Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales and wife of Crown Prince William, announced in a video on Friday that she is suffering from cancer for which she must undergo preventative chemotherapy treatments.
Sitting on a park bench, Princess Kate, who speaks in a calm tone, recalls having undergone a major abdominal operation in London in January. “At that time, the tests indicated it was not cancerous. The operation was a success. However, subsequent tests revealed that cancer was present. My team of doctors then informed me that I would need to undergo a series of preventative chemotherapy treatments and I am currently in the early stages of these treatments. »
The diagnosis was “quite a shock” for the whole family and it took her time to explain to her three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, what was happening to her, while assuring them, adds Kate Middleton, that she is doing well.
“William and I have done everything in our power to handle this situation privately,” she says. (George, Charlotte and Louis attend the school and are 10, 8 and 5 years old respectively.)
“I feel stronger every day and having William by my side is a great source of comfort. »
She notes that she and her family now need “time, space and privacy” during her treatments.
My work has always been a source of joy and I can’t wait to wear the necklace again. But for now, I need to focus on my recovery.
Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales
In the video, Princess Kate also thanks everyone who sent her “magnificent messages of support” during her recovery.
The last two months “have been incredibly difficult for the whole family.”
PHOTO JONATHAN BRADY, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Princess of Wales and Crown Prince William with their children George (left), Louis and Charlotte
King Charles said through his spokesperson that he is “very proud” of his daughter-in-law who “had the courage to speak as she did”.
King Charles and Princess Kate were treated at the same place, the London Clinic, during the same period, in January (very briefly for the king). Charles said he has remained “in close contact with his beloved daughter-in-law over the past few weeks.”
Although the two couples have been at odds for years, Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan Markle said they wished Kate Middleton “health and healing”, and hoped that she and her family could live through this ordeal “in private and at peace.
Kate unfairly treated, says PM
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, wrote on the X Network that the Princess of Wales has “the love and support of the whole country.”
Highlighting her bravery for speaking out on Friday, Mr Sunak denounced the unfair treatment and constant attention she has received in recent weeks, both in some media outlets and on social media. “When it comes to health, like any person, they have the right to their privacy […] »
On
The media have been speculating about Kate Middleton’s health for months.
A few days ago, the London Clinic, where she was operated on – and which treats members of the royal family – admitted that at least one employee had tried without valid reason to access Kate Middleton’s medical records.
In recent weeks, the future King William has made several public appearances during which he appeared smiling and relaxed. Ditto for her mother-in-law Camilla, who ensures that her husband, King Charles, is doing well.
But William’s absence from the funeral of his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, caused concern again at the end of February.
Contrary to their usual, William and Kate will not be at Easter mass in Windsor.
A disease now very public
From poll to poll, Kate Middleton is, of the entire royal family, the favorite of the British, closely followed by her husband William.
Just like Queen Elizabeth, she has always seen fit to keep her emotions to herself, including when Harry and Meghan Markle unpacked – among others in front of Oprah – all their discomfort within the royal family.
During this difficult announcement of her illness, as impeccable as always, although looking a little tired, Kate Middleton remained equal to herself, saying her text in one go.
And this, while she has been under fire for months for her lack of transparency about her state of health, then for a family photo that she admitted to having retouched.
Communication and public relations practitioner, Bernard Motulsky, who also teaches at UQAM, notes that his silence in recent months is now highly understandable. “Here is a 42-year-old mother who first had to integrate and manage her diagnosis. It is completely normal that she was not able to speak openly about it more quickly. »
Of course, faced with the absence of information, faced with the strange three-month convalescence – the operations today being less invasive than before – “on X, it was going in all directions”, the rumor ran wild. , on her as on Charles, whose death is sometimes also wrongly announced…
In the current circumstances, will she be entitled, like young Harry and William after the death of their mother, to a certain serenity, without too much media pressure?
Motulsky says curbing curiosity – whether healthy or unhealthy – will be difficult. For everyone, “it’s difficult not to be interested, we want to know”. “It’s like when a friend has cancer: we want to hear from them, but we don’t always dare to call…”
How should the royal family act now? By issuing brief health bulletins from time to time? Maybe, but if they don’t arrive at very regular intervals, we’ll soon think “that’s not right.”
What is preventive chemotherapy?
Preventive chemotherapy, also called adjuvant chemotherapy, is usually offered after surgery to “reduce the risk of cancer coming back and spreading” in the body via the spread of cancer cells in the blood, says Lawrence Young, professor of oncology. at the British University of Warwick. Because even after successful surgery, “microscopic cancer cells can remain lurking in the body without being able to be detected,” said the expert, interviewed by the British Science Media Center (SMC). For Andrew Beggs, a surgeon at the University of Birmingham, “it’s a bit like cleaning a floor with bleach when you’ve spilled something on it.”
Source: AFP
The shock in the United Kingdom after Princess Kate’s announcement
After weeks of rumors and speculation, the United Kingdom was shocked on Saturday by the announcement of Princess Kate’s cancer, with many people already praising the courage of the very popular wife of the heir to the throne. The declarations of the Princess of Wales made the headlines on Saturday in the British press, which adores Kate and sees in her a model member of the monarchy. “Brave Kate”, writes the tabloid The Sun. “For once, she has to focus only on herself,” says the Daily Mail. THE Times retains the optimistic words of the princess: “I will get through this”, headlines the daily.