LIVE: Kate Middleton diagnosed with cancer, undergoing chemotherapy

THIS IS AN ABC NEWS SPECIAL

REPORT NOW REPORTING.

DAVID MUIR.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

WE'RE COMING ON THE AIR BECAUSE

MOMENTS AGO AMID GLOBAL CONCERN

AND SPECULATION, PRINCESS

KATHERINE HAS NOW REVEALED

HER PERSONAL HEALTH BATTLE

AND WHY SHE KEPT IT SECRET.

THE PRINCESS OF WALES RELEASING

A VIDEO A SHORT TIME AGO

SHARING SHE IS BEING TREATED

CANCER.

SHE SAYS SHE UNDERWENT MAJOR

ABDOMINAL SURGERY IN JANUARY

REPORTED AT THE TIME, AND SHE

SAYS THAT AT THE TIME, HER

DOCTORS THOUGHT HER CONDITION

WAS NON-CANCEROUS. AFTER THE

OPERATION, TESTS SHOWED THERE

WAS CANCER PRESENT, AND THE

PRINCESS SAYS THE SURGERY WAS A

SUCCESS THAT SHE'S NOW

UNDERGOING PREVENTATIVE

CHEMOTHERAPY. SHE CALLS THE

DIAGNOSIS A HUGE SHOCK, IN HER

WORDS, TO BOTH HER AND PRINCE

WILLIAM. CATHERINE ALSO

REVEALING IT HAS TAKEN TIME FOR

HER TO COME FORWARD BECAUSE SHE

FIRST WANTED TO EXPLAIN THE

CONDITION TO THEIR THREE YOUNG

CHILDREN AND LET THEM KNOW SHE'S

GOING TO BE OKAY. HERE'S

PRINCESS CATHERINE IN A RECORDED

STATEMENT RELEASED JUST MOMENTS

AGO BY THE ROYAL FAMILY.

>> A DESTINY FOR ALL THE

WONDERFUL MESSAGES OF SUPPORT

AND FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

WHILST I'VE BEEN RECOVERING FROM

SURGERY. 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'M SO GRATEFUL.

IN JANUARY, I UNDERWENT MAJOR

ABDOMINAL SURGERY IN LONDON AND

AT THE TIME IT WAS THOUGHT THAT

MY CONDITION WAS NON-CANCEROUS.

THE SURGERY WAS SUCCESSFUL,

HOWEVER, TESTS AFTER THE

OPERATION FOUND CANCER HAD BEEN

PRESENT. MY MEDICAL TEAM

THEREFORE ADVISED THAT I SHOULD

UNDERGO A COURSE OF PREVENTATIVE

CHEMOTHERAPY, AND I'M NOW IN THE

EARLY STAGES OF THAT TREATMENT.

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. AS YOU CAN

IMAGINE, THIS HAS TAKEN TIME. IT

HAS TAKEN ME 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'S APPROPRIATE FOR THEM.

AND TO REASSURE THEM THAT I'M

GOING TO BE OKAY. AS I'VE SAID

TO THEM, I AM WELL AND GETTING

STRONGER EVERY DAY BY FOCUSING

ON THE THINGS THAT WILL HELP ME

HEAL IN MY MIND, BODY AND

SPIRITS. HAVING WILLIAM BY MY

SIDE IS A GREAT SOURCE OF

COMFORT AND REASSURANCE TOO, AS

IS THE LOVE, SUPPORT AND

KINDNESS THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN BY

SO MANY OF YOU. IT MEANS SO MUCH

TO US BOTH. WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL

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'M ABLE. BUT FOR NOW, I

MUST FOCUS ON MAKING A FULL

RECOVERY. 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.

>> THE STATEMENT FROM PRINCESS

CATHERINE FROM BUCKINGHAM PALACE

JUST MOMENTS AGO, AN

EXTRAORDINARILY RAW AND PERSONAL

STATEMENT FROM THE PRINCESS

HERSELF, TALKING ABOUT HOW SHE

IS NOW UNDERGOING PREVENTATIVE

CHEMOTHERAPY FOR CANCER THAT WAS

DISCOVERED IN TESTS THAT

FOLLOWED THAT ABDOMINAL SURGERY

THAT WE REPORTED BACK IN

JANUARY. AS YOU KNOW, BACK IN

JANUARY, BUCKINGHAM PALACE ONLY

REVEALED THAT SHE WAS UNDERGOING

THAT SURGERY, WAS NOT EXPECTED

TO RESUME ROYAL DUTIES UNTIL

AROUND EASTER. SHE WAS MOSTLY

OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE, APPEARING

WITH PRINCE WILLIAM AT A FARM IN

WINDSOR JUST A FEW DAYS AGO.

