Prince William didn’t appear in wife Princess Kate Middleton‘s cancer announcement video for a reason.
Princess Kate revealed in a video message last week that she has been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of the disease and is currently undergoing treatment for it. Following the footage, many took to social media to question why William did not join her in the video.
Addressing the speculation, a source told London’s The Times: “This was her as a strong woman sharing an innately strong message to the nation. She didn’t need anyone sitting next to her. [William] has been supporting her and the family in the background.”
On Saturday, March 23, the day after the release of the video, the royal couple put on a unified front by issuing a joint statement about Kate’s cancer battle.
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“The Prince and Princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness’ message,” read a Kensington Palace statement to Us Weekly.
“They are extremely moved by the public’s warmth and support and are grateful for the understanding of their request for privacy at this time.”
Prince William’s cousin Peter Phillips recently said the couple is stronger than ever.
“Her and William make a fantastic team together,” Phillips, 46, shared in an interview with Sky News Australia on Monday, March 25. “Their kids are great, and they have the balance of public life and trying to be parents to three young children, which is always difficult.”
A source told Us Weekly that Kate received her diagnosis last month, the same day that William canceled his planned appearance at a memorial service for his godfather King Constantine of Greece due to “personal reasons.”
“They have been processing the information,” the insider said. “They wanted to wait to tell the world the news until their children were off school for the Easter break so they could have time to process the news before the whole world was talking about [it].”
The pair, who married in 2011, share three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
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Kensington Palace announced in January that Kate won’t be involved in any royal engagements until after Easter following a planned procedure.
“The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” read a statement shared via the palace’s official X account. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
After Kate returned to their Windsor home, William took a brief break to help Kate recuperate before resuming his own public duties.
