(NewsNation) — Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced she has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy following an absence from the public eye and royal duties.
Middleton said she underwent abdominal surgery for a condition believed to be noncancerous at the time, but later found out that was incorrect.
A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/5LQT1qGarK
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2024
The princess announced she is undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy and said she and Prince William have been doing their best to process the news for their family.
She said they have been taking the time to explain things to the couple’s three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — and is doing well as she is cared for by her medical team.
Middleton also expressed her support for others with a cancer diagnosis and for their loved ones.
“For everyone facing this disease in whatever form, please do not lose faith and hope,” she said. “You are not alone.”
Expressions of support have poured out from around the world, including from Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who issued a statement of support.
Middleton has been under scrutiny for edited photos and a shroud of mystery over her location after having surgery.
The palace announced the princess had abdominal surgery in January, a planned procedure, but did not make any statements about why she was in the hospital, though Prince William and Kate’s office earlier said it was not cancerous.
Middleton has not been seen in public since Christmas, drawing speculation as to what is going on with her health. The palace remained tight-lipped even as conspiracy theories swirled, only saying she was recovering well and would not return to her royal duties before Easter.
In this photo provided by Camera Press and released Wednesday, April 28, 2021, is Britain’s Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, at Kensington Palace photographed this week in London, England. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary on Thursday, April 29. (Chris Floyd/Camera Press/PA via AP) 
FILE – Britain’s Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge visits the Urban Nature Project at the Natural History Museum, in London, June 22, 2021. The Duchess of Cambridge, who turns 40 on Sunday Jan. 9, 2022, has emerged as Britain’s reliable royal. After Prince Harry and Meghan’s stormy departure to California in 2020, the death of Prince Philip last year, and now sex abuse allegations against Prince Andrew, the former Kate Middleton remains in the public eye as the smiling mother of three who can comfort grieving parents at a children’s hospice or wow the nation by playing piano during a televised Christmas concert. (Geoff Pugh/Pool Photo via AP, File) 
SANDRINGHAM, NORFOLK – DECEMBER 25: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales and Mia Tindall attend the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church on December 25, 2023 in Sandringham, Norfolk. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage) 
FILE – Britain’s Prince William visits Sustainable Ventures, Europe’s largest climate tech hub, in London, Oct. 5, 2023. Prince William will travel to Singapore next month to name the winners of his Earthshot prize, a global competition to find solutions to the challenges of climate change. (Kate Green/Pool via AP, File) 
Britain’s Prince William and Britain’s Prince Harry walk beside each other after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. Prince Harry has said he wants to have his father and brother back and that he wants “a family, not an institution,” during a TV interview ahead of the publication of his memoir. The interview with Britain’s ITV channel is due to be released this Sunday. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File) 
FILE – Britain’s Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge visit the Church on the Street in Burnley, England, Jan. 20, 2022. Prince William and the Princess of Wales will make their first trip to the U.S. in eight years this week, hoping to focus attention on his Earthshot Prize for environmental innovators. (Danny Lawson/Pool photo via AP, File) 
Britain’s Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, watch the NBA basketball game between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, in Boston. (Brian Snyder/Pool Photo via AP) 
Britain’s Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, left, and Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walk to greet the crowds after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Her absence was even more noticeable as King Charles III has been out of the public eye while undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
The White House responded to the announcement saying the administration’s thoughts are with the princess and her family.
“I think it’s important that we respect their privacy, especially at this time,” said Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “So I’m not going to go further than that.”