Princess of Wales' statement in full as she reveals she's undergoing cancer treatment

[BaronChocula]

Source: ITV

The Princess of Wales has revealed she is undergoing cancer treatment.

In a video message released on Friday, Kate said that her abdominal surgery in January revealed "cancer had been present".

She said that she is now undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy, and is "getting stronger every day".

Read more: https://www.itv.com/news/2024-03-22/princess-of-wales-statement-in-full

[JohnSJ]

1. I wish her and her family well, and f**k the paparazzi who were accomplices in the death of

Princess Diana

[Srkdqltr]

2. Good grief. Why did she have to go through this. ?? People are so rude .

And think they are entitled to know everything. Shame on them.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Looks like what was done to Lloyd Austin (regarding his prostate cancer)

Many modern health professionals claim that people should be "open" about it but there is an underlying part of society that denigrates those who are ill, and especially anyone who has cancer.

[Irish_Dem]

12. Yes but Kate is not a mission critical player in UK national security.

She cuts ribbons at hospital wings and wears a tiara to fancy dinners.

LA didn't have to tell us his dx, but he did need to let Biden know he was out of commission and in the hospital.
It was between LA and his boss, Biden.

[BumRushDaShow]

36. "Yes but Kate is not a mission critical player in UK national security."

With Charles undergoing chemo and if something happens, she and William are next in line (not Camellia).

As much as people whine about me saying it, I will still keep telling people that these Department heads are figure heads. Yes they sign/approve stuff and bark orders, but when the next President comes in (if not the incumbent), then *poof*. Away they go.

The "mission critical" people are the high level civil servants.

[Irish_Dem]

43. Not true Bum.

LA is on the NSC. He is important.

In the military you cannot go AWOL. Lives depend upon you.
LA knows that.

Troops out in the field don't want to hear that the head of the Pentagon is missing.
Even a 2nd Lt couldn't get away with just disappearing for five days.

To take your point into the discussion, it was said that the critical bureaucrats were not informed
of what was going on with LS. So the mission critical people were kept in the dark.
Which in your book would be the serious wrong.

Kate is NOT in the line of succession, she is not currently the sovereign, nor will she ever be.
Even when William ascends to the thrown Kate is just going to be queen consort, not the sovereign.
William is the power player, not Kate. He is the sovereign power.

She has nothing to do with national security matters.

LOS, line of succession to the British throne is: William, George, Charlotte, Louis.

I do think her medical leave of absence could have been handled better by palace PR from the beginning.

[BumRushDaShow]

48. "LA is on the NSC. He is important."

The military is built on redundancy, especially due to the contingencies needed in case something (or someone) was taken out.

Yes he is important but like every other appointee, he is transitory.

Let's put it in simpler terms - what if he were on an Osprey that crashes and he doesn't survive. Then what?

The entire military collapses?

Seriously.

Contingencies are pre-built into "the system".

And my point with mentioning her in that context was to include William who is the direct line... BUT... remember what Elizabeth did a decade before she passed (not really applicable to Kate per se but a shift)?

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-15492607

[Irish_Dem]

57. That is my point. There is a chain of command.

I am not talking about the military collapsing at all.
I am talking about putting lives at risk.

If LA is killed, then it is public knowledge and the chain of command kicks in automatically.
That is how the military works. That is how a bureaucracy works.

The point is that he kept it all secret so the chain of command did not know anything.
That is what he did that was so very wrong.

I guess I see it differently being a military kid.
The chain of command is critical for a reason.
Lives are at stake. Someone higher up in the chain of command makes a mistake
and it means people can get killed. LA set a terrible example.

I have seen much lower ranking military people face court martial for a lot less.
For example if on leave you fell asleep on the beach and could not return to
duty, you faced charges. It is dereliction of duty. LA knows this.

You don't keep secrets about your whereabouts and play stupid games and
put lives at risk. He was wrong. He refused to use the chain of command.
What he did was wrong and Biden should have fired him
but Biden is a nice guy.

My point about Kate is that she is not a national security risk.
She is not in the LOS at all, she is just the wife of the future sovereign.
Of course people love her and she has symbolic power. But not a direct line heir
like her children.