THERE WAS VIDEO OF THAT SEEN

AROUND THE WORLD. A MOTHER'S DAY

PHOTO OF PRINCESS CATHERINE AND

HER CHILDREN, RAISING QUESTIONS

WHEN IT WAS LEARNED THAT THE

PHOTO WAS DIGITALLY ALTERED.

CATHERINE UNDERGOING SURGERY AT

THE SAME TIME AND AT THE SAME

FACILITY AS KING CHARLES, WHO

REVEALED HE WAS BEING TREATED

FOR A PROSTATE ISSUE. THE PALACE

LATER INFORMING THE PUBLIC THAT

HE HAS CANCER AND IS BEING

TREATED FOR THAT. THEY HAVE NOT

SPECIFIED WHICH TYPE. LET'S

STICK TO PRINCESS CATHERINE FOR

NOW. I WANT TO BRING IN MAGGIE.

MAGGIE RULLI OUTSIDE BUCKINGHAM

PALACE IN LONDON. MAGGIE, WHAT

MORE HAVE WE LEARNED?

>> HI, DAVID. I THINK RIGHT NOW

PEOPLE ARE JUST STILL IN SHOCK

FROM THIS NEWS. YOU KNOW, EVEN

CATHERINE USED THAT WORD. THIS

IS SHOCKING. WE HAVE BEEN

FOLLOWING THIS STORY FOR WEEKS

NOW. WE'VE SEEN THIS GLOBAL

CONCERN FOR HER HEALTH, BUT IT

REALLY FEELS AS ALMOST NO ONE

FELT THAT THIS WAS THE

DIAGNOSIS, A CANCER DIAGNOSIS

FOR PRINCESS CATHERINE. I THINK

RIGHT NOW PEOPLE DO HAVE A LOT

OF QUESTIONS. PEOPLE ASK

KENSINGTON PALACE WHAT KIND OF

CANCER, WHAT STAGE OF CANCER.

RIGHT NOW THEY ARE SAYING THIS

IS A PRIVATE MATTER AND IT'S

GOING TO STAY THAT WAY. I THINK

FOR ME, WHAT'S ALSO SO SHOCKING

IS THINKING OF KATE RIGHT NOW.

SHE'S SO YOUNG, 42 YEARS OLD, A

MOM TO THREE YOUNG KIDS. SHE

TALKS ABOUT THEM IN THAT

PERSONAL VIDEO OF GIVING THEM

TIME TO PROCESS THIS. SHE'S BEEN

IN RELATIVELY GOOD HEALTH. SHE'S

ATHLETIC. I THINK, AGAIN,

HEARING THIS NEWS, THE COUNTRY

IS GOING TO NEED TIME TO PROCESS

THIS. RIGHT NOW. IT'S REALLY

FLOORING PEOPLE.

>> MAGGIE RULLI RIGHT THERE

OUTSIDE BUCKINGHAM PALACE.

MAGGIE THANK YOU. I WANT TO

BRING IN OUR ROYAL CONTRIBUTOR,

VICTORIA MURPHY AS WELL. AND

VICTORIA, YOU'VE LEARNED MORE

ABOUT WHY THE TIMING HAS BEEN AS

SUCH, LEARNING NOW, THE PEOPLE

OF THE U.K. AND CERTAINLY AROUND

THE WORLD, LISTENING TO THIS

MESSAGE FROM PRINCESS CATHERINE,

YOU HEARD HER REFERENCE THERE.

SHE NEEDED TIME TO EXPLAIN THIS

TO THEIR CHILDREN. BUT AN

EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT. AND IN

FACT, I CAN'T REMEMBER ONE LIKE

THIS FROM THE ROYAL FAMILY.

>> NO, EXACTLY. AND NEITHER CAN

I. AND NOW WE HAVE A SITUATION

WHERE WE HAVE BOTH THE KING AND

THE PRINCESS OF WALES BEING

TREATED FOR UNDISCLOSED FORMS OF

CANCER. IT REALLY IS

UNPRECEDENTED. AND IT DOES HAVE

THAT VERY DESTABILIZING EFFECT.

