The Princess of Wales, who announced tonight that she has cancer at the age of 42, previously donated her hair to young people with the disease.
Kate announced in an emotional video that her diagnosis came as a ‘huge shock’, revealing she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
The princess, whose cancer was only discovered after an unrelated stomach operation, has long been a supporter of various cancer charities.
In 2018, the future queen even cut seven centimeters of her own hair to donate it to the Little Princess Trust – a charity that makes realistic wigs for children who have lost their hair through cancer treatment.
The idea was thought to have come to the Duchess after she had her hair cut at Kensington Palace by hairdresser Joey Wheeler, who then worked for Richard Ward Hair in Chelsea.
Kate announced in an emotional video that her diagnosis came as a ‘huge shock’, revealing she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy
Sitting on a bench in Windsor, surrounded by spring flowers, the Princess of Wales has taken the extraordinary step of revealing to the world that she has cancer
Catherine’s emotional and extraordinary words in her unprecedented video message
‘Four months ago Joey persuaded her it was time to take some of her hair off; he said it was just getting too far,’ a royal source said at the time.
‘While Joey was cutting away, she got the idea to do something good with it instead of throwing it away. She mentioned it to Joey, who thought it was a brilliant idea.
‘It was sent with someone else’s name so the trust didn’t know it was from a royal source – they just thought it was from a female donor in the Kensington area.’
The source added: “It’s lovely to think of a place where a little girl is happily wearing a wig made from a real princess’s hair. It’s a very heartwarming thing for Kate to have done and very thoughtful to use hair that otherwise just would have been thrown away.’
It is believed that Kate did not use her own name when she donated her locks to the charity.
This evening the princess made a shock statement about her health after weeks of speculation on social media.
Kate said her husband William has ‘done everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family’.
From a bench surrounded by daffodils and spring flowers, the future queen said: ‘It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is suitable for them and to reassure them that I will be OK.
‘As I have told them; I feel good and get stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirit. Having William by my side is also a great source of comfort and reassurance.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were spotted together last week when William attended The Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey
The Princess of Wales said her family (pictured together on December 25) ‘need time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment’
‘Like the love, support and kindness shown by so many of you. It means so much to both of us.’
The video comes just days after the royal couple were spotted smiling at their local farm shop.
The announcement has sent shockwaves around the world after weeks of speculation – and crazy conspiracy theories – about Kate’s health.
Her diagnosis creates a new crisis for the slender monarchy at a time when King Charles is also being treated for cancer.
In January, Sarah, Duchess of York, was diagnosed with skin cancer, just six months after being treated for breast cancer.
In response to the public statement, Buckingham Palace said the king is “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking out as she did”.
Following their time in hospital together, the King has ‘remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law over recent weeks’.
It added that both Charles and Camilla ‘will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time’.
The prime minister also sent his regards to the princess, writing in a statement that his thoughts were with the royal family and the three children at this very difficult time.
Rishi Sunak praised the Princess of Wales’ ‘enormous bravery’ after she announced she was undergoing treatment for cancer.
He added that Kate had been ‘unfairly treated’ and ‘subjected to intense scrutiny’ in recent weeks and called for her privacy to focus on her recovery and be with her family.