Yes QEII did modernize some things. But it was no big deal to the British people
because they have a history of strong female rulers. QEI and QEII.

[BumRushDaShow]

61. "You don't keep secrets about your whereabouts and play stupid games"

Austin was career military - went to West Point and put in his 41 years (and probably 11 months...lol). I expect in his earlier leadership roles, he probably did the same thing (a habit that no one questioned and didn't collapse the world).

And with respect to the royals, I expect they have all kind of knowledge/info given to them (especially Will) that the commoners would have no clue about.

[Irish_Dem]

78. Yes of course Charles is read in on national security issues.

Last edited Sat Mar 23, 2024, 12:34 PM - Edit history (1)

He is the official head of state and head of the commonwealth.
William to some extent as the direct heir to the throne.

William just finished a month's internship at MI6.
Which is kind of interesting that it was made public.

The wives have no legal right to classified information, but I assume
they are kept informed about threats to their personal safety, etc.
Knowing too much puts them at unnecessary risk.
But yes the royal family knows more than we do.

I assume William is being read in a lot more these days.
The rumor on the internet is that Charles has pancreatic cancer with a life expectancy
of about 2 years.

I don't know if this is true or not.
But a cancer dx is never a good thing, so William is going to have to be ready to
assume the throne at any time.

Also I know Bum you and have talked about the time difference in terms of DU
and the British forums getting news. With the news of C-POW cancer dx, it hit
here on DU about 12 minutes before it appeared on the Brit forums.

I don't know if that is the actual time line of British release of information or as psychological
phenomenon. The Brits take bad news about the Royal family quite hard. It gobsmacks them
and they are so upset they literally cannot make a post for a short period of time.

So maybe a combination of a legit news lag and inability to function briefly.

[muriel_volestrangler]

79. The earliest DU thread on this was this one, sourced from UK TV

so it's not about the "time line of British release of information". Maybe it depends on which "Brit forums" you follow, and how quickly they feel the need to post about things. It needn't be about being upset (unless you're saying your Brit forums are always quick off the mark with other news stories).

[Irish_Dem]

80. Yes the Brit forums I am on are always very quick with any royal news.

There is an immediate post any time a royal sneezes.

Yes of course it is not a scientific gathering of data, just anecdotal information
based on about four different Brit forums I follow.

When the Queen died, there was a lag of information as well.
I read it here on DU first and there was a lag of about 10 minutes on the British forums.
Which I found quite odd.

Then exactly the same thing happened with recent CPOW cancer dx.

I base the possible explanation of a psychological factor on the facts as I see them.
I am quite familiar with individual members of each forum and the emotional impact
is quite obvious. People who are stiff upper lip types are stunned and heartbroken.
When QEII died I had never seen the forum members act so emotionally, they were
devastated. They had never known any other monarch and she was dearly loved
and respected.

It is hard for Americans to understand what I am describing. An entire group of people stunned
into silence. Then expressing the fact they are heartbroken.

[Srkdqltr]

21. I wasn't in any way criticizing her. I was criticizing the press and people who think she owes them .

Or they own her because she is a celebrity.

[BumRushDaShow]

37. Oh I know - wasn't criticizing you either!

The Brits have perfected "tabloid" to the hilt and have gotten downright obsessive.

[bdamomma]

25. Not everyone

needs to be under a magnify glass for their health issues. Leave these people alone.

I would make 1 exception though........not saying IT's name.

[BumRushDaShow]

38. Exactly!!!

And lol...

[CousinIT]

28. Narcissists REALLY don't like sick people..

...

I posted this earlier in reference to Trump but most narcissists and sociopaths find other people's sickness and injury a tiresome inconvenience.

[BumRushDaShow]

39. Yup.

Spot on.

[NanaCat]

67. And yet a frightening number of MDs are narcissists.

So are all kinds of medical professionals--nurses, assorted therapists (including psychotherapists!), and so on.

I got a close up look at how many narcissists are in the patient healthcare industry, thanks to all of the hospitals and private practices where my mum worked.

I don't know of any narcissist who could resist working in a career field with as much opportunity for people to see you as a deity, or at least so automatically glorified for your job alone, as much as doctors, especially, are.