DAVID. I MEAN, I WAS IN A CALL

WITH KENSINGTON PALACE EARLIER

ON TODAY WHERE THIS WAS LAID OUT

FOR US, AND IT WAS EXPLAINED TO

US AND AS MAGGIE SAID, THE

OVERRIDING SENTIMENT THERE WAS

JUST COMPLETE SHOCK THAT THIS IS

WHAT WE ARE HEARING AND SOME OF

THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE VERY

KEEN TO GET ACROSS. ONE WAS THAT

THIS DECISION TO ANNOUNCE THIS

IS NOT SOME KIND OF REACTION TO

THESE CONSPIRACY THEORIES THAT

HAVE BEEN SWIRLING. THIS IS

ABOUT THE PRINCESS DECIDING IN

HER OWN TIME TO ANNOUNCE THIS IN

THE WAY THAT WAS BEST FOR HER

AND HER FAMILY. AND I THINK IT

WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO HER TO DO

THAT. IN HER OWN WORDS, IN A

VIDEO MESSAGE, TO TALK DIRECTLY

TO THE PUBLIC WHO HAS BEEN SO

INTERESTED AND SO KEEN TO KNOW

HOW SHE IS DOING AND TO TELL

THEM. AND THE OTHER THING THAT I

REALLY FELT CAME ACROSS DAVID,

WAS HOW SO MUCH OF THE DECISIONS

THAT THEY HAVE MADE IN THE PAST

FEW WEEKS HAVE REALLY BEEN ABOUT

FOCUSING ON THEIR CHILDREN AND

PUTTING THEIR CHILDREN FIRST,

AND EVEN THE TIMING OF THIS

ANNOUNCEMENT REALLY IS ALL

ABOUT, I THINK, PROTECTING THE

CHILDREN BECAUSE THEIR CHILDREN,

GEORGE, CHARLOTTE AND LOUIS HAVE

JUST BROKEN UP FOR THEIR EASTER

HOLIDAYS THERE. SO THEY'RE NOW

ABLE TO TAKE THE CHILDREN AWAY

FROM THEIR SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

AND KEEP THEM IN A BUBBLE WITH

THEM AND REALLY PROTECT THEM

FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD. WHILE

THIS NEWS AND WHILE THIS

REACTION OFTEN HITS THE REST OF

THE WORLD, AND WHILE PEOPLE ARE

TALKING ABOUT IT, THE INFERENCE

THERE THAT WE GOT FROM THAT

DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD WITH

KENSINGTON PALACE WAS THAT IT

TOOK THEM SOME TIME TO TELL THE

CHILDREN. IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE

THE CHILDREN WERE TOLD STRAIGHT

AWAY, BUT THEY ARE NOT GIVING US

LOTS OF SPECIFIC INFORMATION

ABOUT WHAT HAS GONE ON BEHIND

THE SCENES, BECAUSE THEY ARE

ALSO TRYING TO MAINTAIN THEIR

PRIVACY.

>> VICTORIA, I WOULD ALSO

IMAGINE AND I'M ASSUMING THIS

FROM THE TIMING OF THIS IN

MENTIONING THAT THE CHILDREN ARE

HOME NOW FOR THE EASTER BREAK.

THEY WON'T BE SURROUNDED BY

OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE, OTHER FOLKS

WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASK

QUESTIONS AT SCHOOL AND

ELSEWHERE THAT THIS WILL BE A

TIME FOR THE FAMILY AND A

SOMEWHAT PROTECTED TIME ALSO

WOULD EXPLAIN WHY THERE'S BEEN

THIS SORT OF TIME FRAME IN

WAITING TO TELL THE PUBLIC, AND

I THINK THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT.

>> I THINK THAT IS EXACTLY IT.

