At 6pm this evening (March 22) Kate Middleton , Princess of Wales, announced that she is undergoing cancer treatment in a pre-recorded message. She said doctors had discovered after her recent abdominal surgery that cancer had been present before her ‘successful’ operation and she’s now undergoing ‘preventative’ chemotherapy.
In the video, she said: “It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful. In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous.
“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 preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”
READ MORE: All the subtle details you may have missed in Kate Middleton’s video message on cancer diagnosis including cherry blossom and wedding ring
How old is Kate Middleton?
The Princess of Wales is 42 years old, and was born on January 9 1982, to Carole Goldsmith and James Middleton. She turned 42 just seven days before she underwent her major abdominal surgery on January 16.
Previous surgery and health
Kate Middleton has had major surgery before. She has a three-inch scar on the side of her head which she got when she was a child after undergoing surgery. We don’t know exactly what it’s from, but sources have said it was ‘a very serious operation’. However medical professionals later declared that it could have come from the removal of a birth mark.
She was also famously hospitalised with morning sickness in 2012 while pregnant with her first child, Prince George, who is now 10. She went to King Edward VII – a private hospital in Marylebone.
Kate suffered the same fate while pregnant with both Charlotte and George – forcing her to reveal her pregnancy before the 12-week stage. She later revealed she did meditation and deep breathing exercises to help her.
Earlier this year – in January – she underwent ‘major’ abdominal surgery at The London Clinic in Marylebone, where her condition was not cancerous. She then recovered at home in Windsor, which sparked nationwide, baseless conspiracy theories. It is thought that while she was recovering, at least one staff member tried to illegally access her medical records.
Family health
In 2019, Kate’s younger brother, James, 36, who is dyslexic, opened up about his battles with depression and ADHD. He attributed it to public scrutiny which began when he was just 23 due to Kate’s relationship with Prince William. He underwent CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) in 2017.
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