Kate, the Princess of Wales is receiving preventative chemotherapy after it was discovered in the wake of her January abdominal surgery that her condition was cancerous.
The announcement was made public at 6pm this evening, but released to Express.co.uk and other press outlets – whether national or international – by Kensington Palace roughly an hour earlier.
Doing so is common practice for the Royal Family and other officials, and allows news organisations to prepare their coverage in advance of the official announcement to the public.
While it was received ahead of time, newsrooms around the world will have sprung into action nevertheless to develop comprehensive reports, schedule interviews, build features and more.
Editors and their reporters received a media package containing all the information they would have required to adequately prepare ahead of time.
The media packages received this evening came from Kensington Palace, and contained an official statement from the Princess of Wales detailing her condition.
Alongside the statement, editors received a brief summary – referred to as “guidance” – which broke down key details the Royal Family had revealed.
Events like these are usually few and far between, but tonight’s announcement is the second of its kind following King Charles III’s in early February.
As with the King’s announcement earlier this year, Express.co.uk has the full statement from Princess Kate, following her diagnosis below.
The statement read: “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.
“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.
“As you can imagine, this has taken time. 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.
“As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.
“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.
“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment.
“My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.
“At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer.
“For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”
