Catherine, the Princess of Wales, announced in a video Friday that she is undergoing treatment for cancer.
It is the second cancer diagnosis for a member of the Royal Family in as many months. King Charles III announced his own cancer diagnosis and treatment in early February.
Northeastern University psychology expert Laurie Kramer praised the family for being public about the diagnoses — both Middleton’s and the king’s — as it may enable more people to get screened for cancer and understand the risks of a diagnosis.
“It’s unfortunate this is happening, but them putting this out publicly can help other people,” Kramer says. “Even though they were not terribly forthcoming with all the details about these sorts of things, it’s truly a public service.”
The princess, commonly known as Kate Middleton, said in the video that she was advised to “undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy” and is now “in the early stages of that treatment.”
She did not specify what type of cancer she has or at what stage it was found.
