Kate Middleton announces she has cancer: Live updates | AP News

King Charles III said he is “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did,” according to a statement released by Buckingham Palace. He had remained in the “closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law” in the past weeks.

“I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery.

“It has 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.

“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. 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.

“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.

“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.

“As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.

“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.

“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.

“At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”

▶ Watch the full video of Kate’s announcement.

First came the “royal health shock” headlines when palace officials announced that King Charles III and Kate both had health troubles.

An absence of information about Kate’s health and whereabouts then fueled an increasingly frenzied rumor mill that made its way from the fringes of social media to front pages around the world.

But distrust of the monarchy only intensified after Kate admitted that she edited an official family photo, and palace officials have struggled to regain control of the narrative as conjecture and conspiracy theories persist.

▶ See the full timeline of rumor-sparking events.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says the White House is “incredibly sad to hear of the news,” that Kate, the Princess of Wales, says she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. “We wish her a full recovery,” Jean-Pierre said.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement that Kate “has shown tremendous bravery.” He added: “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.”

Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, also sent his best wishes to the princess at this “distressing time.”

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre opened her briefing with reporters moments after news of Kate undergoing cancer treatment broke. “We just heard the terrible news,” Jean-Pierre said.

She called for respecting the princess’ privacy.

Jean-Pierre said she didn’t have anything to share on conversations between President Joe Biden and the royal family, and suggested that she found out about the new the same way the rest of the public did.

“We are incredibly sad to hear of the news,” Jean-Pierre said. “We are taking this in, this terrible news, as all of you are.”

Kate has been out of view since Christmas, leading to weeks of speculation and gossip.

Attempts to put rumors to bed by releasing a photo of her on Mother’s Day in the U.K. surrounded by her three smiling children backfired when The Associated Press and other news agencies retracted the image because it had been manipulated.

Kate issued a statement the next day acknowledging she liked to “experiment with editing” and apologizing for “any confusion” the photo had caused. But that did little to quell the speculation.

Even the footage published by The Sun and TMZ that appeared to show Kate and William shopping sparked a new flurry of rumor-mongering, with some armchair sleuths refusing to believe the video showed Kate at all.

Kate, 42, hadn’t been seen publicly since Christmas until video surfaced this week of her with her husband, Prince William, heir to the throne, walking from a farm shop near their Windsor home.

Kensington Palace had given little detail about Kate’s condition beyond saying it wasn’t cancer-related, the surgery was successful and recuperation would keep the princess away from public duties until April.

The news is another shock for the royal family since the announcement last month that King Charles III was being treated for an unspecified type of cancer that was caught while undergoing a procedure for a benign enlarged prostate.

Kate, the Princess of Wales, said Friday she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.