8 months ago
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The Princess of Wales is staying strong.
UK body language expert Judi James told Page Six that the “obviously” frail Middleton, who announced on Friday that she has been diagnosed with cancer, radiated “an ongoing strength.”
On Friday, the Princess of Wales appeared in a heartbreaking video to announce that she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.
Body language expert Judi James said that Middleton displayed strength in her cancer announcement video. BBC Studios James called the speech “one of the bravest solo speeches of any royal in history.” BBC Studios“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous,” she said while sitting on a garden bench. “The surgery was successful.”
“However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”
Casually dressed in a striped sweater and jeans, Middleton, 42, looked pale while admitting that the initial diagnosis “came as a huge shock.”
Middleton shared her cancer diagnosis in a video on Friday. Bav Media/Shutterstock The royal confessed that the diagnosis was a “huge shock.” Shutterstock“William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she explained.
Palace sources told Page Six that the royal couple had wanted to keep the information private until their children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — had time to “understand and process the news before it was made public.”
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How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle metPrince William and Kate Middleton’s relationship timelineRoyal family tree and line of successionHowever, the children began Easter vacation from their schools on Friday and the couple thought that now was the right time to go public with the health news.
James did note that the Princess of Wales was “obviously” frail in the video. BBC Studios James also shared that she saw “many signs of an ongoing strength.” BBC StudiosJames acknowledged that the royal “looked pale and rather drawn” but also delivered “one of the bravest solo speeches of any royal in history.”
“The fact she sits alone is a testament to her strength and courage. Despite her obvious frailty, there are many signs of ongoing strength, determination, and firmness in her non-verbal signals.”
“And it appears that the mother-of-three hasn’t lost her sense of humor.”
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“One eyebrow is raised in an expression of some humor,” James noted before adding that the royal was serious when she asked for “time, space, and privacy to recovery.”
“Her lips purse and pucker to show she means (that),” James explained.
James also picked up on a gesture that could be a nod toward her marriage which has come under fire in recent weeks.
Middleton asked for “time and space” while she recovers. Daniel Leal/WPA Pool/Shutterstock Middleton ended the video with a message for others battling cancer. Anthony Harvey/ShutterstockTheories abounded that William had been conducting an affair with British aristocrat Rose Hanbury, which Stephen Colbert joked about on his late-night chat show.
The body language expert noted Middleton flashed a “faint smile of affection” when mentioning William as “a great source of comfort and reassurance.”
Middleton concluded her message by speaking directly to others battling cancer.
“At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone,” she said.
