The Princess of Wales has announced tonight that she has been diagnosed with cancer aged 42 and is undergoing ‘preventative’ chemotherapy.
In a deeply personal, unprecedented and emotional video message, filmed at Windsor on Wednesday, Catherine revealed the news had come as a ‘huge shock’ and that she and William ‘have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family’.
It came days after she was seen smiling with Prince William as they left their favourite farm shop close to their Windsor home, and she said her husband had been ‘a great source of comfort and reassurance’ during her cancer fight.
Speaking from a bench surrounded by daffodils and spring blossom, the future queen said: ‘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.
‘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. 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.’
Catherine’s cancer was discovered only after she underwent major abdominal surgery at The London Clinic in January. Kensington Palace has said it will not be sharing details of what kind of cancer the princess has, or what stage of cancer it is and has asked people not to speculate.
The King – who is also currently undergoing cancer treatment himself – and the Queen were both been informed of the news. In a statement tonight His Majesty said he is ‘so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did’ and remains in the ‘closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law’. The King and Queen said they ‘will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time’.
It is not known if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were told in advance of the 6pm announcement. Harry, who once described Kate as the ‘big sister I never had’ and fondly called her ‘Cath’, is estranged from his brother and sister-in-law. It remains to be seen whether he will fly back to the UK to see her.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the Princess of Wales has ‘the love and support of the whole country’ as her cancer battle was revealed this evening and good wishes came in from around the globe, including from the White House where Joe Biden is ‘incredibly sad to hear of the news’. Her bravery at revealing her cancer to the world has also been praised.
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Sitting on a bench at Windsor, surrounded by spring flowers, the Princess of Wales has taken the extraordinary step of revealing to the world that she has cancer
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At points the future queen was highly emotional as she spoke of her illness and her family and telling her children she will ‘be ok’
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Kate had a message for fellow cancer sufferers, telling them: ‘You are not alone’
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The video was filmed in the grounds of Windsor Castle on Wednesday
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The Princess of Wales with her children in her Mother’s Day portrait, which now has added significance given her diagnosis
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Catherine’s emotional and extraordinary words in her unprecedented video message
‘It’s terribly sad news’: Public reacts to Kate’s cancer diagnosis
At the time of her abdominal surgery in January, Kensington Palace said that it was non-cancerous. They have confirmed again tonight that is the case and that no tests had confirmed the presence of cancer. However post-operative tests subsequently found that cancer ‘had been present’.
Pictured: The Princess of Wales attends the Together At Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey with her husband Prince William and their children George, Charlotte and Louis, on December 8 last year
This evening’s announcement will send shockwaves around the world and came after weeks of speculation – and wild conspiracy theories – about her health.
It also creates a fresh crisis for the British Royal Family at a time where King Charles is also battling cancer. In January Sarah, the Duchess of York, was diagnosed with skin cancer, just six months after being treated for breast cancer.
The princess is now on what has been described as a ‘recovery pathway’ having commenced a course of chemotherapy in late February.
It is for this reason that Prince William pulled out of a memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine of Greece.
Kensington Palace has strongly asked people not to speculate on what cancer she has.
However they say that she is in ‘good spirits and focused on her recovery’.
‘She is hugely grateful to the medical team for the care they are providing to her,’ a spokesman said. ‘She now needs time, space and privacy to complete her treatment and make a full recovery.’
It is understood that the announcement was made tonight not because of unpleasant social media speculation about her health and whereabouts – although that has been upsetting – but because her children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, broke up from school today, which gave them the opportunity to take them away privately and protect them from the inevitable public shock.
In her video statement the Princess, dressed casually in a stripped Breton top and jeans, said: ‘I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery. 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.
‘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. 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.
‘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. 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.
‘We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.’
Even amidst her own personal anguish, there was a message for fellow cancer sufferers: ‘At this time, I am 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.’
Oncologist reveals what treatment Kate might be undertaking
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The Prince and Princess of Wales were seen together last week as William went to the The Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey
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The Princess of Wales said her family (pictured together on December 25) ‘need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment’
Kate’s cancer battle in her own words: The Princess of Wales’ emotional video statement in full
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I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.
At this time, I am 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.
A source said this has been a ‘real shock’ for the couple and they have needed to take time to process the news personally and bring their young children to a place that they could ‘process this news about their mother’.
They have always wanted to shield them from the inevitable coverage her diagnosis will cause.
However she does have a very positive approach to her recovery and a positive mindset moving forwards.
A spokesman for the princess said: ‘We will not be sharing any further private medical information. The Princess has a right to medical privacy, as we all do.’
However her spokesman confirmed: ‘The Princess is now on a recovery pathway having commenced a course of preventative chemotherapy…in late February.’
