Prince and Princess of Wales 'moved' by public support after cancer diagnosis
Kensington Palace released a statement on Kate's health on Friday
Last updated 24th Mar 2024
The Prince and Princess of Wales have been "enormously touched" and "extremely moved" by the flood of messages of support following Kate's cancer diagnosis.
Kate, 42, revealed in a statement posted on Kensington Palace's Twitter account that she had been diagnosed with cancer after abdominal surgery earlier this year.
Following months of speculation, the pair appealed for privacy after she made the information public, so that they could continue Kate's course of "preventative chemotherapy" in peace.
Since the statement was released, the Princess and her family have been inundated with messages of love and support from well-wishers across the UK and the world as she deals with her treatment.
Amongst those paying tribute included King Charles, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who wished them well - joining with millions of messages from members of the public.
A spokesperson for Kensington Palace gave the family's response to the support the couple have received, saying it has helped them greatly.
"The prince and princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness' message," the spokesperson said.
"They are extremely moved by the public's warmth and support and are grateful for the understanding of their request for privacy at this time."
King Charles, who he himself is battling cancer, was said to be "proud" of Kate for her "bravery" in being so open about her health issues.
While the exact form of cancer is not publicly known, Kate revealed in the statement that she was in the early stages of chemotherapy.
After her statement was posted, Twitter hashtags "#WeLoveYouCatherine" and #GetWellSoonCatherine" began to trend worldwide.
Kate's revelation came after months of speculation and conspiracies regarding the future Queen, who had been missing from public engagements for an extended period of time.
Speculation was made worse when the Princess released a picture of her and her family on Mother's Day, resulting in Kate admitting she had edited the photo of her and three children.