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Well-wishers have gathered outside Windsor Castle demanding for the Princess of Wales to be given privacy following weeks of “spiteful” speculation.
Flowers were laid outside the royal residence, with members of the public expressing their “shock” after the Kate announced yesterday she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer
In a personal video address, she spoke of the “incredibly tough couple of months” her family had faced since being given the news earlier this year.
“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy,” she added.
Linda Boby, from Suffolk, was one of many well-wishers in front of Windsor Castle conveying her surprise.
“It’s such a shock, she’s such a young lady and she deserves her privacy,” she told the PA news agency.
“I’m glad that she’s come out and said something so that [she] can put everybody’s speculation to rest, and she can recover and be wonderful with her family.”
Ann Anderson, from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex spoke of Catherine’s “tremendous” courage in the wake of “spiteful” speculation.
“People shouldn’t have put her through that, it wasn’t necessary,” the 75-year-old said. “My heart goes out to her, my heart goes out to William. Hasn’t he been through enough? He really doesn’t need any more.”
Their reaction follows months of social media conjecture after the princess underwent abdominal surgery in January.
The Princess was not seen for some time after the procedure until an edited picture was put out and then a video surfaced, sparking wide-ranging conspiracy theories.
A number of celebrities and public figures praised Kate in the face of her diagnosis, but also called for the princes to now be “given space”.
Award-winning actresses including Jamie Lee Curtis and Dame Joan Collins led the tributes with the ninety-year-old British star applauding the Princess of Wales’s “bravery and positivity”, adding that she was praying for Catherine’s “speedy recovery”.
In a post on her Instagram, Ms Lee Curtis called on the public to stop peddling “conspiracy theories”, adding: “Now we should send nothing but our best wishes to her and her family and focus on our own lives”
TV presenter Davina McCall said the royal family had “been through enough”. “Let’s give them some space to recover,” she said.
Other celebrities, including Hollywood actress Blake Lively, took to social media to apologise for previously mocking the Princess of Wales’ Mother’s Day photo which Kate admitted to editing using photo editing software.
Soon after her health announcement, the former Gossip Girl actress shared a message on her Instagram story: “I made a silly post around the ‘photoshop fails’ frenzy and, oh, man, that post has me mortified today. I’m sorry.”
Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly reached out to the Prince and Princess of Wales following Friday’s news.
The Palace did not comment, but reports by the BBC suggest the contact was made privately, with ITV’s royal editor Chris Ship saying on X/Twitter that it is “not clear” how the contact was made.
In a public statement issued yesterday, Harry and Meghan said they hoped for “health and healing” for the Princess of Wales.
Kate’s brother James Middleton meanwhile posted a tribute to alongisde an image of the two of them together as children.
He wrote: “Over the years we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too.”
Various cancer charities also showed their support, with the chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, Gemma Peters, saying that she hoped the video message would “encourage” members of the public “visit their GP and seek support”.
“Many will be relating to the Prince and Princess of Wales at this time,” Ms Peters added. “Some of the first thoughts parents have after being diagnosed with cancer are how it may affect their children, and whether talking to them about it will make them worry but it is important to give them the chance to talk openly about their fears.”
Earlier today, the princess and the Prince of Wales were reportedly spotted leaving their home in Windsor in a helicopter and heading to their home, Anmer Hall in Norfolk.
According to The Mirror, the couple will be spending Easter in Norfolk with their three children and are not expected to be at the royal Easter church service in Windsor next weekend with other members of the royal family.
It has been a turbulent year for the Royals as King Charles announced he had been diagnosed with cancer in February.
In a statement released yesterday, Buckingham Palace said: “His Majesty is ‘so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did’.
“Following their time in hospital together, His Majesty has ‘remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks’.
“Both Their Majesties ‘will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time’.”
