The Archbishop of Canterbury paid tribute to Princess Kate and King Charles during his Easter service.
On Sunday, Justin Welby delivered a message which acknowledged the Princess of Wales and the King’s cancer diagnoses.
The archbishop said: “In each of our lives, there are moments which change us forever.”
Speaking at Canterbury Cathedral, in the English county of Kent, Welby hailed the “dignity” of both the King and Kate in talking about their health issues.
Justin Welby opened his sermon with a message about the King and Kate
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Welby said: “Sometimes it’s individual. We have watched, sympathised with and felt alongside the dignity of the King and the Princess of Wales as they have talked of their cancer – and in doing so, by their lack of selfishness, by their grace and their faith, boosted so many others.”
He also spoke of listening with “compassion and sympathy” when Kate spoke about her diagnosis.
Both the King and his daughter-in-law chose to share their cancer diagnoses publicly to support other people living with the disease.
Princess Kate chose to reveal her cancer diagnosis through a video message on March 22 and thanked the public for all the “wonderful messages of support.”
Justin Welby is the Archbishop of Canterbury Getty
The King announced his diagnosis on February 5 with a statement from Buckingham Palace.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has been a vocal supporter of the Princess of Wales through her health troubles.
Leading up to Kate’s announcement there was weeks of speculation surrounding the Princess of Wales’s health across social media.
Welby spoke in defence of the princess calling the conspiracy theories “village gossip” and saying that people who are experiencing health issues should be allowed “to live their lives in peace.”
King Charles and Princess Kate have been diagnosed with cancer in recent monthsPASpeaking to Times Radio, the Archbishop said: “We are obsessed with conspiracy and we have little sense of the humanity of those who are caught in the glare of the news.
“It doesn’t matter who it is, people should be allowed to be ill, have an operation, whatever it is, and to live their lives in peace without everyone demanding that they prove something every other day.”
Both the King's and the princess’s announcements caused an increase in public awareness of the symptoms of cancer.
Following Kate’s announcement, visits to Macmillan Cancer Support’s online information and support pages surged.
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Justin Welby has spoken in support of the princess during her health troubles
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The number of visits was close to 100,000 over the two days following Kate’s video message.
On Easter Sunday, King Charles stepped out for a church service in Windsor in what was his first official public appearance since his cancer diagnosis.
The King made a surprise walkabout after the service to shake hands with royal fans after being advised by medical staff to sit apart from the rest of the congregation.
A palace source said that the King’s attendance is a “sign of things heading in the right direction.”
