Carlos FresnedaLondon Correspondent

London Correspondent

Updated Monday, March 25, 2024-11:56

  • United Kingdom Kate Middleton announces that she suffers from cancer detected after her operation and that she is receiving chemotherapy

Kate Middleton has retreated with Prince William and their three children (George, Charlotte and Louis) to the Anmer Hall residence in Norfolk

"to isolate themselves from the world and move on

," according to a family friend told

The Times

. The Prince and Princess of Wales left Windsor by helicopter, hours after Kate's message announcing her cancer diagnosis, and plan to spend the long Easter holidays there until mid-April.

William and Kate released a new written message over the weekend, leaving them

"hugely moved"

by the outpouring of support in recent weeks. The prince is in "protective mode" and has decided to create a bubble around his family in front of to media pressure following Kate's abdominal surgery in mid-January.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, who usually resides at the Adelaide Chalet in the Windsor estate, has a strong emotional connection with Anmer Hall, which is part of the royal residence at Sandringham. They spent a long time there after George's birth while Guillermo volunteered as an air ambulance pilot.

An aide to the royal family stressed the profound impact that his wife's diagnosis has had on Prince William, who will put his public appearances on hold for several weeks:

"They are two human beings, not a corporation like Apple"...

Kate Middleton consciously chose the timing and form of the announcement to coincide with her children's holidays and avoid pressure at school. "Her intention was to reach directly the public that overwhelmingly supports her, above the noise and speculation," the same sources warned.

"The decision was made two weeks ago, but he waited for the right moment to coincide with the school holidays," said the director of

The Sun,

Victoria Newton. "Obviously, she has had to endure a lot of speculation on social media and it has been difficult to manage, but

the priority for her has always been her children."

Kate Middleton herself made the decision not to settle for a written message and to come forward in a video, recorded in the Windsor gardens.

She wrote the text herself in one go

, without waiting for instructions from her private secretary Tom White or her communications secretary Lee Thompson, criticized for the informational silence and her failed strategy since her operation in January. .

King Charles III's decision to reveal his own cancer diagnosis also served as "inspiration" for Kate Middleton to take the step forward, according to

The Daily Mail

. The monarch's bond with his daughter-in-law has strengthened since the two shared a stay at The London Clinic, where Carlos also underwent surgery for an enlarged prostate.

The King and Princess of Wales actually had lunch the day before the message was broadcast and Charles left that meeting "very excited." Following the example of her father-in-law, Kate wanted to place special emphasis in her speech to people affected by cancer, with some words that resonated deeply:

"You are not alone."

King Charles could, for his part, reappear in public with Queen Camilla at the Easter mass at St. George's Chapel in Windsor next Sunday. Buckingham Palace has planned a scaled-down event, dubbed "Easter Lite," to accommodate the monarch's needs during cancer treatment. Although the final decision will be made in the last hours.

The king is "in good spirits" but at the same time feels "tremendously frustrated"

by the length of the treatment, according to his nephew Peter Phillips told Sky News in Australia. "He would like to be able to do everything he feels capable of," added Phillips, son of Princess Anne. "But deep down he is very pragmatic and he knows that he needs a period of time to focus on himself." .