The statement, when it came, was remarkably simple and delivered with enormous dignity. Dressed simply and sitting outside, the Princess of Wales began her short video by thanking those who had sent her supportive messages, before describing her ‘tough couple of months’ after having been diagnosed with a form of cancer, which has then led to a course of preventative chemotherapy.

With remarkable sang-froid, albeit delivered in a voice freighted with understandable deep emotion, Kate then went on to talk about the impact that the diagnosis has had on both her and her family, saying:

‘It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.’

A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/5LQT1qGarK

There is something heartbreakingly sad in a young mother of three children having to go through a painful, debilitating and frightening illness, and it would break the heart of anyone with feeling to listen to Kate’s statement. Empathy – so often a quality lacking in the public treatment of the royal family – could be found in spades on the social media platforms on which, just a couple of days ago, speculation had run rampant and nonsense was being portrayed as authoritative fact.

The princess might have stated that: ‘I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits’, and we can only hope that this is the case. But it is also true that 2024 has been the most awful year imaginable for the royal family.

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The enormous dignity of the Princess of Wales

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22.03.2024

The statement, when it came, was remarkably simple and delivered with enormous dignity. Dressed simply and sitting outside, the Princess of Wales began her short video by thanking those who had sent her supportive messages, before describing her ‘tough couple of months’ after having been diagnosed with a form of cancer, which has then led to a course of preventative chemotherapy.

With remarkable sang-froid, albeit........

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