt well and was “getting stronger every day”. She said: “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.”

Catherine said she had been able to reassure her children that she would recover from her diagnosis. “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,” she said. “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.”

The couple, who will celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary next month, have endured weeks of rumours about Catherine’s condition.