By Sheila Mckenzie-
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have released a statement after their sister-in-law Kate Middleton announced that she is receiving cancer treatment.
“We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement shared with PEOPLE on Friday.
The statement followed an announcement from the Princess of Wales that she has been diagnosed with cancer, and is in the early stages of receiving chemotherapy treatment.
In a “personal message” filmed in the gardens of Windsor Castle by the BBC, Catherine told of her “shock” when her condition was discovered after she had major abdominal surgery in January.
She has since been the subject of wild rumours, and Friday’s news prompted Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to condemn the “lurid” and “unfair” speculation of recent weeks.
Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, last stepped out with Princess Kate and Prince William for a surprise walkabout in Windsor following the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in Europe for a series of charity events when Queen Elizabeth died at age 96. The couple extended their trip from California, where they relocated after stepping back from their royal roles in 2020, for the funerary events.
On Friday, Princess Kate released a video message to share that following her abdominal surgery in January, post-operative tests “found cancer had been present.”
The Princess of Wales explained that she is in the “early stages” of a course of preventative chemotherapy and that she and Prince William took time to explain the situation to their children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, before the public announcement.
King Charles and Queen Camilla separately said in a statement that they were “so proud” of the Princess of Wales “for her courage in speaking as she did”, according to Buckingham Palace.
The statement added that the monarch, who was himself diagnosed with cancer in February, remains in the “closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law”.
When the King revealed his cancer diagnosis in February, Prince Harry flew from Los Angeles to speak to his father. He is not believed to be on good terms with his father over family issues, although his father is said to have reached out with an olive branch to his son last year.