BBC issues major statement after Kate Middleton’s cancer announcement

A BBC staff member who recorded the video message of Princess of Wales announcing her cancer diagnosis has spoken out about the filming process and addressed speculation regarding potential editing of the footage.

Kate Middleton's announcement was broadcast before the Six O'Clock News on Friday. 

The mother-of-three disclosed her cancer diagnosis and ongoing chemotherapy treatment following significant abdominal surgery, though she did not specify the type of cancer she has.

In the video, which was said to have been recorded on Wednesday, the future queen said: 'In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. 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.'

A BBC Studios insider said there had been no editing of the video and what viewers saw was what was shot by the team, who were also responsible for covering the King's Coronation and Queen Elizabeth's funeral. 

BBC Studios had no editorial input into the message that was conveyed and were non involved in the distribution of the video and made no edits to the recording.

This followed controversy over a 'manipulated' Mother's Day photo of Kate with her children which was later withdrawn with a 'kill' notice by international agencies after there were suspicions that it had been digitally altered.

After the video was aired, BBC Studios issued a short statement, which read: "BBC Studios filmed a message from the Princess of Wales at Windsor this week. We would like to wish Her Royal Highness a speedy recovery."

Chris Ship, ITV News royal editor, has suggested that Princess Kate chose to share that she's undergoing treatment for cancer in a video message as a way for it to be "personal". 

During the ITV News, host Charlene White said about Princess Kate's video announcement: ''It's a moment she chose to do on video, which is very different from doing it in a written statement. What can we read into that?"

Chris responded: 'If you look back to how the King revealed his cancer diagnosis earlier this year, it was in a statement from Buckingham Palace. Kate has done it, I am told, in a video form because she wanted to do it in the most personal way possible.'

'Yes, of course, it helps to silence all the conspiracy theorists as well, but she wanted to do the video message and it was a very moving message too. And she wanted to make that very personal statement herself.'