NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Kate Middleton announced on Friday that she has cancer and has been undergoing chemotherapy.
The Princess of Wales released a video stating that, "I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits. Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both."
"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 continued. "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.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre opened her briefing with reporters moments after news of Kate undergoing cancer treatment broke. "We just heard the terrible news," Jean-Pierre said. "Our thoughts are with the Duchess of Cambridge and her family" Jean-Pierre said adding, "Certainly we wish her a full recovery."
She called for respecting the princess' privacy.
Jean-Pierre said she didn't have anything to share on conversations between President Joe Biden and the royal family, and suggested that she found out about the new the same way the rest of the public did.
"We are incredibly sad to hear of the news," Jean-Pierre said. "We are taking this in, this terrible news, as all of you are."
An announcement from palace officials that Kate, 42, had unspecified abdominal surgery and would be out of sight for weeks triggered huge speculation and gossip about her health back in January.
The palace issued the image of Kate and her children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis on March 10, the first official photo of Kate since she underwent abdominal surgery nearly two months ago.
A family snapshot taken, the palace said, by Prince William, it was intended to calm speculation about Kate's health, almost two months after she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition.
But within hours, The Associated Press withdrew the photo over concerns it had been digitally manipulated in a way that did not meet AP's photo standards.
Kate said sorry on Monday, saying that "like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing." In a statement on social media, she expressed "apologies for any confusion the family photograph" had caused.
The royal family is under particular scrutiny because King Charles III has also had to cancel public duties while he undergoes treatment for an unspecified form of cancer.
That went well until January, when palace officials announced that Kate was hospitalized for abdominal surgery. They said she would not appear for public engagements until Easter.
Her decision to keep details private fueled a social media frenzy. The release of a photo to mark Mother's Day in Britain, which was withdrawn Sunday by The Associated Press and other news agencies over concerns about digital alteration, only fanned more questions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
