Kensington Palace issues statement on why the type of cancer Kate Middleton has won't be revealed

Kensington Palace has issued a statement explaining why it will not reveal the type of cancer the Princess of Wales has been diagnosed with.

Princess Kate confirmed her cancer diagnosis in a video message on Friday evening. She explained that after undergoing "major abdominal surgery" in January for a condition that was thought to be non-cancerous, test results later showed that "cancer had been present".

The royal said she was advised to undergo preventative treatment and is "now in the early stages of that treatment".

READ MORE: Kate Middleton announces she has cancer - live updates

In an emotional video, she said: "William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok."

Kate did not reveal the type of cancer she has been diagnosed with and Kensington Palace confirmed that the information would not be made public for privacy reasons.

In a statement, the Palace said: "We will not be sharing any further private medical information. The Princess has a right to medical privacy, as we all do." It added that Kate was now "on a recovery pathway having commenced a course of preventative chemotherapy".

Kate's diagnosis comes after mounting speculation surrounding her health following the news of her surgery earlier this year. The Palace had said the princess would not return to public duties until after Easter while she recovered at home after spending 13