Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, revealed on Friday that she has cancer and has started chemotherapy.

“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous,” she said in a video statement, which you can also view in her Instagram post below.

“The surgery was successful,“ she continued. ”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.”

Kate, 42, who is also known as Catherine and is married to Prince William, the heir to the British throne, has not revealed further details about the cancer or her abdominal surgery. At the time of the abdominal surgery, the princess announced she would be out of the public eye until Easter, which falls on March 31 this year.

Nonetheless, because of her absence, she became the subject of global speculation and conspiracy theories, or “Katespiracies,” in recent weeks. The situation intensified when a photo of the princess and her three children was released to the public on March 10, honoring Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom. News agencies quickly withdrew the family portrait when it became obvious the image had been digitally (and poorly) retouched.   

In a social media post the next day, Kate took the blame for the image, saying that she had experimented in photo editing and was sorry for any confusion it caused.

Now that she has revealed her cancer diagnosis, the Katespiracies continue, with speculation that the Buckingham Palace media team let a cancer patient take the blame for their bungled efforts.

Kate is not the only member of the royal family dealing with cancer. Last summer, Sarah Ferguson, 64, the Duchess of York, shared her breast cancer journey; this January, Ferguson announced that she has been diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a type of skin cancer. And earlier this year, it was announced that King Charles III, 75, the father of Prince William, has been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer and has started treatment.

No further details about the cancer diagnoses of King Charles and Kate have been released.

Speaking with BBC News, professor Pat Price, PhD, an academic clinical oncologist in the United Kingdom and founder of the Catch Up With Cancer campaign, praised Kate for speaking “so openly and frankly” about her cancer.

“As was the case with the King’s diagnosis, her doing so will no doubt give many more people that vital prompt to get themselves checked and give others affected by cancer more confidence to speak about their own experience,” Price said.

Kate’s announcement, Price added, “is a stark and shocking reminder that cancer is no respecter of age or social status.”

Indeed, cancer is affecting a growing number of young people. For related Cancer Health articles from this year, see “The Young Ambassador for Women With Lung Cancer,” “What’s Driving Early Onset Colon Cancer? A Study Pinpoints Two Factors” and “Cancer Deaths Still Declining, but Progress Threatened by Increasing Incidence.”

Below is a complete transcript of Kate’s video statement released March 22:

“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 noncancerous.

“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 okay.

“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.”