SHE HAS BEEN PROCESSING THIS

INFORMATION. SHE'S BEEN

DISCUSSING IT WITH HER HUSBAND,

AND THEY'VE BEEN CONSIDERING HOW

TO TALK TO THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT

IT, BEARING IN MIND THAT THEIR

CHILDREN GO TO SCHOOL, THEY GO

TO SCHOOL WITH OTHER CHILDREN,

THEY INTERACT WITH OTHER

CHILDREN, EVEN THINGS LIKE

TELLING THEIR CHILDREN SOMETHING

LIKE THIS AND THEN ASKING THEM

NOT TO TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT IT

IS A DIFFICULT THING TO DO. SO

ALL OF THESE THINGS WILL HAVE

BEEN GOING ON IN THEIR MINDS,

AND I THINK THE TIMING OF THIS

ANNOUNCEMENT IS ABOUT THE FACT

THAT THEY CAN NOW TAKE THEIR

CHILDREN AWAY FROM THE OUTSIDE

WORLD. THEY'RE GOING TO BE

HAVING TIME AS A FAMILY. AND

WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT NOT TO

EXPECT TO SEE THEM APPEAR AT

THAT EASTER SUNDAY SERVICE. AND

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT ALSO ANSWERS

THAT QUESTION THAT HAD SORT OF

BEEN BUBBLING UP RECENTLY. WHEN

ARE WE GOING TO SEE HER NEXT?

BECAUSE OF COURSE, THERE WAS A

VIDEO OF HER SEEN WALKING,

LOOKING WELL, LOOKING IN GOOD

SPIRITS. AND SO PEOPLE WERE

STARTING TO ASK, WELL, WILL SHE

BE AT THE EASTER SUNDAY SERVICE

WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL

FAMILY? AND SO THIS NOW ANSWERS

THAT QUESTION AND GIVES US A LOT

MORE CONTEXT FOR UNDERSTANDING

WHY THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE

THERE AS A FAMILY.

>> VICTORIA MURPHY, WITH US HERE

AS WE REPORT THE BREAKING NEWS

FROM BUCKINGHAM PALACE. PRINCESS

CATHERINE REVEALING A SHORT TIME

AGO THAT SHE IS UNDERGOING

PREVENTATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY FOR

CANCER. VICTORIA. THANK YOU. I

WANT TO BRING IN DOCTOR DARIAN

SUTTON, WHO'S WITH ME HERE ON

THE DESK IN NEW YORK. AND IT'S

REALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SPECULATE

WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE, AT LEAST

FROM A MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE,

BECAUSE WHEN YOU WHEN YOU HEAR

PREVENTATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY, THIS

REALLY COULD BE A CATEGORY FOR A

NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF

CANCER.

>> ABSOLUTELY, DAVID. SO WHEN

YOU TALK ABOUT PREVENTATIVE

CHEMOTHERAPY, IT REALLY DEPENDS

ON WHAT TYPE OF CANCER WE'RE

TALKING ABOUT. IT CAN BE

DIFFERENT FROM ONE PATIENT TO

ANOTHER. THE MAIN GOALS OF

PREVENTATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY

COMMONLY WHEN THEY'RE USED IN

THE WORLD OF ONCOLOGY, IS NUMBER

ONE, TO PREVENT THE RISK OF

RECURRENCE. AND THEN IN CERTAIN

CASES, THE SURGEON OR THE

ONCOLOGIST MIGHT BE CONCERNED

THAT THERE ARE RESIDUAL CANCER

CELLS THERE. AND AGAIN, THAT

GOAL OF THAT PREVENTATIVE

CHEMOTHERAPY IS TO PREVENT THOSE

CANCER CELLS FROM BECOMING A

PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE.

>> SO THAT'S SORT OF TWO

DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. THERE

COULD BE A SITUATION WHERE THE

CANCER THEY BELIEVE IS OUT, BUT

THAT THEY WOULD PRESCRIBE

PREVENTATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY TO

MAKE SURE OR TO TRY TO ENSURE IT

DOESN'T COME BACK. THERE COULD

BE ANOTHER SCENARIO, FOR

EXAMPLE, WHERE THEY MIGHT

BELIEVE THERE COULD BE SOME

CANCER LEFT AND THEY WANT TO

THEY WANT TO TRY TO GO AT IT

RIGHT AWAY.

>> AND THAT IS QUITE POSSIBLE.

