Harry and Meghan wish princess ‘health and healing’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have wished “health and healing” for the Princess of Wales.
Harry and Meghan said they hoped Kate and her family were able to heal “privately”.
“We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” the couple said in a statement.
Key events
A summary of today’s developments
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The Princess of Wales has disclosed she has been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer and is in the early stages of receiving chemotherapy treatment in a video message on Friday evening.
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The Princess, 42, said that when she underwent major abdominal surgery in January, “it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous”.
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The surgery, which took place at the London Clinic, was successful. After 13 nights in hospital, the princess left the clinic on 29 January. “However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” she said on Friday.
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Kensington Palace said it would not be sharing any further medical information about the form or stage of cancer that was discovered.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have wished “health and healing” for the Princess of Wales. Harry and Meghan said they hoped Kate and her family were able to heal “privately”.
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A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles is “so proud of Catherine (the Princess of Wales) for her courage in speaking as she did”. The statement said that after their time in hospital together, the king has “remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks”. It added that the king and queen “will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time”. Charles is also receiving treatment for an undisclosed cancer, which was announced on 5 February.
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The UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “My thoughts are with the Princess of Wales, Prince of Wales, the royal family and in particular her three children at this difficult time” and that she has “the love and support of the whole country”, while criticising what he said was the “intense scrutiny” and unfair treatment of her by “certain sections of the media around the world and on social media”.
US First Lady Jill Biden has joined leaders from across the world in sharing her support for the Princess of Wales.
Harriet Sherwood
For the royal family, Catherine has been a dream princess. After the turbulent years of Diana and Sarah Ferguson, the royals were delighted when William became romantically involved with the nice, middle-class girl from the home counties when the pair were studying at St Andrews University.
Since then, there has been a fairytale wedding, three healthy children, and a princess to be proud of: calm, cheerful and devoted to her job as wife and mother to the future king and his siblings.
After her cancer diagnosis, made public on Friday, William, the children, her parents and her in-laws will be coming to terms with a serious health crisis and an uncertain future in the glare of global media coverage. No wonder she wanted privacy.
Catherine and William met in 2001 when she took part in a charity student fashion show that the prince attended. The following year, they shared a student flat with two others. At this point they were just friends.
Here is the remainder of Saturday’s front pages.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has praised the Princess of Wales for her “compassion and sense of service” in speaking out about her cancer diagnosis.
The Archbishop, in a post on X, said: “I join the whole country, and the world, in praying for her full recovery.
“I take this opportunity to praise her for her spirit of optimism in the face of such difficult news, and am pleased to hear that she is feeling stronger every day.
“Her bravery in sharing in this way and her continued commitment to supporting others speaks to her compassion and sense of service.
“Please join with me in praying for The Royal Family as they deal with this private matter and I would urge people to respect their privacy at this time.”
The Church of England also released “A prayer for HRH The Princess of Wales” in which hope was made for “her continued recovery” along with support for her family and “all who are affected by sickness”.
My prayers are with The Princess of Wales, The Prince of Wales and their children at this tremendously difficult time. I join the whole country, and the world, in praying for her full recovery.
I take this opportunity to praise her for her spirit of optimism in the face of such…
— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) March 22, 2024
Messages of support for the Princess of Wales have poured in from all of Scotland’s major political parties after she announced she was receiving cancer treatment.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “My thoughts and prayers are with Catherine, The Princess of Wales, at what must be the most difficult and anxious of times for her, the Prince of Wales, their children, and of course Catherine’s family and friends, and the whole Royal Family.
“This news is all the sadder following His Majesty The King’s own recent cancer diagnosis, and I wish Her Royal Highness a speedy return to full health and a resumption of public duties at the time that is right for her.”
Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: “I join people across the world in sending my best wishes to Her Royal Highness for a full and speedy recovery, following her dignified and courageous statement.
“So many people will be able to relate to this situation because of their own experience with cancer, or that of a loved one.
“My thoughts are with the Duchess of Rothesay and the entire Royal Family as she begins her treatment.”
Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, said Kate was “courageous” for posting the video statement.
On X, he wrote: “This is a courageous video from the Duchess of Rothesay.
“My thoughts are with her, her husband and children, and all of the Royal Family.
“We wish her a full and speedy recovery.”
Alex-Cole Hamilton, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, wrote on X: “On behalf of the (Scottish Liberal Democrats) I’d like to wish the Princess of Wales all the very best on her journey to recovery following her diagnosis.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Green party wished the princess a quick recovery.
They said: “As with all those suffering from cancer, we would wish Catherine a speedy recovery.”
Heather Stewart
When the late queen stood up to give a speech marking 40 years on the throne, in June 1992, she conceded to the assembled dignitaries, and the watching nation, that her family had had an “annus horribilis”.
