Kate Middleton Had to Overcome Her 'Shy' Nature to Deliver Her Cancer Diagnosis Announcement

When Kate Middleton announced her cancer diagnosis to the public last month, she was the picture of elegance. Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, praised the Princess of Wales and exclusively told People that Middleton was "sincere, dignified, poised, and she was forthright" in her delivery, but the announcement likely wasn't easy. "She is inherently shy, and for her to do that took a lot," Smith stated.

"When she ended with 'You are not alone,' it rang a bell with something that Queen Elizabeth would have said," Smith explained. "It was very similar to what Queen Elizabeth said during COVID when she said, 'We are all in this together.' "She was mindful there are very few people who read about that or watched that who doesn’t know someone who has cancer. She was mindful of that," the journalist added. "It was a way of reassuring people not only about her condition but helping them have courage." Not only did the Princess of Wales reportedly pen every word of the announcement herself, she also chose to go on camera by herself, without Prince William by her side. 

"It is a message from the princess about her health, and she wanted to personally deliver the message on her own," a palace source shared, adding that the Prince of Wales, has been supporting her throughout behind the scenes. "William is extremely proud of his wife for the courage and strength she has shown not just this week but since her surgery in January," the source continued. "Now more than ever, he's focused on ensuring his wife has the privacy she needs to fully recover and that his children are shielded from the understandable interest in the news that has been shared." "There was not a trace of self-pity. She projected honesty," the Vanity Fair editor added. "It was the right balance."

Additionally, a close friend revealed to The Sunday Times, "It wasn't really about the drama of the last few weeks, though obviously that has been upsetting. She felt she had to do it because of who she was. It was more that she knows she is a public figure and has a wider leadership responsibility." They added, "It was all her, she wrote every word of it, and it came together very quickly."  

The mother of three disclosed that she began chemotherapy in February, but did not specify what kind of cancer it was. Additionally, Kensington Palace stated that Middleton is in good spirits and has a hopeful outlook on her recuperation. A spokesperson for the Prince and Princess of Wales shared a note of gratitude for the public after the official announcement. It read, "The Prince and Princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the UK, across the Commonwealth, and around the world in response to Her Royal ­Highness’ message."