The palace will not confirm how long her treatment is expected to last and has asked the media and public not to speculate.
It also said it would not confirm where her treatment would be taking place, a spokesman adding: ‘We will not be sharing any further private medical information. The Princess has a right to medical privacy, as we all do.’
Asked when the princess was given the news by her doctors, a spokesman explained: ‘Once post-operative tests had been completed and results reviewed.’
They added: ‘The Princess wanted to share this information when she and The Prince felt it was right for them as a family. ‘
A source said it had been ‘an incredibly tough couple of months for the entire family’ and it had been important for the princess to come to terms with her diagnosis, to recover form her surgery and begin her pathway to recovery.
Throughout this period the couple’s children have been her priority.
It is understood that William and Kate wanted to tell their children at a time that was right for them and to allow them to understand and process the news before it became public.
With the children having broken up from Lambrook School today for the Easter holidays this afternoon, they decided that now was the right time to share the statement.
Sources say their concern recently, despite global and social media speculation, was to put Catherine’s health and their children first.
It is now hoped, aides said, the speculation around the princess comes to a stop.
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Kate at her ‘Together At Christmas’ Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 8
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Catherine, Princess of Wales attends the opening of Evelina London’s new children’s day surgery unit on December 5
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The Princess of Wales arrives at the Shaping Us National Symposium at the Design Museum on November 15
Catherine is apparently determined to go about her normal routine, which she sees as an important part of her recovery, and has asked for people to respect her privacy.
READ MORE: How William discovered Kate had cancer just before he was due to attend King Constantine of Greece’s memorial service at St George’s Chapel, and pulled out with moments to spare
Prince William, pictured here in Sheffield on Tuesday this week, learnt his wife Kate had cancer not long before he was due to attend a memorial service for King Constantine of Greece
However it has been confirmed that the family will not be going to church at Windsor at Easter.
It is understood that Catherine wanted the time and space to come to terms with her diagnosis, to recover from her surgery and to then begin her pathway to recovery.
Throughout this period, her and William’s three young children have been their priority.
They wanted to be able to tell them at a time that was right for them and to allow them to understand and process the news before it became public, it is understood.
With the children now away from school on their Easter holidays, the couple feel now is the right time to share their update.
It has not been confirmed whether the princess is being treated on the NHS or privately.
However in selecting healthcare providers for The Princess, a balance of factors would have been considered by her medical team.
These include the most appropriate specialists for the condition, and the potential impact on other patients or on the resources of their healthcare providers and the privacy and security of the princess.
Kensington Palace have said they understand the worldwide interested the princess’s announcement would generate but have stressed that they will only provide an update when there is something significant to say in order to allow her to continue her treatment in private.
A spokesman said: ‘Their Royal Highnesses understand the interest this update will generate and are grateful for the public support they have received throughout this period. Kensington Palace will provide information, when the time is right, and The Princess is able to restart work and her duties. In the meantime, we would ask that the family’s privacy is respected. ‘
The Mail understands that Prince William will carry out engagements when the children return to school after the Easter holidays.
A spokesman said: ‘The Prince will continue to balance supporting his wife and family and maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year.
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Kate’s cancer is for this reason that Prince William pulled out of a memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine of Greece (pictured)
A source emphasised that this has been a difficult period for the Wales family. William has been focused on supporting his wife and children, while continuing to undertake engagements and work, and is extremely grateful for the support from the public.
READ MORE: Timeline of Kate Middleton’s cancer fight: Princess of Wales’ health battle after shock surgery two months ago to heartbreaking diagnosis and chemotherapy
The princess will remain out of the public eye for the time being.
Kensington Palace said: ‘The Princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team. She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery.’
It is understood she may be keen to attend events as and when she feels able to, in line with medical advice. Any initial public events will not necessarily signal a return to a regular public schedule.
A source added that she is in good spirits and focused on her recovery. She is hugely grateful to the medical team for the care they are providing to her and now needs to take the time and space to complete her treatment and make a full recovery.
A running commentary on Kate’s health is not expected as she will need the time, space and privacy to fully recover.
It is expected that the Prince of Wales will carry out engagements when their children return to school after the Easter holidays.
It would be likely that Kensington Palace will only provide further updates on Kate’s plans to return to public events when the time is deemed appropriate.
Kate’s own views on whether she wants to attend events and if she feels able to, along with medical advice, would form part of the decision-making process.
It should also be expected that any initial public events will not necessarily signal a return to a regular public schedule.
The princess is known for being fit, sporty and competitive at team games.
She enjoys playing tennis and is a fan of cold water swimming.
Kate has also been the royal patron of English rugby since 2022.
In an interview last September with former rugby international Mike Tindall, who is married to her husband’s cousin Zara, she said her family were ‘always active’.
