King Charles promises to offer support to Kate Middleton following her 'courageous' cancer revelation

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: King Charles announced tonight that he is "so proud" of the Princess of Wales "for her courage" in disclosing her cancer diagnosis and will remain in 'close contact' with her, Independent.co.uk reports. The 75-year-old monarch is also battling cancer, the same disease that Kate Middleton addressed in her video. 

The Buckingham Palace, while sharing Charles' reaction to the shocking news, added, "His Majesty is 'so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did'. Following their time in hospital together, HM has 'remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks'. Both Their Majesties 'will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time.'"

Kate Middleton is in the early stages of treatment 

Kate's cancer announcement comes as another major shock to the royal family over the past year as the King was diagnosed with the same deadly disease. Kensington Palace has announced that Kate is in the early stages of treatment after weeks of speculation. 

Kate Middleton was initially admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery

Kate was initially admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery on January 16 and considered her condition to be non-cancerous, but cancer was found after a successful operation. Charles was admitted to hospital just days after Kate, also for a procedure deemed unrelated to cancer.

In February, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Charles had been diagnosed with a form of cancer, which is not prostate cancer, that was discovered while the King was being treated at the private London Clinic for an enlarged prostate.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wished the monarch a full recovery, saying the cancer had thankfully been "caught early."

King Charles is doing well now

During a visit to Northern Ireland this week, the Queen said the King is "doing very well" and sent his "very, very best wishes" to the First and deputy First Minister. The King has postponed public-facing duties but is said to be continuing to work behind the scenes on his red boxes, his state business and official papers.

The Duchess of York is also suffering from cancer

Sarah, Duchess of York, became the third royal in quick succession to announce a medical procedure at the beginning of 2024 when she revealed a diagnosis of malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer.

It marked her second cancer diagnosis within a year, having been diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer which led to her undergoing a mastectomy and subsequent reconstructive surgery. She had discovered an early form of breast cancer during a routine mammogram screening.

"Naturally another cancer diagnosis has been a shock, but I'm in good spirits and grateful for the many messages of love and support," Sarah said on Instagram.