The British prime minister has criticised media scrutiny of the Princess of Wales in the weeks leading up to her announcement that she is undergoing treatment for cancer.
Rishi Sunak praised Catherine’s “tremendous bravery” and said she “has the love and support of the whole country”.
“In recent weeks she has been subjected to intense scrutiny and has been unfairly treated by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media,” Sunak said, on X.
“When it comes to matters of health, like everyone else, she must be afforded the privacy to focus on her treatment and be with her loving family.
“I know I speak for the whole country in wishing her a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her back in action when she’s ready.”
The Princess of Wales announced in a personal video message this morning that she is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer discovered after major abdominal surgery in January.
The Princess of Wales announced in a personal video message this morning that she is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer discovered after major abdominal surgery in January.
There had been widespread speculation about the future queen who was last seen on public duty at a Christmas service with her family in Sandringham.
Rumours and conspiracy theories grew, predominantly on social media, over the many weeks Kate has been out of the spotlight. It culminated on March 10, Mother’s Day in the UK, when a photo released by the royal family of the princess with her three children turned out to be heavily edited.
The photo, the first official one since Kate underwent surgery, was recalled by major news agencies that determined it had been digitally manipulated.
The White House said the update from the princess was “terrible” and that the Biden administration was “incredibly sad to hear of the news”, CNN reports.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration’s thoughts were with the royal and her family “during this incredibly difficult time, and certainly we wish her a full recovery”.
Jean-Pierre stressed it was “important that we respect their privacy, especially at this time, so I’m not going to go further than that”.
King Charles III, who is undergoing his own cancer treatment, said he was “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did”.
A statement released by Buckingham Palace said Charles “remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks”.
Charles and Queen Camilla “will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time”.
