Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are sharing a message of support for Catherine, Princess of Wales, in the wake of her cancer announcement Friday afternoon.
“We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement to People.
A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/5LQT1qGarK
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2024
Kate Middleton also talked about wanting privacy in the video she posted to social media, saying, “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 mentioned needing the time to explain the diagnosis to her three kids — Prince George, 10; Princess Charlotte, 8; and Prince Louis, 5 — “in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.”
Middleton’s cancer was discovered following a planned abdominal surgery in January. While the condition being treated has not been specified, Kensington Palace in a statement released at the time of the surgery said it was non-cancerous.
It was only after undergoing tests post-procedure that cancer was detected, Middleton said Friday, adding that she’s now undergoing preventative chemotherapy and is in “the early stages of that treatment.”
The news of her cancer diagnosis comes just one month after an announcement that her father-in-law, King Charles has cancer of his own and is also undergoing treatment. So far, there’s been no confirmation on what type of cancer either of the royals has been diagnosed with.
Prince Harry traveled without Markle to visit his father after the diagnosis was revealed, but his trip to the U.K. did not involve seeing his brother, Prince William, or Princess Kate.
He and Markle have lived in Montecito, Calif., since 2020 after giving up their royal duties, and have been largely left in the dark as it pertains to news of Kate’s health, according to sources who spoke with People.
The last time the Duke and Duchess were seen with their sister-in-law was during a walkabout on the grounds of Windsor Palace in September 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth.
