Princess Kate Reveals She has Cancer

The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, announced this afternoon that she’s undergoing treatment for cancer. The news came amid rampant and often irresponsible speculation about her in the British press and beyond. It also came after missteps by the royal family itself about her whereabouts and condition. She revealed the news in a video message shot earlier this week by the BBC studios at Windsor Castle.

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’m now in the early stages of that treatment. This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately at the sake of our young family.

For more, I’m joined from London by Jenny Bond, a journalist with deep insights into the royal family. Thank you for joining us. As you know, the princess hadn’t been seen in public since December. In the weeks since then, it’s been filled with conspiracy theories and wild speculation about her absence. Was this video today something that she or the palace wanted to release or something they felt they had to?

I think the latter. I think we as a society really have forced a young woman who is battling cancer at the moment, and I think we have forced her into this situation, and I think it’s very sad. I think we as a society should take a long look at ourselves because the trolls on the internet have put about the most ridiculous conspiracy theories consistently, and we, the mass media actually have given some of those theories airtime, which I think was entirely wrong. And finally, I think, yes, I think Catherine has been backed into a corner and felt that she had to stand up and make a statement. It could have been a written statement, but she’s a courageous and confident young woman, and she decided to make the video herself. And I think we have to salute her bravery as indeed her father-in-law the king has done already.

Do you think that the release of this video puts to rest all of that wild speculation and those conspiracy theories?

Do you know what? I think that if this doesn’t silence the conspiracy theorists, then we as human beings, as a society have to take a long hard look in the mirror and say, what are we playing at? Now, I’ve reported on the Royals for 35 years. I knew Diana, the former Princess of Wales, and I watched her stand up and appeal for time and space because of her mental fragility at the time. And she needed time out from her public role. Did we listen to her? No, we didn’t. And I really do think if we don’t listen now to this courageous young woman asking for time, space, and privacy, then there’s something very, very wrong with the world.

I do need to ask you, Jenny. There was the matter during her absence of this photo, which was released by Kensington Palace on Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom. It showed the Princess of Wales with her children, but it was also quickly pulled by news agencies after it was revealed that it had been manipulated. And the next day, the princess herself then tweeted, saying, “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.” As you mentioned, this is a serious private medical concern. But from a public relations messaging standpoint, could the palace have handled all this differently?

Well, yes. That photograph, I suppose, was a mistake. Though, put it in context. Cecil Beaton, a very famous professional photographer who took pictures of the royals for decades, he admitted he often touched photos up, changed them around. At Prince Edward’s wedding to Sophie, the photographer there admitted that William had been looking glum in one of the official pictures, so he transposed William’s head from a happier picture and put it on the wedding picture. Get real. These things happen. Did it harm anyone? Absolutely not. It was a ridiculous storm in a teacup, and another way of assaulting this young princess, I think, who after that subsequently heard that the very hospital where she was treated for her abdominal surgery, that there are allegations that members of staff had, after that, tried to access her medical records. She must feel assailed from all sides.

Of course, we’re wishing her a quick recovery and good health. Jenny Bond joining us from London tonight. Thank you so much.