Why Prince William Wasn’t With Princess Kate When She Announced Her Cancer Diagnosis
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Princess Kate revealed her cancer diagnosis to the world on her own terms.
Last Friday, the Princess of Wales announced in a video that doctors had identified the presence of cancer following an abdominal surgery she underwent in January. Filmed sitting by herself in an English garden, she delivered the news alone—an act that raised some royal watchers’ eyebrows and even drew criticism of her husband, Prince William, online.
Although William was not present at Windsor Castle when the video was filmed on March 20, Kate had always intended to announce the health news by herself, Town and Country reports.
In the video, however, Kate did make reference to William’s support amid her difficult health journey. “Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance,” she said, adding, “as is the love, support, and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.”
While Kate did not specify the type of cancer she has or what stage it has progressed to, she did disclose that she is in “the early stages” of “preventative chemotherapy,” a type of treatment the National Cancer Institute describes as “the use of certain drugs or other substances to help lower a person’s risk of developing cancer or keep it from coming back.”
This past weekend, the couple released their first joint statement since Kate announced her diagnosis.
“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,” the statement read. “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.”
A palace insider previously told Bazaar that Kate “is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery.” Meanwhile, William “will continue to balance supporting his wife and family and maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year.”
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