The White House extended encouragement and sympathy following the announcement from Catherine, the Princess of Wales, that she has cancer, Newsweek reported. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said they "wish her a full recovery."
President Joe Biden's spokeswoman sent well wishes at a news conference Friday. "So, I wanted to just start off at the top that we just heard — obviously, all of us just heard the terrible news," Jean-Pierre began the news conference.
"Our thoughts are with the Duchess of Cambridge and her family members and friends during this incredibly difficult time. And certainly, we wish her a full recovery," she added. Jean-Pierre said that Biden hadn't spoken to the princess and that she "doesn’t have anything to share" about his reaction.
The princess, formerly Kate Middleton, announced news of her condition following an extended absence from the public eye. "We hope you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment," she said in a video, according to the Guardian.
"My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now, I must focus on making a full recovery." The princess said she and William, her husband and the Prince of Wales, have reassured their three children that she's "going to be OK."
"I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal – in my mind, body and spirits. At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer," the princess said.
"For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone," she added.
In the waning days of President Barack Obama's administration, then-Vice President Biden proposed a "moonshot" approach to curing cancer, the New York Times reported. Drawing on the experience of losing his son to brain cancer, Biden made it a priority.
Mostly, the plan involved just throwing money at the problem, but the pledge was made nonetheless. Several years later, it doesn't seem that the medical establishment is any closer to solving the problem, and certainly not because of anything Biden did.
Still, Biden once again recycled the pledge when he took office. "The President and First Lady reignited the Biden Cancer Moonshot to mobilize a national effort to end cancer as we know it," the official White House website said.
It went on to tout the success of creating new programs but did not outline any specific advances made because of it. Meanwhile, the princess is receiving the standard chemotherapy treatment to battle her disease.
The Princess of Wales is a class act who has shared her very private journey with the public after much speculation. Thankfully, there is cause for hope that she will have a speedy and full recovery.
