Following speculation around Kate Middleton‘s health and whereabouts, the royal released a video message Friday announcing that she has been diagnosed with a life-threatening condition.
“At the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous,” Kate Middleton shares in a video statement. “The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation on cancer had been present.”
In the two-minute video, filmed on Wednesday by BBC Studios, Middleton says she’s begun chemotherapy as a form of preventative treatment. Middleton did not disclose the form of cancer. Kate Middleton’s brother James Middleton expressed support on Instagram, following the diagnosis.
“Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together,” he wrote. “As a family, we will climb this one with you too.”
Middleton was admitted to a London Clinic Jan. 16 for what was “planned” non-cancerous abdominal surgery, according to a statement from Kensington Palace. Middleton remain hospitalized for 10 to 14 days, followed by at-home recovery. By late January, Middleton was discharged and returned to Adelaide Cottage, the couple’s royal residence on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
“This of course came as a huge shock,” she says. “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’s appropriate for them and to reassure them that I’m going to be OK.”
King Charles also received a cancer diagnosis last month, after doctors ran diagnostic tests for an enlarged prostate at the London Clinic. (Charles “will continue” to work behind the scenes on “State business and official paperwork,” according to a Buckingham Palace statement at the time.)
With the Princess of Wales largely out of the public eye, it left many on social media to draw their own conclusions. Some tabloids have speculated that the Royal left the Windsor Castle grounds, with TMZ releasing a potential photo of Middleton riding in the passenger seat of a vehicle in March 4, beside what looks like her mother Carole Middleton. And on March 10, a botched image of Middleton with her three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — released by Kensington Palace in celebration of Mother’s Day in Britain, left many to question her physical health and well-being.
The image made international headlines for revealing distorted and blurry fingers, a missing sleeve, and uneven zippers and prompted several news outlets to remove the manipulated image from their platforms. Following the release of the altered image, Middleton issued an apology for her photoshopping error on March 11: “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.”
The Royal’s absence created additional hysteria on social media, with some people joking Middleton was preparing to appear on The Masked Singer, The Traitors or even jet setting to Miami for a Brazilian butt lift (it takes about two to three months for full recovery).
The Princess of Wales thanked her followers for their supporting messages, and reassured viewers that Prince William has served as a “great source of comfort and reassurance.”
“But for now I must focus on making a full recovery,” Middleton says. “At this time, I’m also thinking of all those whose lives are being affected by cancer. Everyone faces disease in whatever form please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”
This is a developing story…