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‘This is not just an institution, it's a family...they're human beings’
Former British royal spokesman Paddy Harverson has urged the public to allow the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, the necessary time and space to recuperate following Catherine's recent cancer diagnosis.
Harverson, who had worked for the couple, defended how Kensington Palace handled the news, reports BBC.
Worldwide support pours in for Kate after shocking cancer reveal
"This is not just an institution, it's a family... you also have to remember they're human beings," he said while speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
Catherine, 42, disclosed her cancer diagnosis on Friday, revealing that treatment had commenced subsequent to abdominal surgery. While specifics about her condition remain undisclosed, Kensington Palace has expressed confidence in her full recovery.
Prince Harry, Meghan hope Kate and family can heal ‘privately and in peace’
The revelation followed a period of intense speculation surrounding Catherine's health, compounded by her absence from official events since Christmas. Speculation peaked following a photograph released on Mother's Day, which triggered social media frenzy due to perceived inconsistencies.
Addressing concerns about the timing of the announcement, Victoria Newton, editor of The Sun, explained that Catherine had strategically chosen to disclose her diagnosis on the last day of her children's school term to shield them from unwanted attention, it said.
Princess of Wales Kate through the years
Harverson defended the royal family's handling of the situation, denouncing the incessant speculation propagated by social media platforms. He emphasized the need for understanding and support during this challenging time, dismissing notions of the family's fragility in light of recent health issues.
The announcement prompted an outpouring of support from well-wishers, with a Kensington Palace spokesman expressing gratitude for the understanding of the couple's request for privacy. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly reached out to offer their support to William and Catherine, the report also said.
As the royal family navigates Catherine's diagnosis, Buckingham Palace remains hopeful that King Charles will join them for Easter Sunday service, underscoring the monarch's pride in his daughter-in-law and the family's close-knit bond during this trying period.
Worldwide support pours in for Kate after shocking cancer reveal
Support poured in from around the world Saturday for Kate, the Princess of Wales, after she revealed in a candid video message that she is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer following major abdominal surgery.
The princess's poignant video, in which she spoke about the “huge shock” and “incredibly tough couple of months” for her family after her diagnosis, came after weeks of frenzied speculation on social media about her health and well-being.
“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,” Kate said in the video, which was recorded Wednesday in Windsor.
“It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK," she added, referring to her three young children.
Kate, 42, did not say what type of cancer was discovered after she underwent what she described as “major” abdominal surgery. She said she is now in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy, and is “getting stronger every day.”
The royal said it had been thought that her condition was non-cancerous, until post-surgery tests revealed the diagnosis.
The announcement will at least partly tamp down the intense and sometimes fantastical speculation and conspiracy theories about Kate's condition that have multiplied on social media since Kensington Palace announced in mid-January that she had been hospitalized for unspecified abdominal surgery.
Hashtags including “WeLoveYouCatherine” and “GetWellSoonCatherine” were trending Friday on X, formerly Twitter, while political leaders, celebrities and cancer survivors sent messages of support.
“She has been subjected to intense scrutiny and has been unfairly treated by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. “She has shown tremendous bravery with her statement.”
U.S. President Joe Biden posted on social media, saying he and first lady Jill Biden “join millions around the world in praying for your full recovery, Princess Kate.”
King Charles III, who is also undergoing treatment for an unspecified type of cancer, said in a statement that he was “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did." Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who have been estranged from the royal family since their move to California in 2020, said they wished “health and healing for Kate and the family."
Until Friday there had been little information about Kate's condition, and her months-long disappearance from public view fueled a flurry of rumor-mongering about the “missing” future queen.
Officials had only said that Kate's surgery in January was successful and recuperation would keep the princess away from public duties until April.
Feelings of distrust about the royals gained ground earlier this month after Kate acknowledged that she had edited an official photo released to mark Mother’s Day in the U.K.
The photo, which was meant to calm and reassure the public, triggered a backlash after The Associated Press and other news agencies retracted the image over concerns it was manipulated.
Even a video published last week by The Sun and TMZ that appeared to show Kate and William shopping near their home did not dispel the negative coverage, with some armchair detectives refusing to believe the video showed Kate at all.
