Kate Middleton ultimately decided to announce her cancer diagnosis without her husband, Prince William, by her side. The Princess of Wales, 42, announced she was undergoing cancer treatment on March 22, posting a video that explained her recent absence from the public eye following her abdominal surgery in January.
As Kate appeared by herself in the video, speculation soon arose as to why the Prince of Wales, 41, did not accompany her for the big announcement. “It is a message from the princess about her health, and she wanted to personally deliver the message on her own,” a palace source responded in a new report from PEOPLE.
“William is extremely proud of his wife for the courage and strength she has shown not just this week but since her surgery in January, ” the source continued. “Now more than ever, he’s focused on ensuring his wife has the privacy she needs to fully recover and that his children are shielded from the understandable interest in the news that has been shared.”
Kate did reference her husband and their three children – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 – multiple times in her message to the public, saying, “William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”
“As you can imagine, this has taken time,” she continued. “It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be okay. As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.”
As the video continued, Kate asked for understanding and privacy about her condition as she undergoes treatment. “We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment,” she said. With that in mind, the royals have decided that they will skip the traditional Easter service at St. George’s Chapel in order to spend the weekend privately at home. Prince William will not return to his royal duties until the children return to school in late April.