‘George is ten and can’t be shielded from any of this now’: How Kate and William timed cancer announcement for Easter holidays to make sure their children heard before anyone else

Princess Kate and her husband Prince William timed the cancer announcement to coincide with their children’s Easter holidays, to ensure they heard it before anyone else.

Their children Prince Louis, aged four, Prince George, aged nine, and seven-year-old sister Princess Charlotte separated from Lambrook School in Bracknell at Easter on Friday.

The family released Kate’s video announcement to the press a few hours after the school closed so her children wouldn’t have to deal with immediate questions on the playground after the news became public.

“George is now 10 and can no longer be protected from this,” a palace source told the newspaper The Sunday times.

‘Once it is at the school gate and in the schoolyard, he can no longer ignore it.’

The three children will not return for the summer season until April 17.

They will now spend the next three weeks with their mother and father at the Anmer Hall family shelter, a Georgian country house that is part of the Sandringham Estate.

A source close to William told the newspaper how losing his mother when he was just 15 has put him into ‘protection mode’ as his children now face the prospect of their own mother’s health while being raised in public .

One aide said: ‘All he wants to do is protect his wife and children. The family just wants to get away for Easter, spend time together, the five of them, shut off from the world and move on.”

The Waleses have stepped back from public duties after Kate, 42, said in her emotional video message that she was undergoing preventive chemotherapy.

The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children will not attend the traditional royal Easter Sunday service next week, which King Charles hopes to attend, and will instead focus their energies on supporting their family.

While in Anmer Hall the family is expected to focus on the people involved and not on the institution of the monarchy.

While the future king and queen feel responsible for their roles in the royal family, a close friend hopes their departure will be a good thing because of the warm response and support from the public.

It comes after the Princess of Wales movingly revealed how she reassures her young children amid her battle with cancer, after announcing she is battling the disease.

In her statement on Friday, she said she and Prince William had explained the situation to their children George, Charlotte and Louis, following the “huge shock” of her diagnosis.

Princess Catherine said she told them she was “doing well and getting stronger every day” and that she was “focusing on the things that will help me heal.”

She also revealed that she felt comforted by the fact that her husband was by her side and that they were “doing everything we could to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”

The family announced they would not attend this year’s Easter Sunday service after attending the service for the first time last year with all three of their children.

Prince William is expected to return to public duties after his children return to school after the Easter holidays.

Welsh people are said to be ‘hugely moved’ and ‘extremely moved’ by the warmth and support from the public following Kate’s cancer announcement.

There has been a global outpouring of support, including from the King, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, political figures and members of the public.

A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said on Saturday: ‘The Prince and Princess have both been hugely touched by the kind messages from people here in Britain, across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness’ message.

“They are extremely touched by the warmth and support of the public and are grateful for their understanding of their request for privacy at this time.”

Charles, who was diagnosed with cancer in February, is said to be proud of his ‘beloved’ daughter-in-law for her courage to speak out about her treatment and has been in close contact in recent weeks.

On Saturday it was revealed that the king put on his dressing gown and ‘waved’ it towards him to comfort his daughter-in-law as they both recovered from surgery at the London Clinic.

Both the monarch and the Princess of Wales were admitted to the prestigious clinic in Marylebone, north London, in January while they both underwent major surgery.

Messages of support also came from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who said: ‘We wish Kate and the family health and healing, and hope they can do this privately and in peace.’

The form of cancer has not been disclosed, but the future queen began a course of ‘preventative chemotherapy’ at the end of February and is said to be in a positive attitude towards her recovery and in good spirits. She describes herself as ‘good and getting stronger every time’. day’.

Lovers headed to Windsor in Berkshire on Saturday morning, including Linda Boby, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, who said: ‘It’s such a shock, she’s such a young lady and she deserves her privacy.’

Political leaders from all parties have expressed their sympathy and support for Kate and criticized what Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described as the “intense criticism” she has faced from social media and parts of the media around the world.

The announcement could end weeks of intense speculation and conspiracy theories on social media about the future queen’s whereabouts and health.

In a further development, the UK’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, launched an investigation into allegations that attempts had been made to access Kate’s personal medical records at the London Clinic where she was operated on.

It is not known how long Kate will receive treatment, but it is understood she is keen to attend events when she is able, in accordance with medical advice, although this does not mean she will return to full-time work.