Shannen Doherty has praised Catherine, Princess of Wales for her "strength" following her cancer diagnosis

Sharon also used her note of support for the princess to reference the wild conspiracy theories that erupted before Catherine's announcement about her whereabouts and health condition after she stepped away from the public spotlight following abdominal surgery at The London Clinic in January.

The actress said in an Instagram post: "Being a public figure does not mean the public owns that person.

"We ALL have the right to go through illness or life privately.

"The onslaught of conspiracy theories, ownership, and plain, morbid curiosity forced this person to explain herself before she had come to terms with it and explained to her children.

"I pray this is a learning moment for us all to respect, privacy or others, regardless of being in the public eye."

Shannen added: "And Princess Kate, I admire your strength through the endless onslaught you've been under while going through cancer."

Catherine explained in the video announcing her illness she received a diagnosis after post-operative tests following her abdominal surgery in January that "found cancer had been present" and said that she has now started preventative chemotherapy.

Shannen was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and underwent brain surgery and radiation in January 2023.

She told People in November the cancer had spread to her bones, leaving her with only "another three to five years of life".

In a recent social media post this month Shannen shared a throwback photo from last January that showed her smiling in a hospital bed following surgery, which she captioned: "January 2023 I had brain surgery to remove a tumour. The things on my forehead were for mapping.

"I didn't ask nearly enough questions, fear and too much going on just seized me."