WASHINGTON: The White House wished Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, a full recovery on Friday after her cancer diagnosis – with First Lady Jill Biden saying "we love you."
"All of us just heard the terrible news," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. "Our thoughts are with the Duchess of Cambridge and her family and friends during this incredibly difficult time."
"Certainly we wish her a full recovery. And I think it's important that we respect their privacy, especially at the time."
Jean-Pierre said she did not have "anything to share at this time" about whether President Joe Biden had spoken to the princess.
"We are taking this in news as all of you are."
President Joe Biden's wife Jill later reacted to the news on X, formerly Twitter.
"You are brave, and we love you. ~Jill," she wrote.
The Bidens have launched a "cancer moonshot" strategy to bring the disease under control in the United States after suffering the loss of Joe Biden's son Beau from brain cancer in 2015, aged 46.
Catherine announced on Friday that she has cancer and is in the early stages of chemotherapy, asking for "time, space and privacy" as she completes her treatment.
Kate, as she is widely known, said the discovery of cancer, after successful abdominal surgery in January, was "a huge shock" but she was "well and getting stronger every day."--AFP