Kate Middleton and Prince William Are 'Enormously Touched' by 'Kind Messages' amid Her Cancer Diagnosis

The Princess of Wales announced on Friday that she had been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment

Kate Middleton and Prince William are grateful for the support they've received from people around the world following the Princess of Wales' announcement on Friday that she has been diagnosed with cancer.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday that "the Prince and Princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the U.K., across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness’ message."

"They are extremely moved by the public’s warmth and support and are grateful for the understanding of their request for privacy at this time," the spokesperson added.

The Princess of Wales, 42, shared her health update in a personal video message, revealing that post-operative tests following her January abdominal surgery "found cancer had been present." The type of cancer was not revealed.

Related: King Charles Informed of Kate Middleton's Cancer Diagnosis as He Also Undergoes Treatment for Cancer

"In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous," Princess Kate said in the video. "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 called the news a "huge shock" and said that she and Prince William, 41, "have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment."

Related: Kate Middleton’s Cancer Diagnosis: Everything We Know So Far

She added that "it's taken us time to explain everything" to her three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, "in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be okay."

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"We will not be sharing any further private medical information," a Kensington Palace spokesperson said Friday. "The Princess has a right to medical privacy, as we all do."

Kate's cancer news comes after the palace announced in January that the Princess of Wales underwent a "planned abdominal surgery" at The London Clinic.

Related: A Complete Timeline of Kate Middleton's Abdominal Surgery and Cancer Diagnosis

Though the palace didn’t provide any more details about her surgery at the time, they did confirm that she “will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery.” They added that they would continue to provide updates on Kate’s progress “when there is significant new information to share."

A palace spokesperson said on Friday that Kate started the course of preventative chemotherapy in late February.

Regarding her return to public duties, the spokesperson said, "The Princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team. She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery."

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