Royal Bombshell: Princess Kate's Brave Cancer Battle Revealed in Shocking Announcement!

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London (AP) — In a surprising announcement on Friday, Princess Kate revealed that she is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. 

This revelation followed weeks of speculation about her health and whereabouts.

The Princess made the disclosure in a video message recorded in Windsor and broadcast on Friday. 

The speculation about her health began in January when she was hospitalized for unspecified abdominal surgery. 

Kate asked for "time, space, and privacy" as she undergoes treatment for the cancer, which was discovered after what she described as "major" surgery.

Sitting on a wooden bench in front of a lawn filled with daffodils, Kate, dressed in a casual striped sweater and jeans, spoke about her condition. 

Daffodils, which bloom in early spring, are often seen as a symbol of hope for those fighting cancer. "I am well," she said. 

"I am getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal."

Kate, 42, had not been seen publicly since Christmas until this week when a video surfaced showing her with her husband, Prince William, heir to the throne. 

The video showed them walking from a shop that sells produce grown on the royal family's Windsor estate.

This news comes after King Charles III's announcement last month that he was being treated for an unspecified type of cancer that was discovered during a procedure for a benign enlarged prostate. 

Charles said he is "so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did," according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.

The King and Queen Camilla "will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time," the palace said.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who have been estranged from William and Kate since their move to California in 2020, wished the princess well. 

"We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace," they said in a statement.

Before Friday, Kensington Palace had given little detail about Kate's condition beyond saying it wasn't cancer-related, the surgery was successful, and recuperation would keep her away from public duties until April. 

Kate said it had been thought that her condition was non-cancerous until post-surgery tests revealed the diagnosis.

By choosing to speak directly to the country and the world about her condition, rather than issuing a statement through the palace, Kate offered a level of intimacy and transparency atypical of a member of the royal family and may help tamp down runaway conjecture. 

Kate said it had taken her time to recover from the surgery before starting "preventative" treatment, which she said was in the early stages.

Dr. Shivan Sivakumar, an associate professor in oncology at the University of Birmingham, said it's unclear what the princess meant by "preventative" chemotherapy but he presumed that it's what is known as "adjuvant" chemotherapy in the medical profession. 

"This is chemotherapy after an operation to prevent recurrence," he said. 

"This is to attempt to destroy any circulating cancer cells."

Kate said it has been "an incredibly tough couple of months" for her family. 

She said it had taken time to tell her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, in a way "appropriate for them" and reassure them she will be OK.

The announcement came after the start of the Easter holidays, which will shield the children from media coverage of the news.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement that Kate "has shown tremendous bravery." 

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also expressed sorrow at the news, saying, "We are incredibly sad to hear of the news."

Charles, 75, has withdrawn from public duties while he has cancer treatment, though he's appeared frequently in photos carrying on meetings with government officials and dignitaries and was even seen going to church. 

Kate, on the other hand, had been out of view instead of appearing at charity events and promoting causes such as supporting children early in life, leading to weeks of speculation and gossip. 

Attempts to put rumors to bed by releasing a photo of her on Mother's Day in the U.K. 

surrounded by her three smiling children backfired when The Associated Press and other news agencies retracted the image because it had been manipulated.

Kate issued a statement the next day acknowledging she liked to "experiment with editing" and apologizing for "any confusion" the photo had caused. But that did little to quell the speculation.

Even the footage published by The Sun and TMZ that appeared to show Kate and William shopping sparked a new flurry of rumor-mongering, with some armchair sleuths refusing to believe the video showed Kate at all.

Earlier this week, a British privacy watchdog said it was investigating a report that staff at the private London hospital where she was treated tried to snoop on her medical records while she was a patient for abdominal surgery.

The former Kate Middleton, who married William in a fairy-tale wedding in 2011, has boosted the popularity and appeal of the British monarchy worldwide more than any royal since Princess Diana. 

The princess is the oldest of three children brought up in a well-to-do neighborhood in Berkshire, west of London. 

The Middletons have no aristocratic background, and the British press often referred to Kate as a "commoner" marrying into royalty.

Her brother James Middleton posted on Instagram: "Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too."

Kate attended the private school Marlborough College and then University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she met William around 2001. 

Friends and housemates at first, their relationship became widely publicized when they were pictured together on a skiing holiday in Switzerland in 2004.

Kate graduated in 2005 with a degree in art history and a budding relationship with the prince.