In contrast, many of Saturday's newspaper frontpages featured sympathetic headlines, with The Sun proclaiming: “Kate, you are not alone.” The Daily Telegraph featured an opinion piece that read: “Sickening online trolls revelling in Princess's misery ought to be ashamed.” The news also featured prominently in international newspapers from Italy to France.
“I understand why she was keeping it a secret, but I am glad everyone knows now so they can not make assumptions," said Madeleine Pullitzer, an American student in Paris.
Well-wishers and royal fans visiting Windsor and Kensington Palace expressed their support for Kate and the royal family.
“I hope that they can find hope and some togetherness in their family,” said Andrea Stunz, who was visiting London from Texas when she heard the news. "We’ll be praying for them. We will be praying for the family.”
Like Charles before her, Kate's decision to disclose her condition was praised for encouraging the public to think more about their own health and get worrying symptoms checked.
Kate directly addressed all those affected by cancer in her video, saying: “Please do not lose faith or hope.”
“This announcement is a stark and shocking reminder that cancer is no respecter of age or social status," said oncologist and cancer awareness campaigner Pat Price. “A cancer diagnosis is always deeply concerning, but the fact that the princess is so young and very much in the prime of her life makes this news all the more upsetting and unsettling.”
It's not immediately clear when Kate will be able to return to public life.
Kate and William are not expected to join other royals for the traditional Easter Sunday service in Windsor.
“The Princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team," a Kensington Palace spokesperson said. “She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery.”
Russia detains 11 in Moscow concert hall attack that killed at least 133
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that authorities have detained 11 people in the attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people and left the sprawling venue a smoldering ruin.
In an address to the nation, Putin called it “a bloody, barbaric terrorist act” and said all four people who were directly involved had been taken into custody. He suggested they had been trying to cross the border into Ukraine which, he said, tried to create a “window” to help them escape.
Ukraine has strongly denied any involvement in the attack. Putin said Saturday that additional security measures have been imposed throughout the country and declared March 24 a day of national mourning.
The Islamic State group’s Afghanistan branch claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack in a statement posted on affiliated channels on social media. A U.S. intelligence official told The Associated Press that U.S. agencies had confirmed that the group was responsible for the attack.
The attack, which was the deadliest in Russia in years, came just days after Putin cemented his grip on power in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide and as the country’s war in Ukraine dragged into a third year.
Some Russian lawmakers pointed the finger at Ukraine immediately after the attack. But Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied any involvement.
“Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Everything in this war will be decided only on the battlefield.”
Ukraine’s foreign ministry also denied that the country had any involvement and accused Moscow of using the attack to try to stoke fervor for its war efforts.
“We consider such accusations to be a planned provocation by the Kremlin to further fuel anti-Ukrainian hysteria in Russian society, create conditions for increased mobilization of Russian citizens to participate in the criminal aggression against our country and discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the international community,” a ministry said in a statement.
Images shared by Russian state media Saturday showed a fleet of emergency vehicles still gathered outside the ruins of Crocus City Hall, which had a maximum capacity of more than 6,000 people.
Videos posted online showed gunmen in the venue shooting civilians at point-blank range. Russian news reports cited authorities and witnesses as saying the attackers threw explosive devices that started the fire. The roof of the theater, where crowds had gathered for a performance by the Russian rock band Picnic, collapsed early Saturday as firefighters spent hours fighting the blaze.
In a statement posted by its Aamaq news agency, the IS's Afghanistan affiliate said it had attacked a large gathering of “Christians” in Krasnogorsk. It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the claim.
A U.S. intelligence official told the AP that American intelligence agencies had gathered information in recent weeks that the IS branch was planning an attack in Moscow, and that U.S. officials had privately shared the intelligence earlier this month with Russian officials.
The official was briefed on the matter but was not authorized to publicly discuss the intelligence information and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Messages of outrage, shock and support for the victims and their families have streamed in from around the world.
On Friday, the U.N. Security Council condemned “the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack” and underlined the need for the perpetrators to be held accountable. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the terrorist attack “in the strongest possible terms,” his spokesman said.
Meanwhile hundreds of people stood in line on Saturday in Moscow to donate blood and plasma, Russia’s health ministry said.
