Catherine, Princess of Wales, yesterday won plaudits for a highly personal video announcing her shock cancer diagnosis, which came just weeks after King Charles III revealed he, too, is battling the disease.
The candid disclosure, released on Friday evening, leaves the British monarchy in an unprecedented crisis in modern times with two of its most senior members simultaneously fighting serious illness.
Head of state Charles — 17 months into his reign when Buckingham Palace last month announced that he had cancer and would be canceling all public engagements — led tributes to his “beloved daughter-in-law.”
Photo: Reuters
The ailing 75-year-old monarch spoke of his pride in “her courage in speaking as she did,” shortly after Kensington Palace posted the video on social media.
Following other warm words from British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the White House, British newspapers directly quoted Kate on their covers yesterday, while also praising her “courage” on the inside pages.
“Kate, you are not alone,” read the front of the Sun tabloid.
“Dignified Kate has the nation’s sympathy,” wrote the Standard’s columnist Rachel Johnson, sister of former British prime minister Boris Johnson.
In her statement, Kate, as the 42-year-old is widely known, said the diagnosis was a “huge shock” and asked for “time, space and privacy” as she completes chemotherapy for her unspecified cancer.
In the video — recorded on Wednesday in Windsor, west of London, where the future queen and king live with their three young children — she insisted she was “well and getting stronger every day.”
She said it had taken them time to explain the situation to Prince George, aged 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Prince Louis, “and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.”
“William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” Kate added.
Commentators commended its frank nature, with the princess speaking directly to the camera while sitting on a garden bench.
“So many people will have been so moved by the way that she conducted herself during that two minute plus broadcast,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said.
“But there’s no doubt at all that it’s a very, very difficult time for the institution of monarchy,” he said, adding that it was “almost impossible” to plan anything currently involving Charles or Kate.
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