AND ALSO THE TYPE OF

CHEMOTHERAPY IS ALSO INDICATED

OR DICTATED BY THE TYPE OF

CANCER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. IN

CERTAIN CASES YOU CAN HAVE

TARGETED CHEMOTHERAPY AND IN

OTHER CASES YOU CAN GIVE MORE

GENERAL CHEMOTHERAPY. NOW THAT'S

IMPORTANT FOR THE PATIENT TO

KNOW ABOUT JUST IN TERMS OF WHAT

TO EXPECT. AND WHEN WE HEAR

ABOUT ABDOMINAL SURGERY BACK IN

JANUARY, THIS HAD BEEN REPORTED

AT THE TIME.

>> IT WOULD LIKELY BE FOOLISH TO

ASSUME THAT THIS IS ABDOMINAL

CANCER. IT COULD BE ANY NUMBER

OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CANCER

BASED ON WHAT THEY DISCOVERED

AFTERWARDS, ACCORDING TO THE

BUCKINGHAM PALACE HERE.

>> THAT'S EXACTLY CORRECT. SO

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ABDOMINAL

SURGERY AND ABDOMINAL CANCERS,

THAT CAN INCLUDE A VARIETY OF

DIFFERENT CAUSES. WE CAN TALK

ABOUT STOMACH CANCER. WE CAN

TALK ABOUT COLON CANCER, AND WE

CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT UTERINE

CANCER AND OVARIAN CANCER. ALL

OF THESE CANCERS AS, AS AS WELL

AS OTHER TYPES OF CANCERS CAN BE

POSSIBLE. BUT WE DO NOT KNOW

THAT INFORMATION AS WE RESPECT

HER PRIVACY, WE'RE GETTING

REACTION FROM THE PRIME MINISTER

OF THE U.K. DOCTOR DARREN

SUTTON.

>> DARIAN, THANK YOU. I WANT TO

BRING BACK IN MAGGIE FOR

REACTION FROM THE PRIME

MINISTER. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING?

>> YEAH, WE JUST HEARD FROM THE

PRIME MINISTER, RISHI SUNAK,

HERE IN THE U.K. HE HAD A

STATEMENT. THE LOVE AND SUPPORT

OF THE WHOLE COUNTRY GOES OUT TO

THE PRINCESS OF WALES AFTER SHE

ANNOUNCED SHE'S UNDERGOING

TREATMENT FOR CANCER. I THINK,

DAVID, IT CAN'T BE OVERSTATED

HOW IMPORTANT THE ROYAL FAMILY

IS FOR THIS COUNTRY AND THE FACT

THAT THE PRINCESS OF WALES, THE

FUTURE QUEEN, JUST ANNOUNCED

THAT SHE HAS CANCER. IT'S REALLY

ROCKING THIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW

SO MUCH. THE PRIME MINISTER MADE

THAT STATEMENT ALMOST

IMMEDIATELY AFTER HER VIDEO WAS

RELEASED. MAGGIE REALLY OUTSIDE

BUCKINGHAM PALACE.

>> MAGGIE. THANK YOU. OUR CHIEF

MEDICAL EDITOR, JEN ASHTON, ALSO

WITH US ON THE PHONE, AND DOCTOR

ASHTON, JUST TO ADD WHAT DOCTOR

SUTTON WAS OFFERING JUST MOMENTS

AGO, WHEN YOU HEAR FROM

BUCKINGHAM PALACE THAT THEY

DISCOVERED THE CANCER IN TESTING

FOLLOWING THE SURGERY, THAT'S

NOT UNCOMMON, RIGHT, DAVID?

>> I MEAN, I THINK WHEN PEOPLE

HEAR THIS STORY, IF THEY'RE

UNDERGOING ELECTIVE SCHEDULED

SURGERY, IT CAN BE FRIGHTENING,

RIGHT, TO THINK YOU'RE GOING IN

FOR SURGERY, FOR ONE THING, AND

YOU COME OUT THEN SOMETIME AFTER

THE SURGERY AND THE

POST-OPERATIVE PERIOD WITH A

DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER, IT'S

IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT

BEFORE WE TAKE A PATIENT TO THE

OPERATING ROOM, THERE ARE

CERTAIN TUMOR MARKERS THAT CAN

BE TESTED FOR WITH BLOOD TESTS.

AND THEN THERE'S IMAGING, CAT

SCANS, MRIS, ULTRASOUNDS THAT

TEND TO GIVE THE SURGEON AN IDEA

WHETHER SOMETHING IS MALIGNANT

OR BENIGN. AFTER THE SURGERY,

WHEN THE PATIENT GOES HOME TO

RECOVER, THAT'S WHEN THE

PATHOLOGISTS ARE GOING TO BE

STUDYING THOSE SPECIMENS. AND

THAT'S WHY THERE CAN BE A DELAY.

