TWO minutes and 16 seconds – that’s how long it took for her to deliver the news that simultaneously stunned and chastised the world.
The video, filmed by the BBC two days before it was released, showed a pale yet composed Kate, seated alone on a bench in Windsor, a backdrop of daffodils adding a splash of colour to a grey British spring day.
Despite the enormity of the occasion, the Princess of Wales was in typical form: straightforward, compassionate, reassuring.
It was only when she started speaking about her children that she looked down – a fleeting insight into the roiling emotions she must have been feeling.
Kate’s cancer announcement was a shocking climax to the intense speculation and rampant conspiracy theories that had been doing the rounds since she was admitted to hospital in January.
For weeks people demanded to know where she was and what was really going on. The theories fed an information vacuum from the palace – but now we know exactly what’s been going on. And the news is terrible.
“In January I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time it was thought my condition was non-cancerous,” she said. “The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of treatment.”
The outpouring of support from across the globe was swift – and some people who’d made fun of Kate being missing in action ate humble pie.
Denne historien er fra 4 April 2024-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra 4 April 2024-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!
THE eyes HAVE IT
They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life