King Charles is speaking up — and applauding Princess Catherine for her bravery.

In his first public statement following the shocking announcement of her cancer diagnosis, the 75-year-old monarch praised the Princess of Wales’ strength in opening up to the public about her citation. Buckingham Palace quoted His Majesty, saying:

“His Majesty is ‘so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did.’ Following their time in hospital together, HM has ‘remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks.’ Both Their Majesties ‘will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time.’”

As you know, the royal family has been experiencing a rough time lately. Last month, King Charles was diagnosed with a form of cancer. He also is undergoing treatment at the moment. It’s wonderful to see him show his support.

It’s also nice they can speak about this publicly. As Kate stayed out of the public eye for weeks amid her recovery, people grew increasingly concerned — and eventually began to spread wild conspiracy theories about her whereabouts and well-being. The whole thing spiraled out of control as the palace released that photoshopped pic — pouring gasoline on the fire. Suddenly they were acting suspicious — apparently for no reason!

After weeks of constant public speculation, the mom of three finally went public with what’s been going on in an emotional video on Friday. Although her doctors initially believed her condition was non-cancerous when Catherine had her surgery, she shared they later discovered cancer in the removed tissue. Now, Kate is undergoing chemotherapy — and having to process that with her three very young children.

As we said, the royal family is going through it right now. Fortunately, though, Charles and Catherine have a strong support system by their side during this tough time. Reactions to the statement? Let us know in the comments below.