Princess Kate undergoing treatment for cancer, says chemotherapy caused prolonged absence
Kate, the Princess of Wales, announced Friday that she was diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy, breaking her silence after weeks of widespread speculation.
LONDON — Kate, the Princess of Wales, announced Friday that she was diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy, breaking her silence after weeks of widespread speculation over her health.
The 42-year-old wife of Prince William, Britain’s future king, was hospitalized for almost two weeks at the private London Clinic after having major abdominal surgery in January.
It was thought that her condition was noncancerous and that the surgery had been successful, Kate said Friday in a rare video message. "However," she said, "tests after the operation found cancer had been present.”
Kate said that she was now undergoing “a course of preventative chemotherapy” on the advice of her medical team. She did not specify what type of cancer she has or at what stage it was found, and Kensington Palace, the couple’s royal household, has not said why the operation was necessary.
"I am now in the early stages of that treatment," Kate said in the statement, released by the palace. She thanked the public for their support but also asked for "time, space and privacy" while completing her treatment.
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