The wife of the heir to the British throne, Prince William, is receiving chemotherapy, she said in a video message released on Friday. That was of course a big shock, said the 42-year-old. There had previously been speculation about her health for weeks.
King Charles III praised the openness of his “beloved daughter-in-law” Princess Kate after her cancer diagnosis. The monarch is “so proud of Catherine for her courage” to talk about her illness, Buckingham Palace said on Friday. Both the King and Queen Camilla would continue to send the 42-year-old and her entire family their love and support “during this difficult time.”
“Support the whole country”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has assured the princess of the support of the entire country. “She has shown tremendous courage with her statement today. I know I speak for the entire country in wishing her a speedy and full recovery, and I look forward to seeing her back in action when she is ready.”
The White House also expressed its condolences. Our thoughts are with Kate, her family and her friends, said spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday in Washington. “And of course we wish her a full recovery.”
- The video message released on Friday:
Rumors and conspiracy theories
The head of government criticized the rumors and conspiracy theories surrounding the future queen’s condition in recent weeks. Kate had been treated unfairly by some parts of the media and on social networks, said Sunak. The wife of heir to the throne Prince William is entitled to the same privacy in health matters as all other people.
The daughter-in-law of King Charles III, who is also being treated for cancer, has not attended public appointments for a long time. According to the palace, Kate underwent abdominal surgery in mid-January. No diagnosis was given; at the time it was simply said that it was not cancer.
Since then, a number of speculations and conspiracy stories about her condition have spread online. A few days ago, the Mirror newspaper reported that up to three employees of the private clinic where Kate was treated tried to view her medical records. The hospital announced an investigation.
Accusation of image manipulation
Kensington Palace also published a picture of Kate with her three children Prince George (10), Princess Charlotte (8) and Prince Louis (5) for Mother’s Day. However, the photo was later withdrawn by several news agencies due to allegations of image manipulation.
Kensington Palace said on her behalf that she had “occasionally experimented with image editing like many amateur photographers” and apologized for any confusion. This did not stop the speculation.
Princess Catherine, who was formerly called Kate Middleton and has been married to Prince William since 2011, is considered a very popular member of the British royal family in Great Britain.
