Several of the world's leaders were quick to react to 's shocking revelation on Friday, when the of Wales answered the months-long intrigue about her whereabouts since January as she told the world she has . U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was the first, releasing a statement saying he offers the Princess of Wales "the love and support of the whole country," according to the country's Press Association.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also offered remarks on the situation, stating during a White House press briefing on Friday afternoon, "All of us heard the terrible news. Our thoughts are with the
Duchess Of Cambridge and her family members and
Friends during this incredibly difficult time, and we certainly wish her a full recovery." Jean-Pierre added that White House officials believe it's "important that we respect her privacy at this time." She said she wouldn't speak further on the issue than that. Mystery surrounded Kate, 42, after it was reported that she went in for surgery in January, staying two weeks at the hospital. The internet demanded to know what type of operation required her to be held at the facility for so long, with some speculating that she had a transplant of some sort. Then, she was seen in public only twice since then — once in a blurry picture that showed her mother, Carole Middleton, driving her somewhere as she reportedly stayed in Windsor after her operation, then again just a few days ago as she and her husband, , were spotted grocery shopping. The statement from the Princess of Wales explained her reasoning for largely staying out of the public eye as she wrote: "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." She added: "As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken 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 OK." Prince George is 10, Princess Charlotte is 8 and Prince Louis is 5. Kate didn't specify in her video message what type of
cancer she has, noting only that she had abdominal surgery in
London for a condition that, at the time, was deemed noncancerous before the prognosis was updated. A recent scandal unfolded after a staff member at the hospital where she was treated, The London Clinic, reportedly attempted to access her sealed medical records, allegedly in a ploy to release them to the public. She's now undergoing chemotherapy and said she is "in the early stages of that treatment." She's been promising her children that she's getting stronger every day. The rest of the message took time to thank her loved ones and the support of all those who expressed concern on
Social Media amid her disappearance. It was reported that she won't return to her royal duties until after Easter, which is on March 31 this year. Her diagnosis also comes after King Charles was , a diagnosis he has been very vocal about as he hopes to raise awareness for the condition and prompt other men to get themselves checked. He has also scaled back from his royal duties amid his ongoing treatments. "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," she said in her heartfelt message. "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." "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," she concluded. "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."