Putin, who extended his grip on Russia for another six years in this week’s presidential vote after a sweeping crackdown on dissent, had publicly denounced the Western warnings of a potential terrorist attack as an attempt to intimidate Russians. “All that resembles open blackmail and an attempt to frighten and destabilize our society,” he said earlier this week.
In October 2015, a bomb planted by IS downed a Russian passenger plane over Sinai, killing all 224 people on board, most of them Russian vacation-goers returning from Egypt. The group, which operates mainly in Syria and Iraq but also in Afghanistan and Africa, also has claimed several attacks in Russia’s volatile Caucasus and other regions in the past years. It recruited fighters from Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union.
King Charles ‘proud of Catherine for her courage’
Following the Princess of Wales' statement that she had cancer, King Charles said he was "so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did."
Charles, who was also diagnosed with cancer following a treatment for an enlarged prostate, is still in "closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law," according to Buckingham Palace, reports CNN.
Prince Harry, Meghan hope Kate and family can heal ‘privately and in peace’
"Both Their Majesties will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time," said the palace.
The princess's health status was updated following her successful operation on her abdomen on January 16. She stayed in a London hospital for 13 days after the operation and, per the doctor's suggestion, has been away from the public eye during her recovery, the report said.
What is known about Kate's cancer diagnosis
Kate was seen in public for the first time since January, when she went to a farm store with her husband Prince William last weekend.
Kate, Princess of Wales, says she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy
Prince Harry, Meghan hope Kate and family can heal ‘privately and in peace’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have wished Catherine, Princess of Wales, "health and healing" after she announced her cancer diagnosis.
Prince Harry and Meghan expressed hope that Catherine and her family may heal "privately and in peace" in a brief statement, reports BBC.
Catherine described the news as a "huge shock" after a "incredibly tough couple of months" on Friday.
She stated that she was "well" and "getting stronger every day".
The specifics of the cancer have not been disclosed. According to Kensington Palace, the princess is sure that she will fully recover, the report said.
What is known about Kate's cancer diagnosis
Catherine had abdominal surgery in January, although the presence of cancer was unknown at the time.
Following testing indicated the presence of cancer.
Harry and Meghan stood down as senior royals in January 2020.
They moved to California in June, citing a need for more room to raise their son, Archie. Lilibet, the second child, was born the following year.
King Charles was also recently diagnosed with cancer, and Harry went to London in early February to meet his father just one day after he began treatment. He did not meet his older brother during the trip.
King Charles ‘proud of Catherine for her courage’
Harry's relationship with his brother is said to have deteriorated since he made the announcement that he was leaving his royal responsibilities, the report also said.
Harry talked about his falling out with William in his book, “Spare”.
In recent years, the brothers have rarely been seen together.
Princess of Wales Kate through the years
After weeks of speculation about her whereabouts, Kate, the Princess of Wales, announced in a video message Friday that she is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
Kate, 42, was hospitalized in January for unspecified abdominal surgery and until this week hadn’t been seen publicly since Christmas, sparking a frenzy of conjecture about her health.
That didn’t stop after Kensington Palace released a photo of Kate and her children on March 10 to coincide with Mother’s Day in the U.K. The move backfired when The Associated Press and other news agencies retracted the picture from publication because it appeared to have been manipulated. Kate issued a statement acknowledging she liked to “experiment with editing” and apologizing for “any confusion” the photo had caused.
What is known about Kate's cancer diagnosis
This week, video surfaced of her with her husband, Prince William, at a farm shop near their Windsor home, which set off another round of wild rumors.
The royal family announced last month that King Charles III was being treated for an unspecified type of cancer. Charles’ relative openness about his diagnosis was a departure for the generally secretive royal family.
The former Kate Middleton, who married William in a fairy-tale wedding in 2011, has boosted the popularity and appeal of the British monarchy worldwide more than any royal since Princess Diana.
Kate, Princess of Wales, says she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy
Kate and William moved with their three children — George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 5 — from Kensington Palace in central London to a cottage near Windsor Castle in 2022, emphasizing their desire to raise the children in relative privacy.
What is known about Kate's cancer diagnosis
Kate, the Princess of Wales, has disclosed that she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy — though in a video announcement Friday, she did not say what kind of cancer or reveal details of her treatment.
