Shortly after Princess of Wales Kate Middleton confirmed she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy treatment, world leaders including the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and figures like Prince Harry offered well wishes and a full recovery.
Prince Harry, Prince William’s younger brother, and his wife Meghan Markle—who stepped down as senior royals in 2020—said in a statement obtained by multiple outlets they “wish health and healing for Kate and the family,” which they hope can be done “privately and in peace.”
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, that Kate has “the love and support of the whole country,” and added that she has “shown tremendous bravery” by making a statement, claiming she had been “unfairly treated by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wished Kate a full recovery at a press briefing Friday at which she said “our thoughts are with” her and asked people to “respect their privacy,” though Jean-Pierre declined to say whether President Joe Biden had spoken with any members of the royal family.
King Charles, Kate’s father-in-law who was also recently diagnosed with cancer, said he is “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson told Reuters, adding the pair have “remained in the closest contact.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a statement on X his “thoughts and prayers are with Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales” and he wishes her “a full and speedy recovery.”
Kate announced she had cancer in a two-minute video posted to Kensington Palace’s social media pages on Friday. The Princess of Wales confirmed she underwent an abdominal surgery earlier this year and said that while the surgery “was successful,” tests afterwards confirmed “cancer had been present.”
What kind of cancer Kate has. In the video, she didn’t elaborate on her diagnosis but said she is undergoing “a course of preventive chemotherapy.”
Kate’s announcement came after she had been almost completely out of the public eye for weeks and conspiracy theories about her state were growing. The last time she had made a scheduled public appearance was Christmas Day, before Kensington Palace announced she would be having a “planned abdominal surgery” and would be recovering at home. In recent weeks, rumors about Kate’s condition swirled following a series of strange events. In early March, she seemingly canceled what would have been her first scheduled appearance since the surgery, and five days later the Princess of Wales took the blame for Kensington Palace posting a photograph that was later retracted by major news sources worldwide, with Kate saying she had tried her hand at editing it and apologizing for the confusion it caused. In Friday’s video, Kate said the palace delayed telling the public about her cancer so that her family could process the news and talk about it with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
