Kate, Britain’s Princess of Wales, said on Friday she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy after medical tests revealed the presence of cancer.

The video announcement comes after she was hospitalized in January for abdominal surgery.

Cancer diagnosis followed hospitalization

Kensington Palace at the time said that Kate’s condition was not cancer-related.

Kate had not been seen publicly since Christmas until a video surfaced of her with her husband, Prince William, walking to a shop near their home in Windsor.

Kate’s absence from public view sparked weeks of speculation about her condition.

A photo released by Kensington Palace after her hospitalization was retracted by news organizations after they found it had been altered.

In her Friday video announcement, Kate said that while her medical team initially thought that her condition was non-cancerous, tests taken after her surgery revealed the presence of cancer.

Kate said the discovery was “a huge shock,” but she was “well and getting stronger every day.”

“William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she said.

She said that her family needed to be given “time, space and privacy” as she completes her treatment.

Last month, Britain’s royal family announced that King Charles III was being treated for an unspecified type of cancer.

Reactions

Following the announcement, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Kate had been unfairly treated by media outlets.

“The Princess of Wales has the love and support of the whole country as she continues her recovery,” Sunak said.

“She has shown tremendous bravery with her statement today. In recent weeks she has been subjected to intense scrutiny and has been unfairly treated by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media,” he said.

“When it comes to matters of health, like everyone else, she must be afforded the privacy to focus on her treatment and be with her loving family.”

Labour Party leader Keir Stamer said Kate had the love and support of the entire UK.

“I am heartened by The Princess of Wales’ optimistic tone and her message of faith and hope,” Stamer said.

“Her Royal Highness will be in our thoughts and prayers as she progresses through her treatment with the love and support of not just her whole family, but the whole nation too.”

Buckingham Palace said King Charles III was proud of Kate for her courage in making her announcement.

It said Charles has remained in close contact with Kate over the last few weeks.

Meanwhile, the White House wished Kate a full recovery.

“All of us just heard the terrible news. Our thoughts are with the Duchess of Cambridge and her family,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

“Certainly we wish her a full recovery. And I think it’s important that we respect their privacy, especially at the time.”

sdi/sms (AFP, Reuters, AP)