A royal commentator on social media has questioned why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not spoken out against the “vile trolls” who have targeted Princess Kate on social media.

The Princess of Wales ended weeks of wild theories about her whereabouts on Friday evening when she released a video explaining she would be undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.

Although Harry and Meghan were not told about her illness beforehand, they released a statement saying: “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.” It is also understood they have reached out to the Princess privately.

Royal reporter Phil Dampier asked on X why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not “disassociate” from their so-called fans who were piling on Kate online.

Kate underwent major abdominal surgery in January, with Kensington Palace releasing a statement at the time saying she would not be back on royal duty until after Easter.

In her address the Princess said: “I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery.

“It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.

“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. 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.”

Royal commentator Richard Eden speculated that Kate’s decision not to speak to Harry and Meghan before the announcement suggests she trusts them less than journalists, who were informed earlier in the afternoon to prepare for the post.

However the Sussexes have had little contact with the Waleses ever since they moved to California in 2020, with Harry and Prince William still embroiled in a bitter feud.

The Duke is expected to be back in London in May to attend the tenth anniversary celebrations for the Invictus Games, but it is unknown if he will see his brother while he is in the UK.