WASHINGTON — Kate, the Princess of Wales, announced Friday that she is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer found after her recent surgery.
The news comes months after Princess Kate underwent an undisclosed abdominal surgery, which at the time was described as noncancerous.
"I want to take this opportunity to say thank you personally for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I've been recovering from surgery," Princess Kate said in a video announcement. "It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family."
"In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time it was thought that my condition was noncancerous. The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present," Princess Kate continued. "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I'm now in the early stages of that treatment."
Wearing a casual striped sweater and jeans, Kate sat on a wooden bench in front of a lawn dotted with daffodils. The flowers, which bloom in early spring, are often used as a symbol of hope for people fighting cancer.
The Princess of Wales said the news came as a shock to her and Prince William and that they have been "doing everything we can to process and manage this privately, for the sake of our young family."
Kate asked for “time, space and privacy” while she is treated for an unspecified type of cancer.
The Princess of Wales’ announcement comes a few months after King Charles III revealed he was being treated for an unspecified form of cancer. Charles’ condition was discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate and since then, the King has canceled all public engagements while he receives treatment.
Charles said he is “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did,” according to a statement released by Buckingham Palace. The king, who received prostate treatment in the same hospital and at the same time Kate had her surgery, remained in the “closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law" in the past weeks.
The king and Queen Camilla “will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time," the palace said.
Kate “has shown tremendous bravery.” He added: “In recent weeks she has been subjected to intense scrutiny and has been unfairly treated by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media.”
Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, also sent his best wishes to the princess at this “distressing time.”
“We are incredibly sad to hear of the news,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who opened her briefing with reporters moments after news of cancer treatment broke. “We are taking this in, this terrible news, as all of you are.”
Kate, 42, has been the center of attention in recent weeks as online rumors surrounding the princess’ whereabouts and health spread rampantly.
Speculation and conspiracy theories skyrocketed after Kensington Palace released a photo of Kate and her children, George, Charlotte and Louis on Mother’s Day in the U.K. The image was retracted by several news agencies after it appeared to have been manipulated.
Princess Kate issued an apology the following day, acknowledging she liked to “experiment with editing” and apologizing for “any confusion” the photo had caused. Rumors and conspiracy theories were not quelled even after footage published by TMZ and The Sun last week appeared to show Kate and Prince William visiting a farm shop near their Windsor home.
On Wednesday, a British privacy watchdog said it was looking into a possible breach of Kate’s medical records while she was a patient for abdominal surgery at a private London hospital. The Information Commissioner’s Office confirmed they received a “breach report” and “are assessing the information provided.”
Kate had surgery at the clinic in central London on Jan. 16 and was discharged almost two weeks later.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.