Sarah Ferguson Shares Admiration for Kate Middleton Amid Her Own Cancer Battle
Sarah Ferguson knows Kate Middleton deserves royal treatment.
Days after the Princess of Wales shared her cancer diagnosis, the Duchess of York—who was diagnosed with skin cancer after undergoing treatment for breast cancer—sent a message with well wishes.
"All my thoughts and prayers are with the Princess of Wales as she starts her treatment," Sarah wrote in a statement posted to X March 25. "I know she will be surrounded by the love of her family and everyone is praying for the best outcome."
"As someone who has faced their own battles with cancer in recent months,," the 64-year-old—previously married to Prince Andrew—continued, "I am full of admiration for the way she has spoken publicly about her diagnosis and know it will do a tremendous amount of good to raise awareness. I hope she will now be given the the time, space and privacy to heal."
In a video message shared March 22, Kate—who shares kids Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, with husband Prince William—opened up about her health journey, noting that it has been "an incredibly tough couple of months" for their entire family.
"I've had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful," the 42-year-old explained in the video. "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."
But, as Kate shared, post-operative tests 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," she continued. "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."
After sharing her statement, Kate received an outpouring of support from celebs, friends and fellow members of the royal family, including King Charles III, whose own cancer diagnosis was announced in early February.
In fact, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said in a March 22 statement that His Majesty is "so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did."
Keep reading for more royal news around the world.
In a March 22 video message, the Princess of Wales shared that she'd been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing abdominal surgery in January.
"It was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful," she said before noting that 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."
After photo agencies pulled the picture Kensington Palace shared of Kate since having her abdominal surgery on March 10, the Princess of Wales addressed claims the photo was doctored.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she tweeted on March 11. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C."
Princess Diana's niece celebrated Mother's Day in the U.K. by sharing she and her husband Michael Lewis privately welcomed their first baby.
“It’s the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally," she captioned her March 10 Instagram post. "Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate today."
After keeping up her full slate of engagements in the wake of her husband's cancer diagnosis, the palace cleared Camilla's schedule.
The Times pointed out March 2 that the 76-year-old didn't have any engagements on her calendar until March 11, when she'd be due at Westminster Abbey to observe Commonwealth Day.
The husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor and ex-boyfriend of Pippa Middleton, was found dead Feb. 25. Days later, a coroner's inquest found that he died by suicide.
While King Charles III was in the hospital for his benign prostate enlargement procedure, the royal family member was diagnosed with cancer.
"His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties," Buckingham Palace said Feb. 5. "Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible."
The Duchess of York's rep said in a statement on Jan. 21 that Sarah was recently diagnosed with malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. Several months prior, she underwent a single mastectomy to treat breast cancer.
On Jan. 14, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark made history as she officially abdicated the throne, handing the crown over to her son, now known as King Frederik the 10th.
Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that Kate Middleton underwent planned abdominal surgery and was set to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days.
"Based on the current medical advice," the Palace said, "she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."
Amid Kate's recovery, Prince William postponed a number of engagements as he supported his family, including the couple's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Shortly after Kate's hospitalization was made public, Buckingham Palace shared that Charles "has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate."
"His Majesty's condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure," the statement added. "The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."
Princess Claire and Prince Felix of Luxembourg welcomed son Balthazar Felix Karl on Jan. 7, the first royal baby of the New Year!
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