Kate Middleton Reveals Cancer Diagnosis, Has Started Chemotherapy

After weeks of speculation about her health and her whereabouts, Middleton shared a video in which she revealed she's been battling cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.

"I underwent abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous," Middleton shared. "The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present."

She continued, "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."

Middleton went on to call the news a "huge shock" and noted that she and husband, Prince William, have been doing "everything" they can to "process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family."

"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 ok," she explained.

Middleton also noted that she told their children that she is "well," and is getting stronger every day as she focuses on things that will help her heal, "in my mind, body and spirits."

She also took a moment to thank William for being by her side during this difficult time, as well as the "support and kindness" shown by people around the world as she works to recover.

What Middleton and her family are asking for now, more than ever, is some "time, space and privacy" while she completes her treatment.

"We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment," she urged. "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."

"At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer," Middleton added. "For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone."

In the wake of the news, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released a statement that read: "We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace."

The announcement comes more than two months after Middleton was admitted to The London Clinic for what Kensington Palace described in an official statement as a "planned abdominal surgery."

The statement further noted that "based on the current medical advice, she would be unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter," which is Sunday, March 31. The exact nature of the surgery -- till now -- had not been disclosed.

Kensington Palace provided little updates on Middleton's condition, only releasing a statement days later that noted that her surgery was "successful" and her condition noncancerous. It was further stated that she was expected to stay in the hospital for approximately two weeks after which she would return to her home to continue her recovery.

Middleton was officially discharged from the hospital on January 29, and was said to be back home in Windsor.

"The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress," a statement from Kensington Palace read. "The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided."

In the midst of Middleton's health woes, King Charles was diagnosed with "a form of cancer," causing concern amongst the royal family to grow, with Prince Harry even reportedly flying in to check on his father.

Speculation about things at the palace, particularly where Middleton was concerned, really ramped up in March when the first photos of the Princess of Wales post-surgery, were released.

Middleton was spotted in a vehicle being driven by her mother, Carole, near Windsor Castle, per TMZ. But the photo did little to stop speculation that something had happened to the princess, with some on social media speculating that the grainy photo was hardly definitive proof -- and some even going so far as to suggest it was a body double.

The most controversial moment since her last official appearance came just days later, when the princess shared a family photo for Mother's Day in the UK, which was immediately torn apart. After publishing the photo, the Associated Press even put out a rare "kill notice" on it because it reportedly did not meet their standards. Getty pulled the photo, as well.

The AP cited apparent photo manipulation on Princess Charlotte's right hand, but online sleuths took things much further, finding multiple instances of apparent photo manipulation throughout the officially released photo. According to the palace, Prince William took the picture at their cottage in Windsor.

One day after the authenticity of her Mother's Day photo was questioned, a message on behalf of Middleton was posted to X/Twitter, with the princess taking responsibility for the found photo manipulations.

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," the message read. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."

Sky News dug into the metadata of the photo finding that it was saved to Photoshop on an Apple MacBook, once on Friday night and again on Saturday morning before it was released. TMZ pinpointed five notable instances it believes were altered, noting "it's just a handful," with others noting more.

Queen Camila and Prince William continued to stand in for King Charles at public events, most notably the UK's Commonwealth Day celebrations, with Middleton finally -- seemingly -- spotted in public on March 16, with eyewitnesses telling The Sun that they saw Kate and William at Windsor Farm Shop, a mile from their Adelaide Cottage home in Windsor.

Onlookers said the princess appeared "happy, relaxed and healthy." The outlet also reported the couple watched their kids "take part in sports" that morning. TMZ shared video from Kate and William's shopping trip the previous weekend, confirming eyewitness reports, but, that was still torn apart, with many online saying it wasn't really Kate in it.

Despite the push back, Kate's most famous doppelganger, Heidi Agan, spoke out saying she was even convinced its the real deal in the video, per TMZ.

While Middleton didn't address the ongoing rumors, she made clear that her focus at this time is on her recovery, per doctors' orders.

As for Charles -- despite rumors that he had died -- he is alive and well, with official photos confirming his whereabouts.

As for when both he and Kate will return to full public-facing duties, that remains to be seen.