The announcement that the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, is being treated for cancer has shaken a country that was wondering about her condition and dispels many of the doubts that existed about her health, although it also leaves some questions.
This is what is known (and what is not) so far about the illness of the wife of the heir to the British Crown, William.
The illness
Kate Middleton (Catherine) has cancer. Or at least she has had it. The princess’s message in a video makes it clear that after undergoing surgery on January 16, the tests showed that “there had been cancer” and that the doctors have recommended that she undergo “preventive chemotherapy.”
Kensington Palace – the official residence of the Princes of Wales – firmly maintains that it will not reveal private medical information about the princess, and asks that there be no speculation about what type of cancer or what stage it was in.
“I’m doing well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal,” Middleton said in her message.
The treatment
Chemotherapy began “at the end of February,” according to a Kensington spokesperson, who added that the princess is on “the road to recovery.”
The treatment, which takes place at an undisclosed location, will last until doctors consider it and the schedule will not be made public.
“In choosing medical care providers for the princess, her medical team has taken into account a number of factors. These include which specialists are most appropriate for her illness, and the potential impact on other patients or resources ( …), and the privacy and security of His Royal Highness,” the spokesperson added.
The times
William’s sudden absence from a church service in Windsor by his godfather, Constantine of Greece, which at the time was attributed only to “personal reasons”, was due to Middleton having just received the diagnosis. It was February 27th.
Today it is also known that she and Guillermo wanted to wait to make it public until they felt it was the most appropriate for their family.
Specifically, they understood that this moment, when their three children (Jorge, Carlota and Luis) have already started their Easter holidays, was the most appropriate to spread the word about the princess’s illness.
First they waited for Middleton to accept the diagnosis and recover from the operation, and then they focused on how to best convey the news to their children.
The public agenda
Kensington Palace will inform “when the time is right” of the Princess of Wales’s return to public activities.
“The princess will return to her public duties when her medical team gives her approval. She is in good spirits and focused on a full recovery,” the spokesperson said.
Just because you are able to participate in a one-off event at the beginning of your treatment will not necessarily mean that you have returned to normal public activity.
Prince William
Middleton highlighted in the video the “great source of comfort and tranquility” that having her husband Guillermo by her side has brought her.
The spiral of rumors sparked by Middleton’s absence often focused on the couple’s alleged marital problems, and Kensington admits that it has been a very difficult period for the family.
Despite this, Guillermo is very grateful for the people’s response and continues to focus on his wife and children, while trying to combine it with his commitments as heir to the Crown, especially during the time when his father, the King Charles III, also remains on sick leave due to another cancer.
The prince plans to resume his schedule when the children return to school after the Easter holidays.
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