The Princess of Wales has revealed she feels ‘extremely moved’ by the overwhelming deluge of love and sympathy which greeted her courageous announcement that she has been diagnosed with cancer.
Messages of support have come from all over Britain and across the world, with Kensington Palace declaring the princess and her husband William are ‘enormously touched’ by the public’s kindness.
Yesterday, flowers were laid by well-wishers outside royal palaces, with a heartfelt note attached to a bouquet left at Windsor Castle capturing the sentiments of many.
‘I wish you from the depths of my heart a certain and lasting recovery,’ it said.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to restore a semblance of normality following the turbulence of recent months, King Charles signalled his hope to attend ‘some form of Easter service’ at Windsor next Sunday.
Last night, Kensington Palace released a statement saying: ‘The prince and princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness’ message.
Princess Kate (pictured) said she’s ‘extremely moved’ by the love and support she’s been given following her cancer diagnosis
Kate revealed on Friday that she has been diagnosed with cancer
‘They are extremely moved by the public’s warmth and support and are grateful for the understanding of their request for privacy at this time.’
The King, undergoing his own cancer battle, has praised 42-year-old Kate’s bravery in filming the emotional video at Windsor last week.
In it, she revealed her ‘huge shock’ at the cancer discovery and said she and William had done all they could to ‘process and manage this privately’ for the sake of their three children.
Politicians and celebrities joined members of the public in sending messages of support, while cancer experts said Kate’s powerful message would help other families fighting the disease.
Hashtags including ‘WeLoveYouCatherine’ and ‘GetWellSoonCatherine’ were trending on social media site X all day yesterday.
Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, said Kate showed ‘incredible strength and poise’ in her video message.
A view of breaking news on television is announced that Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton is diagnosed with cancer
It has been confirmed that the family will not attend the Easter service in Windsor next Sunday
Neither the princess nor her aides have revealed what type of cancer she has
While some celebrities and influencers who joked in recent weeks about Kate’s health hastily expressed regret, others remained notably silent.
Neither the princess nor her aides have revealed what type of cancer she has, nor suggested how long the treatment is scheduled to last.
The late Queen’s former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, urged the public not to ‘forget the whole Middleton family’ as they come to terms with Kate’s diagnosis.
‘No one can possibly begin to understand the family’s worry,’ he said. ‘But with their and Prince William’s strength and support and positivity, we can only hope and pray Catherine responds to treatment, recovers and regains her health.’
Less than an hour after the video message was released at 6pm on Friday, a spokesman for the King said he was ‘so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did’.
Buckingham Palace said Charles has ‘remained in closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks’ and that both he and Queen Camilla ‘will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time’.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed the princess’s ‘tremendous bravery’ and US President Joe Biden said he and his wife Jill ‘join millions around the world in praying for your full recovery’.
The princess is understood to be keen to continue with her normal private routine, with William set to return to official engagements after their children go back to school on April 17
The King (pictured, left) has stepped back from public duties on medical advice to avoid large crowds
Prince William, left, and Princess Kate attend a ceremonial welcome for the President and the First Lady of the Republic of Korea
The Irish Guards, of which Kate became Colonel in 2022, said: ‘We wish her the very best recovery and all thoughts and prayers are with her and her family.’
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron wrote on X: ‘The strength of the princess – speaking so frankly, with all the pressures of publicity and bringing up a young family – is remarkable and is rightly admired around the world.’
Bruce Springsteen asked his crowd to send their prayers to the princess at a concert in Las Vegas on Friday while Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones wrote on Instagram: ‘Wales and the world is with you, HRH Princess of Wales. Love to you always.’
And writing on the princess’s Instagram page, Gwyneth Paltrow called her ‘a pillar of grace and strength’.
The princess is understood to be keen to continue with her normal private routine, with William set to return to official engagements after their children go back to school on April 17.
However it has been confirmed that the family will not attend the Easter service in Windsor next Sunday.
Princess Kate had undergone major abdominal surgery – not thought to be for a malign condition – but post-operative tests found signs of cancer
William and Kate have focused on their children, taking the time to sensitively share the state of the princess’s health with Prince George, Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis
The King, by contrast, may attend a smaller version of the annual service at Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel alongside the Queen if his health allows.
The King has stepped back from public duties on medical advice to avoid large crowds.
It is understood he also hopes to attend Trooping the Colour on June 15 and increase his public-facing duties from the early summer.
Today, it was reported that King Charles donned his dressing robe and ‘toddled’ over to comfort his daughter-in-law as they both recovered from surgery at the London Clinic.
Both the monarch and the Princess of Wales were inpatients at the prestigious clinic in Marylebone, north London, in January as they both underwent major surgery.
Insiders said King Charles, who was treated for an enlarged prostate, was seen ‘toddling’ from his hospital bed, to see Princess Kate along the corridor.
At the time, Princess Kate had undergone major abdominal surgery – not thought to be for a malign condition – but post-operative tests found signs of cancer.
The news of her diagnosis came after weeks of speculation on the state of Kate’s health
Kate has not yet revealed the form of cancer she suffers
The idea of the sprightly King comforting his daughter-in-law – as they both dealt with major health curveballs – will warm the hearts of millions across the nation.
One insider said: ‘There is a very strong relationship between their majesties and the Waleses. They are very close, even more so at the moment.’
Charles is said to be ‘proud’ of his ‘beloved’ daughter-in-law for her ‘courage’ in speaking about her treatment and has remained in close contact during the past few weeks.
Words of support also came from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who said: ‘We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.’
The form of cancer has not been disclosed but the future Queen began a course of ‘preventative chemotherapy’ late in February, and is said to have a positive mindset for her recovery and is in good spirits, describing herself as ‘well and getting stronger every day’.
William and Kate have focused on their children, taking the time to sensitively share the state of the princess’s health with Prince George, Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis.