Kate Middleton was forced to reveal the news of her cancer diagnosis before a possible leak of her condition was published, according to a new report.
Her announcement was rushed out by Kensington Palace after the royal family had been contacted about her condition in order to get ahead of the news, the Daily Mail reported.
The Princess of Wales shared that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy in a video message on March 22.
But the clip was reportedly published in a hurry so that Middleton could reveal her health battle to the public herself rather than have it dictated by the media, a “well-placed” source told the publication’s Ephraim Hardcastle column.
It’s unclear where the leak came from, according to the report.
Middleton, 42, made her diagnosis public after social media had become a minefield of conspiracy theories and rumors about the royal amid her absence from the public eye.
The princess was told she has cancer after having major abdominal surgery in January and was advised to begin “preventative” chemotherapy. She said the diagnosis came as a “huge shock.”
It was previously speculated that Middleton had waited three months to disclose her health scare for the sake of her children.
Prince George, 10; Princess Charlotte, 8; and Prince Louis, 5, had been in school until the term had ended for Easter break when their mother shared the sad news.
It was believed she wanted to wait until her kids’ studies paused to not disrupt their learning.
“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment,” Middleton said in her heartfelt address announcing her health condition.
“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.
Middleton is not expected to return to official palace duties until she is cleared by a doctor.
King Charles III is also sitting out of public-facing duties as he too undergoes treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer.
