The Princess of Wales has called Prince William "a great source of comfort and reassurance"

The Princess of Wales gave a personal and unprecendented update on her health in a televised video message on Friday, confirming the news that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy. 

“It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful," Kate Middleton recalled in the video.

“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.

“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family," she continued. "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."

The Princess of Wales paid particular tribute to husband Prince William, stating: “having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance, too. As is the love, support, and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.”

Later in her video message, the Princess of Wales asked for privacy for their young family as she recovers, stating: “We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery."

Our thoughts are with the Princess of Wales as she recovers.

We will continue to update this story.