Kate Middleton announces cancer diagnosis in video message
Full video: Kate Middleton confirms cancer diagnosis
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, said Friday she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. The video announcement came after weeks of speculation spread on social media about her whereabouts and health since she was hospitalized in January for unspecified abdominal surgery.
LONDON - Kate Middleton, princess of Wales, announced Friday that she has cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy.
"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," she said in a video released by the palace.
"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."
Kate continued, "This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing absolutely 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 am going to be OK."
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What kind of cancer does Kate Middleton have?
File: Catherine, Princess of Wales, arrives to attend the Shaping Us National Symposium at Design Museum on November 15, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
The 42-year-old princess did not specify what type of cancer she had, only mentioning that it was discovered during planned abdominal surgery.
"I am well and getting stronger everyday by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirits," she continued. "Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too."
She thanked the public for their love and support, but asked for space and privacy while she completes her chemotherapy treatment.
"My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I’m able. But for now, I must focus on making a full recovery. At this time, I’m 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," she concluded.
Dr. Greg Marchand, an OBGYN and advisory board member for the American College of Surgeons, says "it's difficult to speculate" what kind of cancer Kate Middleton has been diagnosed with, but it's likely Stage 1.
"Cancer is going to be staged usually into four stages, and the first stage is going to be when the cancer hasn't really moved anywhere, it hasn't invaded any other organ systems," said Marchand on FOX 5's Live Zone. "Most cancers that are caught early and can be treated with medical and surgical means have very good outcomes."
Kate Middleton's disappearance
A view of the newspaper headlines that published photographs of Princess Kate during a casual outing with her husband, Prince William, at a farm produce market in Windsor on March 20, 2024 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anado
The internet began to speculate about Kate's "disappearance," after she had been largely missing from the public eye since Christmas day.
Search terms like "Kate Middleton’s health" and "Where is Kate Middleton?" spiked over the last several weeks.
A flurry of claims emerged on sites like X, formerly known as Twitter, and TikTok, with users speculating about the royal's whereabouts and her health condition.
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A video surfaced last week showing Kate out with William, and she seemed to be doing well. It was the first alleged real sighting of Kate out in the wild, and on her own two feet, since she had her surgery back in January.
TMZ said it looked into the video's metadata, which revealed it was filmed on Saturday right near the prince and princess of Wales' home in Windsor.
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With all of the recent speculation and controversy, TMZ is investigating the whereabouts of Kate Middleton, the princess of Wales, with a special airing at 9PM ET on FOX. TMZ's Harvey Levin joined LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow to discuss the special.
However, skeptics on the internet were still convinced that the video was manipulated and fake, with many social media users describing the video as "blurry."
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This is a developing story. Check back for more details.