Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has praised Catherine, Princess of Wales for her "tremendous bravery" in sharing her cancer diagnosis with the world.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has issued a statement following Catherine Princess of Wales' shock announcement
The 42-year-old royal - who is married to Prince William and has Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Prince Louis with him - has been absent from public duties since January and announced on Friday (22.03.24) evening that she is battling a form of the disease.
Now, Rishi, 43, has sent his well-wishes to Catherine but has condemned the "intense scrutiny" she has been subjected to by those on social media who speculated on her whereabouts throughout the time she has been away.
He said: "My thoughts are with the Princess of Wales, Prince of Wales, the Royal Family and in particular her three children at this difficult time.
The Princess of Wales has the love and support of the whole country as she continues her recovery.
"She has shown tremendous bravery with her statement today. In recent weeks she has been subjected to intense scrutiny and has been unfairly treated by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media. "
The politician added that Catherine "must be afforded" privacy amid her battle and given the time to "focus on treatment" with her loved ones as he concluded his message by wishing her a "full and speedy recovery".
"When it comes to matters of health, like everyone else, she must be afforded the privacy to focus on her treatment and be with her loving family.
I know I speak for the whole country in wishing her a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her back in action when she's ready."
After explaining that her condition had come as a "shock" and she and her husband had been trying to navigate telling their children, Catherine concluded her message by noting that she is thinking of all those around the world who have also been affected by cancer and urged them to never "lose faith" amid their fight.
She said: "At this time, I'm 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."