‘I suppose as a family we were just very active,’ she said.
‘And I can always remember being physical, using our bodies, whether it’s walking, climbing the lake district in Scotland… swimming from a young age.
‘(My parents) always encouraged us to be physically active and sporty and they always encouraged us into doing team sports and trying things.’
Kate also revealed that she enjoys cold water swimming.
‘Cold swimming – the colder, the better. I absolutely love it,’ she said.
‘Slightly to the point where William’s (saying) ‘You’re crazy’ and it’s dark and it’s raining.
‘I will go and seek out cold water. I love it.’
Kate has carefully carved out her charity work since marrying the prince in 2011 and becoming an HRH.
Gradually and patiently developing her role over the years, she has focused on mental health and the early years of childhood, and is known to meticulously research the issues facing the charities she works with.
Family life is also sacrosanct to Kate – mother to 10-year-old George, Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Louis.
She remains close to her parents Carole and Michael Middleton and siblings Pippa Matthews and James Middleton, and had a happy home life growing up.
Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born to the Middletons at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading on January 9 1982.
She was christened at the parish church of St Andrew’s Bradfield in Berkshire on June 20 the same year.
Amman in Jordan was home to Kate and her family for a few years in the mid-1980s, where she attended a nursery school from the age of three, before the family returned to Berkshire.
At 13, she went to the exclusive private Marlborough College in Wiltshire, where she part-boarded.
She graduated in 2005 with a 2:1 in history of art from St Andrews University, where she met and began dating William, whom she married at Westminster Abbey in 2011.
She was dubbed ‘Waity Katie’ for her patience during their long courtship, and was described by William in their engagement interview as having ‘a really naughty sense of humour’.
A keen photographer, the princess usually takes the publicly released photos of her children to mark their birthdays.
Kate was pictured earlier this month with her children in a photograph posted on social media on Mother’s Day, which was said to have been taken by William.
The photograph was later withdrawn with a ‘Kill’ notice by international picture agencies hours later because of suspicions it had been digitally altered.
William pulled out of King Constantine of Greece’s memorial service at St George’s Chapel because of Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnosis
Prince William found out his wife Kate had cancer before he pulled out of attending King Constantine of Greece‘s memorial service.
The Prince of Wales’s absence from the St George’s Chapel event at Windsor Castle on February 27 had raised eyebrows, but tonight’s revelation about the princess’s health has shed new light on why he stayed away.
Kate had only just been diagnosed with cancer ahead of beginning chemotherapy, it was revealed tonight – after Buckingham Palace had initially said the previous month her condition was non-cancerous.
Royal aides are now expected to rally around William all the more as he steps back from frontline duties and looks after the couple’s children as his wife recuperates.
The prince has already been adjusting his royal duties to devote even more time to his family after Kate was first admitted to the London Clinic in January.
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Prince William, pictured here in Sheffield on Tuesday this week, learnt his wife Kate had cancer not long before he was due to attend a memorial service for King Constantine of Greece
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Prince Andrew led the way as other Royal Family members attended the event on February 27
The couple have both been dedicated to doing their fair share of the school run each morning and afternoon since their three children began attending £24,000-a-year Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire in September 2022.
The co-ed institution is not far from the family’s Frogmore Cottage home on the Windsor estate – and is also convenient for visits by the princess’s parents.
Carole and Michael Middleton live just 33 miles away in Bucklebury, Berkshire, and the strong mother-daughter bond has been a key feature of troubled recent months.
Kate’s siblings Pippa, 40, and James, 36, are also close at hand in Bucklebury.
William’s decision not to attend the memorial service for King Constantine came as a surprise at the time, with the reason described as ‘personal reasons’.
Also missing was his father King Charles, himself receiving treatment for cancer.
Queen Camilla was instead the most senior member of the Royal Family in attendance, with William’s uncle Prince Andrew also enjoying a prominent role as he led fellow royals on foot to the service.
Constantine was the godfather of William, who is said to have called the Greek royal family to apologise for not being there.
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Britain’s Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, smiling while arriving at the memorial service for King Constantine of Greece on February 27
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Prince William and Kate Middleton with King Constantine at Windsor Castle in 2012
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King Constantine (left) pictured after Prince William’s confirmation as one of his godparents
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King Constantine attends church with Charles and Camilla at Sandringham in 2007
Queen leads royal family’s tributes to King Constantine of Greece
The Prince was due to read from Revelation 21:1-7, a popular reading for funerals that begins ‘Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth’.
He had cleared his diary of official duties to help support Kate’s recovery, although did visit a homelessness charity’s base in Sheffield on Tuesday this week.