[TxGuitar]

77. I think that people were not targeting her

They were responding to obviously photoshopped pictures and a picture that was a collage of other pics (the one of her with her children). Compare the image yesterday where she looks ill and then compare it to the pic of her with her kids and the one of her supposedly in the market. Not the same at all. And people were also reacting at the diff between the way Kate is treated and the way Meghan was treated.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. I figured she may have had cysts or fibroids and had a hysterectomy (or had ovaries/cervix removed)

and when that happens, they do test for cervical/ovarian/uterine cancer.

[BaronChocula]

7. It seemed really dire to me

The length of time it's been since a legit appearance was a big red flag. It seemed like they were trying to keep something big under wraps. It's so tragic that they are so dedicated to their own mythology that they can't be fully human.

[vankuria]

18. Kate mentioned her children

In her announcement she said that she and William wanted to keep things private and explain to their kids in a way they would understand about her illness. It must be very difficult for kids when a parent is going for cancer treatment, let alone having the entire world commenting about her illness. I hope now the press will finally leave her alone.

[FM123]

32. Yes, the kids.

I imagine there was a lot of fear that her young kids (elementary school age?) would hear stories about her and become worried they would lose their mom.

[muriel_volestrangler]

34. And that's the reason for the timing - they've just started their school breaks

so this way, they don't have to either walk past photographers waiting at the school gates, or have their schoolmates wondering how to talk or not talk about it, for a couple of weeks at least. It's hard for anyone, but when cancer is front page news, it's a strain most of us thankfully never have to think about.

[NanaCat]

68. I understand that

But it doesn't take months to explain that to children as old as hers are. They're not toddlers anymore, after all, and old enough to understand Mummy being sick without prolonged explanations.

I'd be willing to grant her privacy, except for one thing: She's a royal with a public, and one her royal family has carefully cultivated over centuries to garner maximum fawning attention. The price of courting public attention for your own benefit is that you can't stop feeding the beast. It's always hungry for more, and it will not be happy if you withhold the juiciest bits for oneself.

[muriel_volestrangler]

73. They didn't take all that time to explain to their children; they waited to tell the whole world

until their children were at a point where they can have a couple of weeks of privacy. They've said they told the children some time ago. It's an aspect the rest of us don't have to go through - how people you know very little, or not at all, will behave with your children when they know details about their parents' lives that strangers normally don't.

[BumRushDaShow]

26. "The length of time it's been since a legit appearance was a big red flag"

Nope, not a red flag for those of us like me who had a complete hysterectomy (everything out - uterus, ovaries, cervix) and you don't do it with the "Darwin"type surgery, which supposedly is "less invasive". It was 4 days in the hospital (they kick women out faster nowadays) and I was literally not allowed to go up and down steps for 4 weeks. Once cleared for that (had a follow-up and needed to get staples removed), then it was all the time needed for the incision healing. I had it done due to an ovarian cyst.

I took 4 weeks of leave from work and was allowed to do 2 weeks work from home. I literally could not lift my arm above my head for a couple months and it took a year to get my energy back. I was about 4 years older than she is now, when I had that done.

This is the type of thing that women talk about when we say "reproductive health".

[question everything]

29. Glad that you are doing well now. You are, right?

[BumRushDaShow]

63. That happened 16 years ago...

It took awhile to get up and running again but I did have DU to read... (I had joined a few months before)

One of the best resources that I used for it back then though was HysterSisters. They have a fantastic forum and great resource articles covering every step. I don't know what I would have done without them (other than talk to my mom who had hers when she was in her early 40s).

[Hekate]

33. Quote: This is the type of thing that women talk about when we say "reproductive health". Yes it is...

I am glad you are okay now.

Makes me want to shake RW politicians until their pea-brains rattle, and yell at them: “It’s not a fcking abortion, you idiots!”

[BumRushDaShow]

64. Yeah - it's been about 16 years now

but you don't forget that!

One of the worst parts of it was that for the first time in my life, I had literal insomnia. And it wasn't something like being stressed and tossing and turning and maybe finally dozing off... Nope. For almost 2 weeks straight, it was literally no more than a minute of "sleep" (in quotes) day after day. I had stayed with my mom during that time (the house had 5 bedrooms so I was in one) and would go down the hall to her bedroom in tears at night. It was freaky.

