Princess shares her health news
On 22 March, Catherine, Princess of Wales revealed that she is having treatment to prevent cancer (a disease caused by oddly behaving cells in the body). She delivered the news to the public in a personal video message recorded outside Windsor Castle, in Berkshire, England.
Since January, Catherine has not been involved with royal duties after she had abdominal surgery (an operation on the stomach area). The princess is expected to make a full recovery. King Charles is also being treated for a type of cancer.
In Catherine’s video, she explained that after her operation, doctors did tests to make sure everything was fine. These tests revealed some cancer cells. She said doctors advised that she should have chemotherapy to stop the disease from developing. Chemotherapy is medicine that kills cancer cells. The princess reassured the public saying, “I will be ok.” She had a message for others in the same situation, too. She said, “For everyone facing this disease do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”
Catherine met Prince William in 2001. Ten years later, they were married at Westminster Abbey, London, in a ceremony watched by an estimated one billion people worldwide. On marrying Prince William, Catherine became a member of the royal family and the couple were made the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Following the death of the Queen in 2022, she became Princess of Wales. Catherine and William have three children: George, Charlotte and Louis, who are second, third and fourth in line to the throne.
Since sharing her health news, Catherine has received support from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, US president Joe Biden, and from the public. King Charles said that he was “proud of Catherine for her courage for speaking as she did.” Eight-year-old Mila Sneddon, who met Catherine in 2021 after being treated for cancer, has sent the princess a message saying, “You will be brave because I was and you will fight it because I did.”