In a video announcement last Friday, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, disclosed her cancer diagnosis to the public. This marks Middleton’s first public appearance since December which had caused individuals nationwide to speculate about Middleton’s whereabouts.

In the video, Middleton appears sitting on a bench alone surrounded by nature. Middleton began the video by thanking those who have supported her amid her abdominal surgery. She stated that originally when she underwent her abdominal surgery in February it was thought that her condition was non-cancerous but upon further testing following the operation, cancer was found. Since then Middleton has started undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

In the video, Middleton does not specify what type of cancer she has. According to Dr. Ben Ho Park, Middleton’s cancer can range from anything to gastrointestinal, genital, or even urinary given the fact that those types of cancers are the most likely to be discovered through abdominal surgery. However, Dr. Ben Ho Park claims that Middleton can have any type of cancer.

Originally, Kensington Palace had stated that Middleton’s surgery would cause her to not appear in public until April. Middleton’s absence from the public eye for such a long period started to cause some to develop conspiracy theories surrounding Middleton’s whereabouts. Speculations reached new heights when a photoshopped photo of Middleton and her children allegedly taken on Mother’s Day was released by the palace. This caused many to develop more conspiracy theories along with memes poking fun about Middleton’s whereabouts some taking it upon themselves to create new photoshopped images of Middleton, others making fun of Middleton’s editing skills, and even celebrities like Blake Lively recreating Middleton’s photoshop fiasco in a since-deleted Instagram post.

Numerous celebrities, family members, friends, and members of the public have released statements since Middleton’s cancer diagnosis. Following Middleton’s cancer announcement, President Joe Biden posted a statement on X saying that he, his wife, and millions around the world are praying for the full recovery of the Princess of Wales. King Charles released a statement following Middleton’s cancer announcement stating that he thinks Middleton’s willingness to release such a vulnerable statement is very courageous. He has also admitted that Middleton’s cancer diagnosis has caused them to bond as they now both battle cancer together. In addition, in a statement released to PEOPLE last Friday, the estranged Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement wishing for Middleton to heal and grow healthy peacefully and privately.

Numerous individuals around the globe have expressed their sympathy for Middleton and her family amid this challenging time, including students at ERHS.

Zoe Stamat, a junior at ERHS, feels bad about the media driving Middleton to make a video explaining her absence from the public eye.

“I think that despite her role, her diagnosis is an extremely personal matter and she shouldn’t be forced to reveal that information if she doesn’t choose to,” Stomat said. “Because the information is pertaining to her health, I don’t see a need for anyone outside of her friends and family to know about the problem unless it greatly affects the way she performs her role and if she wishes others to know. On conspiracy theories, I honestly think people are just trying to create unnecessary drama.”

Avyukta Tatta, another junior at ERHS, believes that the public’s recent scrutiny against Middleton is rather harsh and inhumane.

“I think even though she is a public figure she is still human and shouldn’t be given backlash due to her wanting to hide something as personal as cancer,” Tatta said. “I think it’s normal for people to want to spread conspiracy theories but I don’t personally support that kind of behavior because no matter how popular someone may be, they can still have a personal life.”