(NewsNation) — Following a media firestorm over her disappearance from the public eye, Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced she has been diagnosed with early-stage cancer.

The princess said her cancer was diagnosed following abdominal surgery earlier in the year, and she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy.

Royal expert Rob Shuter said the media firestorm over the princess’ absence from royal duties was driven in part by the fact the royal family are employed by the public, whose taxes fund the family.

“So Brits do feel entitled. They do think that the royals should be there, should be honest, should be transparent,” he said. “I think the biggest mistake here was not that they took their time to process this and tell us the truth, which they just did minutes ago, but it felt as if they were trying to mislead us.”

Speculation had kicked into high gear after Princess Kate and Prince William posted a photo of the family that had been altered.

While the announcement might shut down some of the rumors swirling around her disappearance, Shuter said he doesn’t think it will meaningfully change the way people follow the royal family.

“I hope people are a little bit more cautious. But at the end of the day, people love their news on royals. They’re the most fascinating family in the world,” he said. “We haven’t heard the end yet.”