Nowadays, if I take a nap, I'm out quick, fast, and in a hurry!

[BaronChocula]

47. My mother had a hysterectomy

when I was about 13. She wasn't in the hospital for long, but she was in bed for quite a while, how long, I can't recall. I do remember my father doing double-time picking up the slack while she mended including writing her essay on her application for nursing school. I remember how impressed she was. And how remarkable she was as a nurse.

[BumRushDaShow]

65. My mom had one when she was 42

That during the era when she had to have my dad's "permission" due to the damn state laws (which is why she was an early subscriber to Ms. Magazine and fan of Gloria Steinem).

[BaronChocula]

70. And here we are at the 50th anniversary

of women being able to get a credit card without their husband's approval. Still mind-blowing that it wasn't that long ago.

[BumRushDaShow]

71. That was another pet peeve she had

When my dad died in the '70s, most of the cards, except for one local department store card that she had since the '50s (who were ahead of the times giving women a card), were in his name. She tried to get them to add a "Mrs." in front of the account name and I think only one (Exxon) did so. The rest refused and she had to close them. After the laws/regulations were changed, she did eventually get a couple in her name including one from the bank she used.

But this is the type of thing that has pissed off a whole older generation of women and few younger women have any idea how things used to be, although they are starting to get a taste of it now.

[calimary]

59. Hope you're feeling better!

You have a perspective on this kind of thing that many of us don’t have (or maybe don’t have YET). So your take on this is very important, informative, and valuable.

[BumRushDaShow]

66. It was almost 16 years ago

but one of my sisters had what might have been similar to Kate - she had to have a hysterectomy and in her case, they had tested and she ended up with uterine cancer, and went through the chemo and radiation. In fact, literally a couple days ago, she texted that she had her last follow-up with the radiologist (it's been maybe 5 years now) and was able to "ring the bell" as they say, with no detection.

[calimary]

72. That's TERRIFIC news!

YAY for both you AND your sister!

[BumRushDaShow]

74. My other sister texted this to her

We all had a good laugh!

[BaronChocula]

8. Definitely keen speculation

I'll put my money on that.

[TexasBushwhacker]

9. I hope it wasn't ovarian

That one is hard to catch early. Pancreatic also.

[question everything]

30. One never knows. A friend was diagnosed with stage 4 in 2009 and is doing great today.

[Prairie Gates]

4. Well, I hope all the dickholes who were tormenting this poor woman over a Photoshop are happy

Looks like the universe has served up another lesson in Mind Ya Fucking Business.

[LeftInTX]

5. Chemo is likely why she hasn't been out in public.

Apparently, she made a public appearance yesterday?? So, I guess she may have finished her course??

[Comfortably_Numb]

10. I hope it's not pancreatic cancer. Abdominal, so deep that they typically find it late. Feel for her.

[LeftInTX]

11. I hope not, but I kinda doubt.

She said she is undergoing "preventative chemo therapy". They likely found something her reproductive organs. Or she they have have found something in the course of an appendectomy or or gall bladder surgery. (Just speculating on the most common types of abdominal surgeries)

Someone I know had cancer of the appendix. They found it after an appendectomy.

Anyway, she seemed a bit too upbeat for pancreatic cancer.

[NH Ethylene]

69. "Preventative" chemotherapy suggests the cancerous tissue was removed with the surgery,

And the chemo is to prevent it from returning. It's a rather positive spin put on what most of us who had/have cancer have gone through after diagnosis. That will probably make it sound less scary to her children.

[Think. Again.]

13. I'm glad she has access to the medical care she needs ..

...without the burdens of bankruptcy, job loss, homelessness, andor lifelong debt so many other people have to endure on top of similar health concerns.

[Coventina]

20. Great Britain has socialized medicine, so even a commoner would have free cancer treatment.

Here the in USA, of course, our powers that be have decided differently.....

[Think. Again.]

27. Yes, I guess the health of the U.S. population...

...is less important than the post office, and road maintenance, and congressional salaries and healthcare, and all the other socialized programs we have here.

[Hekate]

35. You do know that budget decisions like that are not either/or. I hope you do.

Defunding vital programs is a choice,

[Think. Again.]

