The Princess of Wales and her young family are spending time together privately over the school holidays as they come to terms with her recent cancer diagnosis – and George, Charlotte and Louis are providing great comfort to their mum and dad

The Princess of Wales is taking great strength from her young family following her cancer diagnosis.

Kate, 42, shared the news of her health battle in a moving video shared with the world on March 22. And it was clear that her priority remains with her three children – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and little Prince Louis, five.

“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, 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 at the time.

Now, a family friend has revealed how the children are providing great comfort to their mum as she embarks on her treatment programme.

The insider noted that “you take heart from the extraordinary resilience of children” and revealed that the Prince and Princess are getting by with support from George, Charlotte, and Louis, who “buoy them with smiles back”. “Having fun together when they can is very important,” they told People.

Both William and Kate are devoted parents. It’s thought that the Princess waited to publicly announce her cancer diagnosis until after her children had broken up for the Easter holidays, in order to shield them from the inevitable media attention.

The family of five will now spend the next few weeks together privately while the children are on a school break. They decided to skip the traditional Easter church service at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, which they usually attend with other members of the royal family.

While William and Kate stayed at home, the King and Queen Camilla took part in a surprise walkabout after church at St. George’s Chapel on Easter Sunday, where well-wishers shared words of support for Princess Kate.

“Best wishes to the Princess of Wales,” said one woman, holding a Welsh flag. “Thank you very much,” the King replied.

Once Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis return to Lambrook school for the summer term later this month, Prince William is expected to resume his public duties .

“The Prince will continue to balance supporting his wife and family and maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Princess Kate will largely remain out of the public eye during her treatment – although she may join in events when she feels able. “The Princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team. She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery,” a spokesperson previously confirmed.