AND GETTING A CANCER DIAGNOSIS.

SOMEWHAT UNEXPECTED EARLY IN THE

POST-OPERATIVE PERIOD.

>> AND DOCTOR JEN, WHEN YOU HEAR

PRINCESS CATHERINE IN THAT

MESSAGE TOWARD THE END THERE

SAYING, I AM WELL, I AM GETTING

STRONGER EVERY DAY, I MUST FOCUS

ON A FULL RECOVERY. NOW, WHAT

DOES THAT TELL YOU?

>> MIND BODY CONNECTION. DAVID,

YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT

BEFORE. IT'S SO IMPORTANT WHEN

PEOPLE RECOVER FROM ANY

OPERATION, WHETHER IT'S ROUTINE,

WHETHER IT'S SCHEDULED, OR

WHETHER IT'S EMERGENT. THE MIND

HAS TO HEAL AND THE BODY HAS TO

HEAL. AND THOSE PROCESSES TAKE

TIME, AND SOMEONE'S SPIRIT AND

SOMEONE'S MINDSET IS AS

IMPORTANT AS THEIR PHYSICAL

CONDITION. GOING INTO THAT

PERIOD.

>> AND WE CANNOT OVERSTATE THE

FACT THAT SHE IS 42 YEARS OLD,

THE MOTHER OF THREE YOUNG

CHILDREN. SO SHE OUGHT TO BE

AFFORDED ALL THE TIME THAT SHE

NEEDS TO GET STRONGER AND TO GET

BETTER. JEN ASHTON WITH US AS

WELL. JEN, THANK YOU AS ALWAYS.

I WANT TO BRING IN ABC NEWS

CONTRIBUTOR, ROYAL EDITOR AT THE

LONDON EVENING STANDARD, FOR ONE

FINAL THOUGHT HERE. ROBERT, YOU

AND I HAVE BEEN ON THE AIR

COVERING THE ROYALS SO OFTEN AND

I CAN'T REMEMBER A SITUATION,

FIRST OF ALL, WHERE WE'VE HEARD

PRINCESS CATHERINE AT THIS

LENGTH IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA

WITH A MESSAGE BEING SEEN BY THE

WORLD AND CERTAINLY UNDER THESE

CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT ALSO BIG

PICTURE HERE TO KNOW THAT THE

KING IS BATTLING SOME FORM OF

CANCER, AND THAT PRINCESS

CATHERINE NOW SAYS SHE'S BEING

TREATED FOR PREVENTATIVE

CHEMOTHERAPY FOR A TYPE OF

CANCER. AS WELL. THIS IS A THIS

IS AN EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT FOR

THE ROYAL FAMILY.

>> WELL, DAVID, AS MAGGIE SAID,

THIS IS DEEPLY, DEEPLY SHOCKING.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T

