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Kate, Princess of Wales, has cancer - 27th March 2024

The Princess of Wales – Catherine – has just announced that she has cancer. She gave the message on a video.

Recently, the Princess went to hospital for a stomach operation. The cancer was found after the operation. She's now having chemotherapy to stop it developing.

Amy Watson, an Australian tourist, was shocked.

Amy Watson: "Yeah, well I actually got the notification of her diagnosis as I was just standing outside of the palace. It's quite a shock, yeah."

Before the video, the Princess's health was talked about in the news. People were guessing what was happening but the video message has stopped all this talk.

Hannah Dickerson, from America, thinks their situation's difficult.

Hannah Dickerson: "I think, I think they're really doing their best to balance it. I think they, I feel like with all the news about Kate's, like, disappearance and her not being here, I feel like that's them juggling how, how to balance telling the public but also privately making sure they do it in their own terms. So, I think it's just a massive challenge, but I think they understand that we want to know the information and people care and want to know. So I think it's just, it's hard but they're doing a good job."

The news was a big shock for the family and the Princess explained they needed time to tell their three young children.

It's been a hard year for the British royal family. In January, King Charles announced he had cancer. And another family member, the Duchess of York, is also getting hospital treatment for cancer. The Duchess is the ex-wife of the King's brother, Prince Andrew.

The Princess of Wales has asked the British public to understand. She says that time and space are needed. The family needs to be private, while she receives treatment.