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Princess Kate and Prince William (in January 2023): “Very moved by the warmth and support of the public”

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Neil Hall / EPA-EFE

Princess Kate and her husband Prince William have expressed their appreciation for the outpouring of well wishes they received following the news of Kate's cancer diagnosis. The two were very touched, a spokesman for Kensington Palace said on Sunday night. "They are very moved by the public's warmth and support and grateful for their understanding of their desire for privacy at this time."

Kate addressed the public in a video message on Friday evening after weeks of speculation about her health. She had abdominal surgery in mid-January and has not appeared in public since. Tests after the operation showed that there was cancer, said the 42-year-old. On the advice of her medical team, she is receiving chemotherapy as a precaution.

After the video was published, Kate received a lot of support. Politicians from several countries sent well-wishes to the daughter-in-law of British King Charles III, including US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron. “You are brave and we love you,” wrote Biden’s wife Jill on Kate’s video on X.

At the same time, calls to respect the privacy of Kate and her family increased over the weekend. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticized the fact that speculation had spread on the Internet. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, also called on people to respect the privacy of the royal family during this time.

It is not known how long Kate's treatment will last and when she will return to royal service. Kate had said she needed time to recover after her surgery and, most importantly, she needed time to explain the situation to her children.

King Charles, who is currently being treated for cancer, praised the openness of his "beloved daughter-in-law." The monarch was "so proud of Catherine for her courage," it said in a statement.

Kate's brother-in-law Prince Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan also spoke up. "We wish Kate and the family health and healing and hope that they can do so privately and in peace," said a statement. The couple retired from their royal duties several years ago and now lives in the USA. The relationship with the royal family in Great Britain is considered difficult.

The Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Manuela Schwesig, also wished Kate at X a speedy recovery: “I have experienced what cancer means personally and for the whole family. The diagnosis and therapy need, above all, time and peace," said Schwesig, who herself suffered from cancer a few years ago.

“This post shames me today”

The princess also received support from numerous stars. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, for example, had already condemned the conspiracy theories circulating before the video message and described them as a "low point in our society."

Actress Blake Lively apologized for an Instagram post that made fun of a doctored family photo of Kate. »I posted a stupid post about the “Photoshop fail” fuss. This post shames me today. I'm sorry," the 36-year-old wrote in an Instagram story.

Other US stars such as Sheryl Crow and Kim Kardashian also made mocking posts. Kardashian made fun of Kate's withdrawal from the public eye in an Instagram post. Users are now also demanding an apology on their channel.

For British Mother's Day, Kensington Palace published a photo of Kate and her children, but several news agencies withdrew it shortly afterwards due to image manipulation. Kate then took responsibility and explained how many amateur photographers experiment with image editing.

xvc/dpa