Kate Middleton Snaps Princess Charlotte’s 9th Birthday Photo Amid Cancer Battle
Princess Kate Middleton put her photography skills to work once again in honor of daughter Princess Charlotte’s 9th birthday. The youngster appeared in a new image, which was taken by her mother, on Kensington Royal’s social media accounts on Thursday, May 2.
“Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte!” the royals wrote, along with a cake emoji. “Thank you for all of the kind messages today.” The bottom of the post included a photo credit for Kate, 42, who is currently battling an unspecified form of cancer. In April, the princess also took son Prince Louis’ portrait for his 6th birthday.
Kate’s medical team discovered cancer after she had a planned abdominal surgery in January. After privately taking time to absorb the diagnosis with her family, Kate shared the news with the public on March 22. At the time, she revealed she was in the “early stages” of undergoing “preventative chemotherapy,” per the advice of her doctors.
In her video statement, Kate asked for “privacy” as she continued her treatment and she confirmed that she would not yet be returning to public-facing royal duties. She did not reveal when she planned on returning to the public eye and has not been seen in any new photos or videos since.
However, her husband, Prince William, has been attending public engagements and gave a quick update on his family during a walkabout on Tuesday, April 30. “We’re all doing well, thank you,” the prince told one fan. When the well-wisher specifically asked about Kate, William, 41, added, “We’re all doing well.”
Before Kate shared her diagnosis with the public, the internet was filled with conspiracy theories about what was really wrong with her, as there was little information given about her health following the January surgery. In her March 22 video message, the princess explained why she waited several weeks before opening up about her diagnosis.
“William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” the royal explained. “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 [Prince] George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK. 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.”
