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Kate Middleton, Britain’s Princess of Wales, has revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. In a video statement on Friday, she said that she had undergone major abdominal surgery in London in January, saying that it was initially thought her condition was noncancerous.
“The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” her statement said.
“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”
Kensington Palace said it is confident she will make a full recovery, according to the BBC.
“I am well and getting stronger everyday by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits,” Kate later added in her speech.
She asked for space and privacy while she completed her treatment. It was not announced what type of cancer it was, or at what stage it was caught.
Buckingham Palace said King Charles III, her father-in-law, was “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also released a statement, saying: “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”
Kate stayed in the hospital following the surgery. At the time, there was no confirmation of what the surgery was, with Kensington Palace saying Kate, 42, hoped that the public would respect “her wish that her personal medical information remains private.” The palace suggested at the time that Kate would not be resuming public duties until after Easter.
Disappearance and Mother’s Day Row
The princess had not been seen in public since Christmas Day 2023 when she was seen walking to and attending a church service alongside the wider royal family, including her children and husband Prince William, the heir to the British throne.
An online frenzy over her condition and her whereabouts dominated social media since news of her operation. The palace had largely stayed silent on the matter, which at times added fuel to the fire.
Obsession reached a peak after a picture of the former Kate Middleton was released on Mother’s Day -- March 10 in the U.K. News agencies pulled the picture later that day, issuing a so-called kill notice, finding it had been edited too heavily.
Every detail of the image was scrutinised, from Kate’s hair to the children’s clothes that seemed inconsistent, to a ledge in the background that appeared warped.
On March 11, Kensington Palace posted a statement from Kate on social media, saying she edited the picture. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C,” it read.
Since then, images and video of what appeared to be Kate appeared in British tabloid newspapers, further stoking conspiracies and conversation.
‘Kate Could File a Civil Lawsuit’
Earlier this week, reports also emerged that a staff member at the The London Clinic Kate was being treated at tried to access her files without permission to do so.
Princess Kate could take legal action after her private medical records were involved in a security breach at the hospital, according to legal experts.
“Kate can always file a civil lawsuit for invasion of privacy,” a senior legal expert, who is not involved with the case, said on Wednesday. “If she wants to go after the perpetrator to say that her privacy rights were violated, she can absolutely do so.”
The London Clinic has launched an investigation into its employees after members of the hospital reportedly tried to access Kate’s private medical records following her January abdominal procedure, according to media reports.
It should be “easy to catch” the perpetrator, given the nature of the breach, the legal expert noted.
Probe over Breach of Medical Records
The UK Police have been asked to look at claims that at least one worker attempted to access the confidential medical records of Kate during her hospitalisation, a minister said on Wednesday.
Britain’s privacy and data protection watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, told The Washington Post on Wednesday it was assessing a potential breach of Kate’s medical records during her stay at the London hospital.
Under British law, medical facilities are required to protect patient confidentiality, which extends even beyond death. Disclosure of any confidential patient information is only permitted for “the direct clinical care of the patient to whom it relates,” according to England’s National Health Service.
Exceptions apply only when the patient explicitly consents to the disclosure, if it’s required by law, or if the disclosure can be justified in the public interest.
“We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided,” a spokesperson for the Information Commissioner’s Office said, without giving further details about the nature of the breach or its assessment.
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