Kate Middleton sharing cancer diagnosis on video a break from royal tradition of silence on health matters

LONDON, UK: After weeks of chaos and drama that saw people going wild over the internet regarding Kate Middleton’s absence from the public eye, the Princess of Wales shut everyone’s mouth with a video release.

On March 22, the mother-of-three made a very shocking revelation about her health after undergoing abdominal surgery earlier this year.

Kate Middleton undergoes ‘preventive chemotherapy’

In her statement, she first thanked her well-wishers before sharing, “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous.”

The future queen noted, “The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present.”

Kate added, “My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”

Though the 42-year-old’s statement misses many points regarding the diagnosis severity, it still is a very modern move given the way royals have handled their health issues in the past.

Royal historian says modern royals are more open than their ancestors

Writing for Vogue, writer Rebecca Cope said Kate's revelation represented "a powerful break from royal tradition".

Royal historian Gareth Russell said, as per Vogue, “There’s always been a push and pull of revelation and reticence when it comes to the royals and their history of illness.”

He continued, “For instance, it was usually repressed in the Middle Ages when a monarch was close to death, as it could lead to opportunistic foreign invasion.

“When Henry VIII died, for example, [certain] households actually pretended that the King was alive for several days longer in order to fully prepare for the new reign and avoid a coup.”

“In terms of the modern royals, they tend to march in step with shifting British attitudes around illnesses. We see a real reticence around royals discussing their health in the 19th and early 20th centuries at the peak of the stiff-upper-lip era,” Russell added.

The Vogue article also mentioned different reasons behind the change. The first reason is the Internet and social media, where everything is available all the time, so even a short absence from such an important family can lead to uncontrollable speculations. 

The very example is Kate herself. Another reason is the introduction of modern medicine that gives hope of full recovery despite the severity of the illness.

And, the most important reason behind the royals’ openness is reportedly spreading awareness among people as Kate while ending her video asserted, “You are not alone.”

Internet showers Kate Middleton with love

Meanwhile, the senior royal has received hundreds of supportive messages and love for her courage amid difficult times on her Instagram video with a user commenting, “Dear Catherine, I wish you a speedy recovery and all the privacy and respect to recover with no external concerns 🙌🙌🙌.”

Another one wrote, “This breaks my heart. I wish you all the best for you and your beautiful family.”

The third one shared, “My ❤️ and prayers to you and your family. Thank you for sharing your personal battle and raising awareness.”

“I wish you a speedy recovery, and lots of strength to you and your beautiful family! May God protect you ❤️,” the fourth user noted.

The fifth one added, “Terrible that so much unnecessary extra stress was placed on her by the media and public which has forced her to have to make this public statement. The last thing she needs at this time is to have to deal with all the rubbish rumors that started. Just leave her be now.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.