LONDON: Catherine, Princess of Wales, on Friday revealed that she has cancer, saying in a video message that the diagnosis was a “huge shock but I am well and getting stronger every day.”

The news came months after she had stepped away from public life temporarily.

“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous,” said Catherine, 42, who is married to Prince William.

“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 am now in the early stages of that treatment.”

“William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she added.