The couple were seen being driven from Windsor on March 11, although only William attended that afternoon’s Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in central London while Kate continued on to a private appointment elsewhere.
Their children Prince George, 10, eight-year-old Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, five, all attend Lambrook School which starts its summer term on April 17.
Royal experts have said the parents chose Lambrook because they wanted their children to have a ‘different kind of schooling’ to their own.
George and Charlotte were previously pupils at Thomas’s Battersea while Louis attended Willcocks Nursery in Kensington, both schools in London.
William and Kate were pictured strolling into Lambrook School’s grounds hand-in-hand with their children for their first day there in September 2022.
They are believed to have been sharing ‘school run’ duties but William has now been taking on more responsibilities – as have Kate’s parents Carole, 69, and Michael, 74.
Sweet moments of Kate Middleton with her three children
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The Prince and Princess of Wales accompanied their children George, Louis and Charlotte for their first day at Lambrook School in Berkshire in September 2022
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The Princess of Wales has previously been praised for her hands-on and ‘down-to-earth’ parenting style
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Kate was seen with her family attending church at Sandringham on Christmas Day last year
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Kate’s parents Michael and Carole on the royal balcony during their daughter’s 2011 wedding
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All three children attend the prestigious Lambrook School in Berkshire
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William and Kate and family live at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor (file picture)
Earlier this month Carole was snapped at the wheel of a car driving her daughter – pictured for the first time in two months – around Windsor Castle.
The photos were published by US gossip website TMZ but not in the UK after Kensington Palace appealed for her to be able to recuperate in private.
Insiders who knew the Middleton children at school have said her family was renowned for ‘doing everything to the very highest of standards’.
A fellow parent told Tatler recently: ‘There were huge picnics on sports days, the smartest tennis rackets — that kind of thing.
‘It made the rest of us all feel rather hopeless. Ultimately, Carole has played a blinder as a mother – not only are all of her children unfairly good-looking, they are also famously charming.
‘Always the first to write a thank-you letter, they dance all night and are still the first up in the morning, plumping cushions and washing up.’
Two years ago, Carole and Michael Middleton made a sombre appearance as they joined senior members of the Royal Family for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s committal service.
Months later, they were seen in high spirits as they arrived at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King Charles III – arriving alongside their children Pippa and James.
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The Duke of Cambridge (pictured at the wheel) take his three children on the school run
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William quipped he was dropping off his ‘gang’ of children during a chat with the headmaster of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ school Lambrook in 2022
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Kate was admitted to the London Clinic in January this year for abdominal surgery
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She is known to be close with her mother, pictured together shopping in London
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Michael and Carole pictured in the Royal Box on day nine of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships
Carole and Kate Middleton also attended the races together here in 2017
Kate’s mother has also always been on hand to support Kate for her annual ‘Together At Christmas’ Carol Service – a known passion project of the princess’s.
Other get-togethers have seen the mother and daughter huddled up alongside each other at Royal Ascot – and in summer 2022, Kate was seen blowing her parents a kiss as the family attended Wimbledon.
Kate, William and their children have their main home as four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor grounds in Berkshire, with no live-in staff although they do have a nanny, housekeeper and security team living nearby.
The Grade II listed property is owned by the Crown Estate and the couple are said to be paying ‘market rent’.
Lambrook School has just 610 boys and girls aged three to 13 and is mixed so all three children can attend together, cutting down on school runs and security teams.
It offers boarding but George, Charlotte and Louis have all been day pupils there.
The Good Schools Guide says the prep school has a ‘heart of gold’ and offers pupils ‘total freedom to explore, provided you’ve got your wellies on’.
It boasts of ‘first-class teaching and superb facilities’ including a 25-metre swimming pool, a nine-hole golf course, an Astroturf, squash court and a new £6million Queen’s Building for ICT and academic learning.
Wills waves to cheering crowds in first outing since trip with Kate
The prospectus quotes one parent calling it ‘the most magical place for our children to spend time, and they can often be seen rosy-cheeked and perfecting handstands, throwing balls or racing to the three stumps’.
School sources have described William and Kate as being ‘like a normal mum and dad’ who throw themselves into events at Lambrook.
The Princess of Wales has touchingly revealed how she is reassuring her young children amid her battle with cancer after the announcement she is fighting the disease.
The mother-of-three says she and Prince William have explained the situation to their children George, Charlotte and Louis, after the ‘huge shock’ of her diagnosis.
Princess Catherine said had told them she is doing ‘well and getting stronger every day’ and that she was ‘focusing on the things that will help me heal’.
The 42-year-old also revealed that she was comforted by having her husband by her side, and that they were doing ‘everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family’.
In a televised address, the future Queen revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing a successful abdominal operation in January, and that doctors have advised her to undergo preventative chemotherapy.
