Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shared a message of support for Kate Middleton, after her shock cancer diagnosis.
Catherine, Princess of Wales shared the news through a video shared online on Friday evening, UK time.
She explained after her planned abdominal surgery in January, further testing had uncovered the presence of cancerous cells and she was now undergoing preventive chemotherapy treatment.
The Princess, 42, did not share what type of cancer she was battling.
In a statement shared to X, formerly Twitter, Mr Albanese praised the royal’s “extraordinary courage” shown in her public statement.
“My thoughts, and those of Australians, are with the Princess of Wales and her family following the news of her cancer diagnosis,” he said.
“The Princess of Wales has shown extraordinary courage with her public statement today, in which she expresses her concern for others.”
Kate’s announcement follows weeks of increasingly fevered speculation as to her whereabouts, spurred on by a heavily edited image of the Princess and her children being shared by Kensington Palace to mark Mother’s Day in the UK.
The photo was published by most major news agencies, but was killed within 24 hours, with Associated Press saying it appeared the source had manipulated the photo.
Kate later put out a statement saying she, like many amateur photographers, liked to experiment with editing and that she apologised for any confusion caused.
The Princess did not comment on the speculation in her video, and instead focused on those who had shown her family support as she began the early stages of treatment.
“I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding while I have been recovering from surgery,” she said at the start of the clip.
“It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.”
She said while the diagnosis had come as a “shock” to her and her family, she was feeling “stronger every day” and asked for privacy as she continued treatment.
“I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirit,” she said.
“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.
“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.”
She concluded with a message of support to others fighting cancer, urging them not to lose hope.
“You are not alone,” she said.