Kate Middleton Calls Prince William ‘Great Source of Comfort’ Amid Cancer Diagnosis

Kate Middleton is leaning on her husband, Prince William, amid her cancer diagnosis. The Princess of Wales, 42, called her husband “a great source of comfort and reassurance” as she announced Friday that she was in the “early stages” of treatment after being diagnosed with cancer. 

Kate broke the news publicly two months after stepping away from public life for what Kensington Palace said was surgery for a non-cancerous abdominal condition. The princess was first seen in public after her surgery last weekend while visiting a farm shop with her husband. 

Friday, Kate took to social media with a video explaining her condition and the reason that her family had decided to keep the news private for so long. “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous,” she began. “The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”

Kate continued that she and her husband had been doing “everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” noting that it has “taken time” not only for her to recover from major surgery, but “most importantly” for them to break the news to their children – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 – “in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.” Kate revealed that she told her children she is “well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.” 

The royal added in a plea to the public, “We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.”

She ended her message by sharing that she has been keeping “all those whose lives have been affected by cancer” in her thoughts. “For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone,” Kate concluded. The royal family has just recently been affected by cancer, with King Charles III announcing in February that he had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of the disease.