Here's what is known:
What kind of surgery did Kate have?Kate had what was described as abdominal surgery on Jan. 16. The news wasn't announced until the next day, when Kensington Palace revealed that Kate was recovering from a planned operation.
At the time, officials said her condition wasn't cancerous but did not specify what kind of surgery, saying only that it was successful.
When was Kate's cancer found?During the video announcement Friday, Kate said: “Tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” and that she was in the early stages of treatment.
Kate, Princess of Wales, says she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy
She didn't say what kind of cancer was found, nor did she give details of her chemotherapy. The statement from Kensington Palace said Kate found out about the cancer after post-surgery tests were done.
Is it unusual to find cancer after surgery?While it's rare to find cancer after surgery for a noncancerous problem, it does happen in about 4% of such surgeries, said Dr. Yuman Fong, a surgeon at City of Hope cancer center in Southern California.
“That 4% figure represents someone who’s going to the operating room for what is thought to be benign disease” such as a procedure to remove the gallbladder or ovarian cysts, Fong said.
Is it unusual to find cancer in someone so young?Yes, cancer is rare in young adults. But in developed countries, rates of some cancers are rising among younger adults. Kate is 42.
“We hate it when young people get cancer, but at the same time, they are the ones that recover best,” Fong said.
What kind of treatment is Kate having?The palace statement said no details would be provided about her cancer or her treatment, other than she started it in late February.
Princess Kate says sorry for manipulated family photo, saying she was experimenting with editing
“We will not be sharing any further private medical information. The Princess has a right to medical privacy as we all do,” the statement said.
After successful surgery, chemotherapy is often used to help kill any stray cancer cells and to prevent the cancer from coming back. Treatments have evolved, and when chemo is used now, it’s sometimes for shorter periods or lower doses than it once was.
What are the side effects of chemotherapy?Fatigue, nausea, tingling in the hands and feet, and sometimes hair loss are side effects of chemotherapy, said Dr. Monica Avila of Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. But there are medications for improving these side effects. And cold caps that cool the scalp can prevent hair loss, Avila said.
“A patient can take anywhere from a few weeks to a month or two to recover from those effects,” Avila said. Numbness and tingling can take longer to disappear, she said.
How long will Kate's treatment last?The palace statement said that will be up to her doctors. "The princess is now on a recovery pathway,” the statement said.
Ramadan message at London’s King's Cross station removed after public debate
UK’s Network Rail found itself at the center of a public debate after a sign displaying an Islamic message for Ramadan was posted at London King's Cross station and subsequently removed.
The message, intended to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, drew both criticism and praise from passengers who shared their views on social media, according to BBC reports.
Network Rail clarified that the message was inadvertently displayed on the main train departure board, which is traditionally reserved for train schedules and information.
Network Rail said it is investigating the oversight, particularly why standard celebratory messages for Ramadan were not utilized.
“We celebrate all the major religious festivals, from Christmas to Ramadan, at King's Cross to mirror the diverse backgrounds of both our passengers and employees,” a spokesperson for Network Rail explained to BBC.
The spokesperson added, “Our main departure board should be reserved for train information and our general Ramadan celebratory messages weren't used for some reason, which we're looking into.”
The issue has been resolved, with Network Rail confirming that the appropriate corrections have been made.
The display sparked controversy on the social media platform X, where some users criticized the decision to post the passage. Humanists UK expressed its disapproval, stating that public rail stations should not promote religious messages urging “sinners” to repent. The organization announced plans to contact the transport secretary to voice their concerns, labeling the incident as “obviously inappropriate and profoundly misjudged.”
Conversely, the message received accolades from some quarters for highlighting the spirit of Ramadan in a public space. The Islam Channel lauded the initiative on X, commenting on “The beauty of Ramadan in unexpected places” and acknowledging the reminder of the holy month's blessings and wisdom provided by the hadith displayed at King's Cross station.
Putin poised to rule Russia for 6 more years after an election with no other real choices
Russian President Vladimir Putin is poised to extend nearly a quarter century of rule for six more years on Sunday after wrapping up an election that gave voters no real alternatives to an autocrat who has ruthlessly cracked down on dissent.