44. I guess much smaller, less wealthy countries will just have to suffer without...

...the lack of universal healthcare we are privileged to have.

[XanaDUer2]

40. Yes

If only everyone had that

[Irish_Dem]

14. She did not say that she what stage it is.

Or that it is early stage.

[highplainsdem]

15. Tweet from the royals with video of the statement:

Link to tweet

[elleng]

17. Thank you.

[PatSeg]

16. Now maybe everyone can just leave the woman alone

All this 'royal watch' lately has been downright creepy. Some people need to get a life and let Kate focus on her health and her family.

[Raine]

19. Wishing her the best and a full recovery 🙏

along with some peace as she fights this battle. 💐

[bdamomma]

22. All the best to her

and her family. She has a good medical team, to help her.

[truthisfreedom]

23. I wish her all the best

Especially some peace and quiet from prying media.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

24. Damn.

[cilla4progress]

31. Figured...

So sad WHEN ANY young person has the big C.

I wish her (and all) well!

[Mosby]

41. I work around a lot of different people

I was making small talk with a neurosurgeon and asked if he heard about Kate. He hadn't but told me that Charles has pancreatic cancer.

[LeftInTX]

52. Oh no!

[Mosby]

60. I hope he's OK.

Didn't have a chance to talk with the dr. about the info, but the way he blurted it out seemed like he knew somehow.

[PortTack]

42. Hope she makes a full recovery!!

[sinkingfeeling]

45. Not a pleasant cancer to deal with.

[Mosby]

46. Where did she say what kind of cancer?

Nt.

[ZonkerHarris]

49. What do Kate and Trump have in common?

As figurative and political leaders of their respective countries when they each went to the hospital they chose to conceal the nature of their visit and the illness from the public instead of being open and honest with them and leading by example in their treatment.

[Sky Jewels]

51. Well, it seems like she's doing that now. Maybe they were protecting the kids.

Also, remember when Melania got "kidney" surgery?

[LeftInTX]

54. Trump is POTUS. Kate is a princess. Eventually she will have a role like Queen Camilla

But Queen Camilla is not the heir. When Charles dies, William will be King. If Williams dies, George will be king. (OK, it's getting weird now)

[twodogsbarking]

50. Cancer sucks, really.

[Texin]

53. That's two royals with cancer and another who is not in good health (Camilla), though what her malady(ies) may be

I'm not certain, but I've heard that Charles is concerned about her. I've wondered since after Christmas if Katherine might have had a pregnancy-related malady that they were trying to keep confidential (or had undergone an emergency c-section for a non-viable fetus with a serious abnormality). It had crossed my mind that it might have been a cancer diagnosis or one suspected, but it really seemed that was unlikely, but as the days ran on, it did seem that the timing of her post-surgical recovery was overlong. It's been well past six to eight weeks -- about the period of time it takes to undergo chemo or radiological treatments, and those are beastly on an individual.

[LeftInTX]

56. Camilla cannot ascend to the throne when Charles dies. William will be king.

Obviously poor health would prevent Camilla from performing some of her royal duties, (those duties will continue if Charles dies) but those can also be delegated to other family members.

Maybe Harry and Megan will come back. Who knows?

[KatyaR]

55. Jeez, poor William.

Between his wife and his father, he's really going through it right now. You know he has to be worried about the kids. I mean, he lost his mom at an early age--not THAT young--but you know he doesn't want them to go through what he and Harry did.

[murielm99]

58. Dammit to hell.

Every last one of us who is or has been a cancer patient should rise up in her defense. This is no one else's business, unless you want it to be!

I don't care how rich and privileged she is, this is no one else's business!

[Aussie105]

62. My sympaties go out to anyone

suffering from the fragilities of human existence.

Don't care who they are.

Cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment has an impact on people. It's a difficult time.
Others should respect this.
(Media included.)

[CTyankee]

75. I wish she didn't have to do this. I wish her well, but I don't know why we even have to see stuff about her private

health concerns. I won't go on about it, I'm just not at all interested in her private life and can't understand why people are.

I know she's a public figure but still...

[Mysterian]

76. Being wealthy, she wll receive the best possible health care

Why not report on a cancer patient who will not?