Kate Middleton’s emotional cancer video was two weeks in the making: Princess of Wales ‘made decision a fortnight ago to make statement’ and her priority was protecting her children ‘who were already being affected by speculation’

Princess Kate decided to make her emotional video statement revealing her cancer diagnosis a fortnight ago to help protect her children from questioning at school, it has been claimed.

The Princess of Wales is said to have come to this decision around the time she faced intense speculation on social media following the Photoshop edit of a family photo released on Mother’s Day.

Kate always planned to wait until her children’s school break on Easter Friday before talking publicly about her health, it was suggested.

The princess revealed in a video published on Friday evening that she was diagnosed with cancer last month after spending a fortnight in the private clinic in London for abdominal surgery in January.

She and husband Prince William have said they have been ‘extremely moved’ by the outpouring of goodwill from around the world since her shock announcement.

Prince Harry and Meghan have also both reached out after finding out the princess has been undergoing treatment for cancer.

Kate is now on what is being described as a ‘recovery journey’ after starting a course of chemotherapy at the end of February.

A friend has said she wrote her post about battling cancer “very quickly on her own” – while Kate has also been described as a “lynchpin” of her family whose priority is always her children.

And more details about the lead-up to Friday’s announcement were presented today on BBC1’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.

The Sun editor Victoria Newton told the show the timing was deliberately timed to coincide with the last day at Lambrook School in Berkshire before the Easter holidays for Kate’s three children, Prince George, 10, eight-year-old Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, five.

She said: “I understand that the Princess made the decision to make this public statement two weeks ago.

‘The most important thing for her as a mother was protecting those three children.

‘She didn’t want them to go to school because there were even more demands on them than they already were.

‘They were already having problems at school, so her plan was always to wait until the last day of school.

“Obviously they’ve endured an incredible amount of speculation on social media, which has been very difficult for them to deal with, but the priority for her has always been those children.”

The princess had said in her video message: ‘The most important thing is that it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that suits them, and to reassure them that I am doing well. ‘

Friends have described her as a “linchpin” of the family and also said she and William were “fantastic parents” and “dedicated to giving the children the happiest, healthiest upbringing possible.” Telegraph reported.

And a former press secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth II has praised Kate for being “wordy” in her “brave, powerful and dignified” statement about her diagnosis.

Simon Lewis, who handled media for Elizabeth in 1998, said the princess had “turned a new leaf” by publicly talking about her health and described her video statement as “hugely authentic”.

A photo of Kate smiling with her three children was shared online on Mother’s Day, March 10.

The princess followed that up with an apology the next day, admitting that she edited the photo with Photoshop after international agencies including the Press Association and Reuters removed it from their feeds.

The furor came amid much online speculation – including conspiracy theories – about Kate’s health, before she spoke out to clarify her diagnosis.

Mr Lewis told Times Radio today: ‘Kensington Palace decided, especially after the photo emerged and was misinterpreted by some, that they had to do something at the right time.

‘People didn’t realize how much research would go into that one photo.

“And what we don’t know, of course, is where they ended up when it comes to communicating this news to their children.”

The cancer diagnosis has been revealed as the reason why William pulled out of attending a memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece, his godfather, on February 27.

Kate spent a fortnight in the London Clinic after being admitted for abdominal surgery on January 16.

King Charles and Queen Camilla visited her ward on January 26 before Charles, 75, himself underwent surgery for a benign prostate cancer condition – and was later diagnosed with cancer, for which he has been receiving treatment ever since.

In a statement released on behalf of the king on Friday evening, Buckingham Palace said: His Majesty is “so proud of Catherine for her courage to speak as she did.”

‘Following their time together in hospital, HM has ‘remained in close contact with his beloved daughter-in-law in recent weeks’.

Their Majesties “will continue to offer their love and support to the entire family at this difficult time.”

Their words came after Kate released a video message recorded in Windsor last Wednesday, which said: ‘In January I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time my condition was thought to be non-cancerous.

‘The operation was successful. However, tests after the surgery revealed that cancer was present.

‘My medical team therefore recommended that I undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.

‘This obviously came as a huge shock, and William and I have done everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. You can imagine that this took time.’

Kate has rarely been seen in public since attending church at Sandringham in Norfolk on Christmas Day last year, although a member of the public filmed her and William after they visited a farm shop earlier this month.

The couple were also photographed being driven from Windsor on March 11 before the prince attended a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in central London and Kate went on to a private appointment.