When Kate Middleton announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer, many people found it odd that her husband, Prince William, wasn’t sitting by her side. Given the reports that he has been putting in the extra work to be a more present husband and father while Kate is recovering, it felt surprising to people that he wouldn’t be there when she made such a huge announcement.
A lot of people were mad that he seemingly abandoned her to do it on her own. But now, it looks like Kate actually chose to make the announcement by herself to regain control of the narrative about herself and her health.
Kate believed that the message had to be personal.
Last week, Kate shared a video on social media, giving the public an update on her health after her January abdominal surgery. “It is a message from the princess about her health, and she wanted to personally deliver the message on her own,” a palace source told People exclusively. The source also claimed that Kate made it clear William was “supporting her throughout.”
Prince William is focused on Kate and her recovery.
“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 said. “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 needed time to make sure her family was OK before making the announcement.
Kate mentioned William, as well as their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, more than once in her video, but she thought she really needed to share the news of her cancer on her own and that she had to choose the timing.
“She and the prince needed time to process the news, she needed time to recover from surgery and she needed time to tell the children. That was the driving force,” the source said.
They’ve been able to keep things quiet at home.
When the palace released Kate’s video, her children were already home for Easter break. This was a conscious decision made on the part of Kate and William so they would be able to have some private time with their kids. This weekend, they will reportedly skip the family’s traditional Easter services in favor of staying home together.
Of course, the children are the most important thing.
“The children are at the center of their world,” a close friend told People. And that was clear in the statement Kate made about her diagnosis.
“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 OK,” she said in the video. “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.”