King Charles Expresses Support for Princess Kate After Cancer Announcement: “So Proud of Catherine for Her Courage”

In his first public statement following the announcement of Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis, King Charles spoke of his daughter-in-law’s strength in taking the news public. 

“His Majesty is ‘so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did,’” read a statement from Buckingham Palace released Friday evening UK time. 

Earlier in the day, Kate, who has been out of the public eye for weeks following a planned abdominal surgery, told the public that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy after her medical team found her condition to be cancerous. 

The king had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer himself in February, and his treatment had overlapped with Kate’s medical care. 

“Following their time in hospital together, [his majesty] has ‘remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks,’” the palace’s statement said, adding that both Charles and Queen Camilla “will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time.”

Kate’s video announcement came after increasingly heated speculation as to her health. 

“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,” she said.