Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced her cancer diagnosis today in a personal video shared to social media. Now, a palace insider reveals that she also won't return to work by Easter.
“The Princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team,” the source tells Bazaar.
Kensington Palace had previously stated that Princess Kate would likely be absent from the public eye until after Easter, which falls on March 31 this year. That timeline appears to have changed after Kate's medical team discovered the presence of cancer.
The source continues, “She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery.” As for her husband, Prince William “will continue to balance supporting his wife and family and maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year.”
In the video released by Kensington Palace, Kate opened up about her experience since she underwent abdominal surgery in January. At the time, sources told Bazaar that the condition was not cancerous.
“The surgery was successful,” Kate said in the clip. “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 am now in the early stages of that treatment.”
She explained how the situation has affected her and William's children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 4.
“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she said. “As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok. As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.”
The news comes after weeks of intense scrutiny on the royal's health status, a situation that became exacerbated after major news agencies retracted a portrait of Kate and her kids due to evidence of digital manipulation.
“[This situation] has caused some stress for the princess, but she tends not to pay attention to online chatter or even the press,” an insider told Bazaar earlier this month. “I think people forget that this was simply a mother wanting her family to look their best in a photograph that was going to be heavily scrutinized. She was protecting her children.”
