Princess Kate's cancer treatment 'could take up to 12 months' to complete

According to a royal commentator, Princess Kate might not make any public appearances until later this year as she continues her private cancer treatment.

Earlier this year, the Princess of Wales disclosed her health update, revealing that after scheduled abdominal surgery, doctors discovered the presence of cancer. Consequently, she had begun "preventative chemotherapy."

Speaking to GB News, Royal Broadcaster and Historian Rafe Heydel-Mankoo responded to reports that the Princess "may not return to public duties until later this year", despite Kensington Palace reassuring royal fans that Kate would return "after Easter".

In conversation with host Dawn Neesom, Heydel-Mankoo questioned the time frame of the reports, but admitted that the treatment Princess Kate is undergoing "could take up to 12 months" to complete.

Heydel-Mankoo told GB News: "Preventative chemotherapy, which is the treatment that the Princess of Wales is undertaking, can take anywhere from three to 12 months.

"It's normally four to six, but it could take up to 12 months."

Defending the royal's request for privacy made during her cancer announcement, Heydel-Mankoo urged royal fans "not to become impatient" or "speculate as to what is going on" in regards to Kate's health.

He admitted however that it could "easily be a 12 month period of treatment" that she is undergoing, and "in which case it may well be that we don't see her until later on this year".

Heydel-Mankoo explained: "We have to respect Kate's wishes and not speculate so much and stick to the facts.

"But actually, the facts do back up some of these reports in these articles."

Discussing Princess Kate's announcement video, an update provided by Kensington Palace as a result of widespread speculation about the royal's whereabouts, Heydel-Mankoo claimed that any significant update to Kate's condition "would be revealed via another video announcement or statement".

Heydel-Mankoo said: "We would, of course, expect fully that the Royal Household, Kensington Palace, would issue a video or other update statement periodically, to avoid the the rampant speculation that unfortunately, we saw previously.

"But certainly we know that she's going to go to Sandringham next week to Amner Hall, her residence there."

Heydel-Mankoo said of Kate's trip to Sandringham: "Her parents will be there most likely as well, staying with her next week, and she's got a very small circle around her.

"We understand just her family, rather than any wider circle of friends, and they're giving her the support and care that she needs, and I think we should be respectful of that, to not get too caught up in speculating on all of these things."