Prince Harry and Meghan Markle say they hope Kate Middleton can heal 'privately and in peace' following cancer diagnosis

• On Friday, Kate Middleton announced she has cancer and is undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said they wish "health and healing" to Kate in a statement to the BBC.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released a statement about Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis.

On Friday, the Princess of Wales revealed she has cancer in a video shared with the public.

She said she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy, which a Kensington Palace spokesperson said she began in late February. Kate did not specify what type of cancer she has or what stage it is, though she said she is "well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body, and spirits."

Shortly after the news became public, Harry and Meghan shared a statement with the BBC: "We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Harry and Meghan's relationship with William and Kate has been strained in recent years.

Rumors of a rift between the couples swirled for years, which Harry and Meghan confirmed in their interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 and in their Netflix series, "Harry & Meghan." William reportedly cut contact with Harry after the series aired in December 2022.

Harry also detailed his tumultuous relationship with his brother in his memoir, "Spare," released in January 2023.

The last time the "Fab Four," as they used to be known, appeared together was in September 2022, when they did a walkabout at Windsor Castle together following Queen Elizabeth II's death. A Kensington Palace spokesperson told The Times of London at the time that Prince William orchestrated the walk.

It's unclear if Harry and Meghan's statement about Kate indicates a thawing of the ice between the in-laws. When Harry visited King Charles following his diagnosis in February, he did not see William or Kate. However, when ABC News' Will Reeve asked him if the king's cancer could have a "reunifying effect" on the royals, he said: "Yeah, I'm sure."