Princess Beatrice made her first live TV appearance on Monday’s This Morning, discussing her charity, Outward Bound, from the Empire State Building in New York City.
However, the conversation took a personal turn when she provided an update on her mother’s health. Sarah, Duchess of York, had a cancer scare earlier this year, diagnosed with malignant melanoma in January, following treatment for breast cancer and breast reconstruction surgery six months prior.
When asked about Sarah’s well-being by hosts Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle, Beatrice expressed admiration for her mother.
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“She’s such a phenomenal icon. As a mum she’s been amazing, she’s been through so much and her sense of purpose and resilience really keeps me going,” Beatrice proudly said.
Sharing the good news that Sarah is now “all clear”, Beatrice continued: “She’s doing really well. She’s had a bumpy health scare last year but all clear now. At 64 she’s thriving; she’s been through so much, but I think really now she’s coming into her own.”
Stressing the importance of regular screening, she added: “We’re just reminded when any parent or individual has a health scenario, just really get the checks that you need to get as early as you possibly can.
“Both my sister and I are so proud of her for taking those steps to get those checks and it really modelled our health considerations on that.
“We’re really lucky in the UK to make sure you can get those checks as best as you can and hopefully, we can be there to support each other when anyone goes through a health scare.” She added: “There’s nothing more important than family.”
In January, a spokesman for Sarah shared her diagnosis in a statement. It read: “Following her diagnosis with an early form of breast cancer this summer, Sarah, Duchess of York has now been diagnosed with malignant melanoma.
“Her dermatologist asked that several moles were removed and analysed at the same time as the Duchess was undergoing reconstructive surgery following her mastectomy, and one of these has been identified as cancerous.
“She is undergoing further investigations to ensure that this has been caught in the early stages. Clearly, another diagnosis so soon after treatment for breast cancer has been distressing but the Duchess remains in good spirits.
“The Duchess wants to thank the entire medical team which has supported her, particularly her dermatologist whose vigilance ensured the illness was detected when it was. She believes her experience underlines the importance of checking the size, shape, colour and texture and emergence of new moles that can be a sign of melanoma.”
Dermatologists reportedly discovered the duchess’ skin cancer during her breast cancer treatment last year. Several moles were removed for testing, and the results came back just after Christmas.
Malignant melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. According to the NHS: “Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can spread to other areas of the body. The main cause of melanoma is ultraviolet light, which comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds.”
