MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Princess of Wales admits she has cancer in video message

Kate Middleton underwent abdominal surgery in January and is now going through the early phases of chemotherapy

After months of speculations and rumors regarding her retreat from the limelight and despite a brief appearance on a shopping tour alongside her husband, Catherine, Princess of Wales Friday confirmed she has cancer. She made the announcement through a video message posted on social media.

“It has been incredibly tough,” said Prince William's wife, who is in line to become Britain's next Queen Consort. She also explained she had been receiving preventative chemotherapy treatment after successful abdominal surgery in January this year for a condition which was thought at first thought not to be of a cancerous nature.

The princess also confirmed that she had told her three young children, Prince George (10), Princess Charlotte (8), and Prince Louis (5) about her problem.

“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,” she also said. “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,” she added.

“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,” the royal also pointed out.

The 42-year-old princess, also known as Kate Middleton, described her diagnosis as a “huge shock” and explained that her medical team ”advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”

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

“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 okay,” she elaborated.

She also said she had told her children that she was “well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits” and praised the heir to the British throne for being by her side as “a great source of comfort and reassurance.”

“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,” the princess also said while extending her thoughts to “all those whose lives have been affected by cancer” in her thoughts. “For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”