Princess Kate reveals she is in the early stages of treatment for cancer

LONDON — Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, on Friday revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.

In a video statement released Friday, she said that she had undergone major abdominal surgery in London in January, saying that it was initially thought her 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 preventive chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment," her statement said.

"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."

Kensington Palace said it is confident she will make a full recovery, according to the BBC.

"I am well and getting stronger everyday by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits," Kate later added in her speech. She asked for space and privacy while she completed her treatment. It was not announced what type of cancer it was, or at what stage it was caught.

Buckingham Palace said King Charles III, her father-in-law, was "so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also released a statement, saying: "We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace."

Kate stayed in the hospital following the surgery. At the time, there was no confirmation of what the surgery was, with Kensington Palace saying Kate, 42, hoped that the public would respect "her wish that her personal medical information remains private." The palace suggested at the time that Kate would not be resuming