Prince William and Kate Middleton on Nov 21, 2023.Photo:Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Kate Middletonand Prince William are grateful for the support they’ve received from people around the world following thePrincess of Wales' announcementon Friday that she has been diagnosed with cancer.
The Princess of Wales, 42, shared her health updatein a personal video message, revealing that post-operative tests following her January abdominal surgery “found cancer had been present.” The type of cancer was not revealed.
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous,” Princess Kate said in the video. “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.”
Kate called the news a “huge shock” and said that she andPrince William, 41, “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.”
She added that “it’s taken us time to explain everything” to her three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, “in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be okay.”
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“We will not be sharing any further private medical information,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson said Friday. “The Princess has a right to medical privacy, as we all do.”
Kate’s cancer news comes after the palace announced in January that the Princess of Wales underwent a “planned abdominal surgery” at The London Clinic.
The Princess of Wales.Visionhaus/Getty

Visionhaus/Getty
Though the palace didn’t provide any more details about her surgery at the time, they did confirm that she “will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery.” They added that they would continue to provide updates on Kate’s progress “when there is significant new information to share."
A palace spokesperson said on Friday that Kate started the course of preventative chemotherapy in late February.
source: people.com