Some readers may have seen a torrent of news stories, a few days back, showing video obtained by TMZ of the UK's Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine (known informally as Kate), making a recent visit to a farm shop near their home in Windsor.
Breaking: new video shows Kate and Will smiling together at a visit to the Windsor Farm Shop over the weekend. Via @TMZ @7NewsSydney
— Ashlee Mullany (@AshleeMullany) March 18, 2024
pic.twitter.com/w2uM73NE7h
It was the first time the heir apparent's spouse had been seen (outside of her, ahem, creatively edited photo with their children) since she left the hospital after an unspecified abdominal surgery.
Read: Biden White House Faces Uncomfortable Questions After Princess 'KateGate' Photo Editing Controversy
Much whispering questioned why the Palace announced that she would eschew any official duties until after Easter (when she had the surgery in January). There are some answers now.
The princess released a short video on Friday, which Kensington Palace said was filmed at the family's home at Windsor, revealing for the first time that she's being treated for cancer:
A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/5LQT1qGarK
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2024
She said, in part:
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous,” the princess said in the clip.
“The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present.”[...]
The 42-year-old said she was in the early stages of “preventative chemotherapy” and that it had “been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family”.
“But I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful,” she continued.
The princess also wanted well-wishers to know that she and William appreciate the support from so many people around the world:
“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too.
“As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you.
“It means so much to us both.”
But the mom of three also spoke about the "huge shock" of her cancer diagnosis, while also giving a glimpse of the human side of the situation: the parents needing time to break the scary health news to their young kids.
“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she said in the moving speech released on Friday.
Kate continued, saying that she and William "gently informed her three children of her cancer diagnosis in an 'appropriate way' and reassured them that she is “going to be OK.” The Waleses are the parents of 10-year-old Prince George, eight-year-old Princess Charlotte, and five-year-old Prince Louis.
As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.
To be clear, the facts in Kate's video are sparse; she does not share the kind of cancer for which she's undergoing chemo or the prognosis for recovery. However, the princess' hopeful, compassionate message to others dealing with cancer was a lovely touch.
While some have criticized the royals for secrecy (at times, rightly), this one-on-one message from Kate may remind some viewers of the late Queen Elizabeth II's personal messages to her people, even in difficult moments. While imperfect, the Wales' PR team appears to have made the best of a bad situation. Regardless, I'm praying that God gives Kate a quick and full recovery. Stay tuned.
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