Kate Middleton has been relying on husband Prince William as a “source of comfort” amid her “incredibly tough” battle with cancer.
The Princess of Wales, 42, announced in an emotional Instagram video on Friday that she was quietly diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of the year after undergoing a “planned abdominal surgery.”
Since then, Middleton said she has been leaning on the Prince of Wales, 41, and her three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — to help her get through chemotherapy.
“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too,” she explained.
Middleton noted that “the love, support and kindness” shown to her by the public has also meant “so much” to the couple.
“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy
while I complete my treatment,” Middleton added. “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.”
She concluded the message by encouraging anyone else impacted by cancer to “not lose faith or hope” and know they “are not alone.”
While it’s unclear how long Middleton will need to undergo chemo, she was previously expected to resume royal engagements after Easter at the end of March.
Although Middleton has only been spotted a few times since her surgery, the palace revealed on Thursday that she has been working from her home in Windsor on several other projects.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s nod to her husband comes amid online speculation that the reason for her months-long disappearance was tied to rumored marital issues.
In Middleton’s highly controversial Mother’s Day photo, some royal fans suggested that the mother of three was not wearing a wedding ring. This spurred other fans to dredge up years-old rumors that William was having an alleged affair with pal Rose Hanbury.
Several celebrities — such as Andy Cohen and Stephen Colbert — even fueled the affair rumors on their platforms.
Hanbury, however, later called the infidelity rumors “completely false” via her lawyers. Meanwhile, Middelton and William have never officially addressed them.
