Kate Middleton revealed on Friday that she is battling cancer.
In a video announcement on Instagram, the Princess of Wales shared that she was diagnosed with cancer. She did not specify what type of cancer she has.
Sitting on a park bench dressed in jeans and a striped sweater, Kate stated:
“I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery. 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.”
She continued by saying that after her abdominal surgery, doctors had found that cancer had been present. Kate said that her cancer diagnosis was a “huge shock” and that her husband, Prince William, was by her side helping her to “process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.” She said that William was a “great source of comfort and reassurance,” and thanked the public for their support and kindness.
Kate emphasized that it had taken time for them to explain her diagnosis to their children, Princes George and Louis, and daughter Princess Charlotte.
Kate has recently been under tremendous scrutiny for a photo that she posted of herself and her children that many called “edited.” The heavily Photoshopped image has been pulled from several news agencies due to its “manipulated” nature.
Despite the controversy, public support has been pouring out for the Princess of Wales. Some critics of the photo have since apologized for their remarks, such as actress Blake Lively, who posted on her Instagram stories:
“I’m sure no one cares today, but I feel like I have to acknowledge this. I made a silly post around the ‘photoshop fails’ frenzy, and oh man, that post has me mortified today. I’m sorry. Sending love and well wishes to all, always.”
Kate is currently undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy and that she is in the early stages of treatment.
It’s safe to say that no one could have ever expected this news from the Royal Family, especially in light of the family photo. While we tend to think of celebrities (and even royals) as untouchable, Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis shows the human side of this terrible disease.
A cancer diagnosis can be devastating for anyone, and it’s not to say that it’s less impactful for one person over another. But the fact that Kate and William are parents with three small children makes the news even more heartbreaking. And while she could have kept her diagnosis to herself, Kate deserves credit for openly sharing her journey with the world.
So maybe we should stop focusing on a Photoshopped image and instead practice kindness (and not contempt.) After all, we should always be compassionate not for what we see, but what we don’t see.