The phrase came to be remembered as an acknowledgment that even the staunchly dutiful monarch, who rarely betrayed emotion, had felt the cumulative effects of a series of blows.
Yet the past 12 months have surely been marked out as ranking among the most traumatic for the royal family in living memory.
In 1992, the revelations included the release of salacious details about the troubled private lives of Diana and Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales; the separation of the queen’s son Prince Andrew, and the divorce of the queen’s daughter, Princess Anne; and the fire that had raged through Windsor Castle.
The front of The Times.
Saturday’s Express splash.
The front page of the Mirror.
Saturday’s FT.
Here is a roundup of Saturday’s front pages starting with The Sun.
Gloria Oladipo
The Joe Biden White House has expressed sympathy and support to the Princess of Wales after her announcement that she is being treated for cancer.
Biden’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, wished Catherine a full recovery at a Friday press briefing.
“All of us just heard the terrible news,” she said. “Our thoughts are with the Duchess of Cambridge and her family members and friends during this incredibly difficult time, and certainly we wish her a full recovery.”
Jean-Pierre said it was important for the public to respect the privacy of the royal family, a remark that came after rampant speculation – especially online – about what was behind the low profile Catherine had been keeping.
A statement from the sarcoma cancer charity, Sarcoma UK, following the news of the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis.
Sarcoma UK’s director of communications Kerry Reeves-Kneip said: “The princess has long been an outstanding supporter of cancer charities.
“We vividly remember when she donated her own hair for wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy. The fact that she herself is now undergoing chemotherapy is very sad, and our thoughts and good wishes are with her throughout this journey.
“Cancer makes no distinction, and we are saddened that two much-loved members of the Royal Family, who have both been outstanding supporters of cancer charities, are now being treated for this cruel disease.
“All of us at Sarcoma UK want to send our very best wishes to the Princess of Wales and hope that her treatment is successful and that she recovers soon.”
French president Emmanuel Macron has said the Princess of Wales’s “strength and resilience inspire us all”.
In a post on X, Macron wrote: “Your Highness,
“In this difficult period you are going through, Brigitte and I wish you a full recovery.
“Your strength and resilience inspire us all.”
Your Highness,
In this difficult period you are going through, Brigitte and I wish you a full recovery.
Your strength and resilience inspire us all.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 22, 2024
The maternal uncle of the Princess of Wales said he hopes Kate’s cancer announcement “draws a line over the continued speculation and horrible conspiracies” after weeks of public speculation about her health.
Gary Goldsmith said in a statement on X: “Let’s give Kate, William and the children time and show some love back.”
Goldsmith, who was the first contestant evicted from ITV’s Celebrity Big Brother, also confirmed he had pulled out of his scheduled appearance in the live final on Friday evening.
As many will have seen, I am featured in Saturday’s “Times Magazine”. This interview and shoot was done over a week ago and went to print before I was aware of the sad news regarding my niece Kate.
My thoughts and prayers are with Kate and the wider family at this difficult…
— Gary Goldsmith (@GaryGoldsmithX) March 22, 2024
Harry and Meghan wish princess ‘health and healing’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have wished “health and healing” for the Princess of Wales.
Harry and Meghan said they hoped Kate and her family were able to heal “privately”.
“We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” the couple said in a statement.
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has said his thoughts are with the Princess of Wales following the news of her cancer diagnosis which was “so courageously shared”.
My thoughts are with the Princess of Wales, her children, and the entire Royal Family following the news of her cancer so courageously shared.
On behalf of Canadians, I’m sending my support as she undergoes treatment. We’re all wishing her a swift recovery.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 22, 2024
More expert comment from Dr Mangesh Thorat, honorary reader, Queen Mary University of London and consultant breast surgeon, Homerton University hospital.
Dr Thorat said: “Surgery is the most curative form of treatment for early-stage cancers of solid organs. However, occasionally some cancer cells escape the organ of their origin and start residing in other organs such as lung or liver.
“Tests and scans currently available are unable to detect such microscopic spread and therefore to improve chances of cure, presumptive treatment of such likely spread is often undertaken even after the cancer in the solid organ of origin is completely removed.
Depending on the type of cancer, a range of drugs that can reach all organs of body where such spread might have occurred are used.
“Chemotherapy is one such type of treatment that uses drugs which particularly act on rapidly dividing cells, for example, cancer cells and kills such cells.
“As these drugs cannot distinguish between the cell types, they also end up killing many rapidly dividing normal cells in the body, for example, white blood cells or cells from the mucosal linings.
“It is this collateral damage that often leads to some of the side effects of chemotherapy, eg low blood counts with increased risk of infection or mucositis/mouth ulcers or diarrhoea.”