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Catherine, Princess of Wales, announces cancer diagnosis

caption: Kate, Princess of Wales, is seen in north London on Nov. 24, 2023. The princess was diagnosed with cancer and is in the early stages of treatment, she said.
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Kate, Princess of Wales, is seen in north London on Nov. 24, 2023. The princess was diagnosed with cancer and is in the early stages of treatment, she said.
AP

Updated March 22, 2024 at 2:22 PM ET

Catherine, the Princess of Wales, announced in a video message released by Kensington Palace on Friday, and is in the early stages of treatment.

In the video, the former Kate Middleton says, the diagnosis was a "huge shock after an incredibly tough couple of months."

Kate's health and well-being have been the subject of speculation since she virtually disappeared from public view in late December.

On Jan. 17, Kensington Palace announced that Kate was recovering from a "successful," planned abdominal surgery. The princess "is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter," on March 31, the palace added. Even so, her window of absence fueled online conspiracy theories about the princess.

Last month, the royal family revealed that King Charles III, 75, had been diagnosed with cancer. However, no update was given on Kate until a photo of the Princess of Wales and her children — Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince George — and credited to husband Prince William, was released on Mother's Day in the U.K. The photo was later revealed to be doctored. [Copyright 2024 NPR]

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