LONDON (AP) — Catherine, Duchess of Wales said Friday that she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.
The video, which was recorded on Wednesday and aired on Friday, comes after weeks of speculation on social media about her whereabouts and health since she was hospitalized for unspecified abdominal surgery in January. This was revealed in a video message.
Watch her video message:
Message from Duchess Catherine pic.twitter.com/5LQT1qGarK
— Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2024
She asked for “time, space and privacy” while undergoing treatment for an unspecified type of cancer.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I get stronger every day by focusing on things that help me heal.”
Duchess Kate Middleton, 42, had not been seen in public since Christmas until this week when a video emerged of her walking from a farm shop near her home in Windsor with her husband Prince William, heir to the throne. He wasn’t showing up.
From left to right: Duchess Kate and Prince William accompany their children (from left to right: George, Louis and Charlotte) to school on September 7, 2022 in Bracknell, England. (Jonathan Brady/Getty Images)
Kensington Palace has given few details about Duchess Kate’s condition, other than saying that it was not due to cancer, that the surgery was successful, and that she will be away from royal duties until April to recuperate.
The news is the latest shock for the royal family since it was announced last month that Charles III was undergoing treatment for an unspecified type of cancer discovered during surgery for enlarged prostate.
