Sarah Ferguson says she’s ‘full of admiration’ for Kate for speaking out about her chemo – after the Duchess of York revealed her own double cancer diagnosis

The Duchess of York says she is ‘full of admiration’ for the Princess of Wales as she revealed her cancer diagnosis.

Taking to Instagram, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, known as Fergie, paid tribute to the mother-of-three, saying “everyone is praying for her.”

In a heartfelt statement, the Duchess of York said: ‘All my thoughts and prayers are with the Princess of Wales as she begins her treatment.

“I know she will be surrounded by the love of her family and everyone is praying for the best outcome.

“As someone who has experienced her own battle with cancer in recent months, I am in awe of the way she has spoken publicly about her diagnosis.”

Princess Beatrice and Eugenie’s mother was diagnosed with skin cancer just a few months after a mastectomy for breast cancer. Their uncle, King Charles, is also undergoing cancer treatments.

Speaking about Kate’s decision to reveal her own diagnosis, the Duchess added: I know it will do a huge amount of good to raise awareness.’

She concluded the message by saying, “I hope she now gets the time, space and privacy to heal.”

It comes after Fergie’s daughter Princess Eugenie celebrated her 34th birthday yesterday with a tribute to ‘the best gift of all’ – her children.

The daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York started working on it Instagram yesterday to praise her two sons, August, three, and Ernest, who is about to celebrate his first birthday.

In the candid photo, Eugenie playfully held her youngest son, Ernest, in her arms.

In light of this, Eugenie captioned the post: ‘The best gift of all is my boys… so on this birthday I cherish family and loved ones.’

Princess Eugenie celebrated her birthday two days after announcing that her cousin’s wife, the Princess of Wales, is battling cancer, the third member of the royal family to be diagnosed in recent months.

Last week, Kate announced that she is undergoing preventive chemotherapy against cancer that was diagnosed after her abdominal surgery in January.

Commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said he believes Harry will be “devastated” that Kate, who he always called “Cath” and once said she was “the sister I never had”, has cancer. “Only time will tell whether he comes to Britain to visit Kate,” he said.

Biographer and historian Hugo Vickers believes that the Californian couple should remain in the US for the time being to support the cancer fight and the recovery of the future queen.

He said: ‘People are asking for Prince Harry to come back to help them, but I think that would be very counterproductive.’

Harry flew to Britain shortly after his father announced he was suffering from the disease in January, but a hasty trip to see Kate is less likely.

However, King Charles has said he hopes he will feel well enough to attend a limited ‘Easter Lite’ service next Sunday as his battle with cancer continues.

The 75-year-old will lead a smaller royal contingent at the traditional Easter service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, health permitting.

A palace source confirmed to the Telegraph: ‘The King and Queen hope to attend some form of Easter service in Windsor.’

“However, it will not be the large family gathering we would expect under other circumstances.”

The king is currently undergoing treatment for cancer and has stepped back from his royal duties as he battles the disease.

One of the reasons for this is the ‘risks associated with large crowds’ and therefore the gathering at the service is expected to be much smaller than normal.

The news comes after Kate confirmed she will not attend the ‘Easter Lite’ service with other royals following her cancer diagnosis.

The Princess of Wales made the decision after the publication of her emotional video message last Friday evening.

She is apparently committed to continuing her normal routine, which she considers an important part of her recovery, but there is no set timeline for her return to public life.

The future queen is currently undergoing ‘preventative’ chemotherapy treatment and has asked the public to respect the privacy of her young family.

The Prince of Wales is expected to return to public duties after his children return to school after the Easter holidays, but the family will not appear at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for the Easter Sunday service.

Last year’s service was the first Easter Sunday service under Charles’ reign and the royal family were present in large numbers in the castle grounds, enjoying the bright spring sunshine before the morning service.

At the service, the Wales family was seen among a group of younger royals at the back of the large party walking down from the chapel where Queen Elizabeth was buried in September 2022.

The public and royal watchers are eager to know when the Princess of Wales will resume her official duties since undergoing surgery in January.

Her last official royal engagement was the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham on December 25.

In the video, Kate said: ‘My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able to, but for now I need to focus on making a full recovery.’

A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: ‘The Princess will return to her official duties as soon as her medical team has cleared. She is in good spirits and focused on a full recovery.”

It is understood that Kate’s own views on whether she wants to attend events and whether she feels able to do so, along with medical advice, would be part of the decision-making process.

A Palace spokesperson said: ‘Their Royal Highnesses understand the interest this update will generate and are grateful for the public support they have received during this period.

“Kensington Palace will provide information when the time is right so that the Princess can resume her work and duties.

‘In the meantime, we would ask that the family’s privacy is respected.’

No running commentary on Kate’s health is expected as she needs the time, space and privacy to make a full recovery.

It is likely that Kensington Palace will only provide further updates on Kate’s plans to return to public events when the time is deemed appropriate.

It can also be expected that any first public events will not necessarily mean a return to a regular public programme.

Kensington Palace has said that Kate underwent major abdominal surgery in January and that the operation was successful.

At the time of the surgery, the condition was not thought to be cancerous and no tests had confirmed the presence of cancer.

Post-operative tests revealed cancer and Kate has now started a course of preventive chemotherapy.