The three-day election that began Friday has taken place in a tightly controlled environment where no public criticism of Putin or his war in Ukraine is allowed. Putin’s fiercest political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison last month, and other critics are either in jail or in exile.
The 71-year-old Russian leader faces three token rivals from Kremlin-friendly parties who have refrained from any criticism of his 24-year rule or his full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago. Putin has boasted of Russian battlefield successes in the run-up to the vote, but a massive Ukrainian drone attack across Russia early Sunday sent a reminder of challenges faced by Moscow.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 35 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four near the Russian capital. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no casualties or damage.
Russia’s wartime economy has proven resilient, expanding despite bruising Western sanctions. The Russian defense industry has served as a key growth engine, working around the clock to churn out missiles, tanks and ammunition.
Russia’s scattered opposition has urged those unhappy with Putin or the war to express their protest by coming to the polls at noon on Sunday. The strategy was endorsed by Navalny not long before his death.
Voting is taking place at polling stations across the vast country’s 11 time zones, in illegally annexed regions of Ukraine, and online. Despite tight controls, at least a half-dozen cases of vandalism at polling stations were reported Friday and Saturday.
A 50-year-old university professor was imprisoned Saturday for 15 days after she tried to throw green liquid into a ballot box in the Urals city of Ekaterinburg, local news site Ura.ru reported. In Podolsk, a town close to Moscow, a woman was fined 30,000 rubles ($342) and charged with “discrediting the Russian army” after spoiling her ballot with an unspecified message, according to OVD-Info, a police monitoring group.
Ahead of the election, Putin cast his war in Ukraine, now in its third year, as a life-or-death battle against the West seeking to break up Russia.
Putin has boasted about recent gains in Ukraine, where Russian troops have made slow advances relying on their edge in firepower. Ukraine has fought back by intensifying cross-border shelling and raids, and by launching drone strikes deep inside Russia.
Air raid sirens sounded multiple times Saturday in the Russian border city of Belgorod, where two people were killed by Ukrainian shelling, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had thwarted attempts to enter the country by “Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups,” following claims by Ukraine-based Russian opponents of the Kremlin last week that they had made an armed incursion into the Belgorod and Kursk regions.
Western leaders have derided the election as a travesty of democracy.
Beyond the lack of options for voters, the possibilities for independent monitoring are very limited. No significant international observers were present. Only registered, Kremlin-approved candidates, or state-backed advisory bodies, can assign observers to polling stations, decreasing the likelihood of independent watchdogs.
Ukraine launches far-ranging drone attacks on final day of Russia's presidential vote
Ukraine launched a new massive wave of drone attacks Sunday as Russians cast ballots on the final day of a presidential vote set to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule for another six years.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 35 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four in the Moscow region.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no casualties or damage.
According to the Defense Ministry, another two drones were shot over the Kaluga region just south of the Russian capital and the Yaroslavl region northeast of Moscow.
The attacks on the Yaroslavl region, which is located about 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border, were some of the farthest launched by Ukraine so far.
More Ukrainian drones were downed over the Belgorod, Kursk and Rostov regions that border Ukraine and the southern Krasnodar region, the Defense Ministry said.
The attacks followed a series of other Ukrainian drone raids and other attacks over the past few days that Putin described as an attempt by Ukraine to frighten residents and derail Russia's presidential election.
“Those enemy strikes haven’t been and won’t be left unpunished,” he vowed during Friday's meeting of his Security Council. “I’m sure that our people, the people of Russia, will respond to that with even greater cohesion."
As the war dragged into a third year, Russian forces have made some slow and incremental gains along the front line, relying on their edge in firepower, while Ukraine has fought back with more drone attacks deep inside Russia and cross-border raids.
On Saturday, two people were killed and three others were wounded in the Ukrainian shelling of the Russian border city of Belgorod which has faced regular attacks.
The Russian military also claimed it thwarted another attempted cross-border incursion by Ukrainian “sabotage and reconnaissance groups” on Saturday.
The Russian Volunteer Corps — which includes Russians fighting alongside Ukrainian forces — released a video on social media Saturday alleging to have captured 25 Russian soldiers. The claim couldn't be independently verified.
Cross-border attacks in the area have taken place sporadically since the war began and have been the subject of claims and counterclaims, as well as disinformation and propaganda.