Princess Catherine praised for her ‘sincere, dignified and poised’ health announcement

It’s been nearly three weeks since the world stopped spinning for a brief moment when Catherine, the Princess of Wales, announced she was undergoing preventive treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer.

The shocking announcement, delivered personally by the princess as a video message, came after months of speculation around her health after her abdominal surgery in January.

Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, speaking to PEOPLE magazine, praised the Princess for overcoming her inherent shyness to deliver the momentous and difficult message in a way which was “sincere, dignified, poised, and forthright.”

“She is inherently shy, and for her to do that took a lot,” Bedell Smith said.

The royal expert also pointed out that Princess Catherine echoed the late Queen Elizabeth II when she concluded the video by reaching out to others facing cancer, telling them they are not alone.

“When she ended with ‘You are not alone,’ it rang a bell with something that Queen Elizabeth would have said,” Bedell 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.

“It was a way of reassuring people not only about her condition but helping them have courage.

“There was not a trace of self-pity. She projected honesty.

“It was the right balance.”

Also speaking to PEOPLE, a palace source commented on Princess Catherine’s choice to appear alone in her video.

“It is a message from the princess about her health, and she wanted to personally deliver the message on her own,” the source said before adding that Prince William has been “supporting her throughout” this difficult time.

“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 palace source went on to say.

“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.”

Princess Catherine’s fortitude and grace has been highly praised from all corners of the globe.

And recently she stunned those who had sent her get well soon cards with personal thank you notes from Kensington Palace.

One such gesture was revealed by @AllexmarieHoll1, who shared her experience of receiving a thank you card from Kensington Palace.

Back in January when we were informed our beautiful Princess of Wales had undergone surgery I sent her a card with our (my family and I) sincerest best wishes for healing and of course an abundance of love.

Today I received this beautiful acknowledgement and I can honestly say… pic.twitter.com/iMX4WKTGyS

— Allexmarie (@AllexmarieHoll1) April 6, 2024

In her post Allex said, “Today I received this beautiful acknowledgement and I can honestly say I shall treasure this my entire life.”

These gestures together with both Prince William and Princess Catherine conveying their gratitude for the global outpouring of support they’ve received since the cancer announcement is further testament to the pair’s unwavering bond with the public.