EXPECT THAT ANYTHING LIKE THIS,

NOT ONLY TO HAVE THE KING, WHO'S

OBVIOUSLY NOT ONLY CARRYING OUT

CONSTITUTIONAL DUTIES, BUT HE'S

RECOVERING AND BEING TREATED FOR

CANCER. BUT THE OTHER REAL STAR

PERFORMER, THE PRINCESS OF

WALES, TO COME OUT AND WHAT I

THOUGHT WAS A COURAGEOUS

STATEMENT THE WAY SHE GAVE THAT

ADDRESS, IT SHOWED WHAT A STEELY

CHARACTER SHE IS AND WHAT YOU'RE

GUESTS HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT

HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR HER TO

HAVE THE MENTAL APPLICATION TO

DEAL WITH THIS. I HAVE NO DOUBT

WHATSOEVER SHE HAS THAT SHE'S

SOMEBODY WHO I THINK IS VERY

STRONG PERSON. YOU KNOW, NOT

ONLY SHE IS THE MOTHER OF THREE,

BUT SHE'S A DEEPLY COMMITTED TO

THE ROYAL FAMILY AND TO MAKING

SURE THAT SHE AND I THINK THERE

WAS WHAT I FELT IN THAT

STATEMENT WAS THAT THAT REAL

DETERMINATION TO BEAT THIS. AND

I'M SURE THAT THE MEDIA WILL

GIVE THEM THE TIME AND SPACE

THAT THEY NEED, BUT IT DOES ON

THE BIGGER PICTURE, PUT A LOT OF

PRESSURE ON PRINCE WILLIAM, THE

PRINCE OF WALES, THE HEIR TO THE

THRONE, AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF

THE ROYAL FAMILY. THERE ARE

FEWER AND FEWER, IT SEEMS, WITH

THE TWO STAR PERFORMERS. THE

KING AND THE PRINCESS OF WALES

ARE OUT OF ACTION. IT DOES DRAW

A LOT OF ATTENTION ON PRINCE

WILLIAM, WHO'S GOT A LOT TO DEAL

WITH AT THE MOMENT.

>> ROBERT JOBSON WITH US AS WELL

THIS AFTERNOON AS WE REPORT THE

NEWS THAT'S COMING IN FROM

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, PRINCESS

CATHERINE AND THAT STATEMENT TO

THE WORLD, TO THE PEOPLE OF THE

UK, AND CERTAINLY AROUND THE

GLOBE WHO'VE BEEN CONCERNED

ABOUT HER ABSENCE IN RECENT

WEEKS, SAYING SHE IS BEING

TREATED WITH PREVENTATIVE

CHEMOTHERAPY FOR A CANCER THAT

SHOWED UP IN TESTING FOLLOWING

THAT ABDOMINAL SURGERY. WE

SHOULD MENTION THE WHITE HOUSE

ADDRESSING THIS JUST MOMENTS

AGO, SAYING OUR THOUGHTS ARE

WITH THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE

AND HER FAMILY, HER FRIENDS

DURING THIS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT

TIME. CERTAINLY WE WISH HER A

FULL RECOVERY. WE RESPECT THEIR

PRIVACY, ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME

. I SHOULD NOTE THAT ALSO QUITE

TELLING IN THAT MESSAGE, AT

LEAST FOR ME, WAS THE FACT THAT

SHE POINTED OUT THE MILLIONS OF

OTHERS, CERTAINLY THROUGH THE

U.K. AND AROUND THE WORLD, WHO

ARE BATTLING SOME FORM OF

CANCER. SHE INDICATED THAT HER

THOUGHTS ARE WITH THEM AS WELL

AS SHE FIGHTS THIS. AND IN WHAT

HAS BECOME A VERY PUBLIC WAY,

BEGINNING TODAY, OUR COVERAGE IS

GOING TO CONTINUE ABC NEWS LIVE,

ABC NEWS.COM, AND OF COURSE,

I'LL BE BACK WITH THE ENTIRE

TEAM A BIT LATER. FOR WORLD NEWS

TONIGHT, I'M DAVID MUIR IN NEW

YORK. UNTIL THEN, GOOD DAY.

>> THIS HAS BEEN

,WHICH SHE STARTED

IN LATE FEBRUARY.

SHE SAID THE TESTS FOLLOWING

HER DOMINO SURGERY IN JANUARY

ACTUALLY REVEALED THE CANCER

AND THAT AT THE TIME OF HER

SURGERY, DOCTORS THOUGHT

HER CONDITION WAS NON-CANCEROUS

.

SO IT WAS DISCOVERED DURING

THAT SURGERY.

AND THE PRINCESS WENT ON TO SAY

THAT THIS DIAGNOSIS, OF COURSE,

CAME AS A HUGE SHOCK AND THAT

IT TOOK TIME TO RECOVER FROM

MAJOR SURGERY AND START

TREATMENT.

AND TO EXPLAIN TO HER

THREE YOUNG CHILDREN WHAT IS

HAPPENING WITH THEIR HEALTH

AND THEIR FAMILY AND THAT

SHE'S GOING TO BE OKAY.

SHE SAID HAVING HER HUSBAND,

PRINCE WILLIAM, BY HER SIDE

WAS, QUOTE, A GREAT SOURCE

OF COMFORT AND REASSURANCE.

SHE ALSO ASKED FOR PRIVACY

WHILE SHE HER TREATMENT.

THE ROYAL FAMILY OFTEN NOT

OFFERED THAT PRIVACY.

SHE WANTS TO FOCUS ON MAKING

FULL RECOVERY HERE, OF COURSE,