Catherine, Princess of Wales attends a SportsAid mental fitness workshop at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre to mark World Mental Health Day on October 12, 2023 in Marlow, England.

Kate Middletonannounced hercancer newsin her own time.

Despite trolls claiming everything from Kate using a body double when avideo surfaced of the Prince and Princess of Wales at a Windsor farm shoptoother instances of photo manipulation, the online rumors did not spark the royal’s decision to speak out about her cancer treatment.

Sources point out that it was Princess Kate’s personal choice in deciding when she would publicly share the information, at a time that was right for her, Prince William and their three children. Those close to the family say that every decision they’ve made is to protectPrince George,Princess CharlotteandPrince Louisduring this difficult time.

Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte at Trooping the Colour 2023.Chris Jackson/Getty

Prince William, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince George of Wales on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023 in London, England.

Chris Jackson/Getty

The Princess of Wales may have chosen Friday to publicly release her health news as it was thefirst day of her kids' school breakfor the Easter holiday. With George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 5, not heading back to the classroom until mid-April, the family will have the next few weeks together to privately cope.

Tessy Ojo, the chief executive of the Diana Award who has worked with Prince William on cyberbullying initiatives and recently attended an event with him on March 14,tells PEOPLE, “It makes it even sadder as it took place against the backdrop of all the conspiracy theories of the past few weeks. It reinforces of the danger of the society we live in where rumors get picked up and almost become a false reality.”

Praising the couple’s decision to wait until George, Charlotte and Louis were on a school vacation, Ojo says that William “understands the power of the internet, which can be quite destructive, especially for young children. I know he has the tools to protect the children, particularly Prince George. They can lean in as a family without the external noise. She has a great family, and I have no worries.”

She adds, “I would love for the public to learn from this and make people stop and think. When we think because they are public figures that we have every right to know the ins and outs and everything. I would hope this will teach us something as a public, that people should respect privacy and that people have private lives and that we don’t have to know everything. The least we can do is show kindness.”

Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Kate Middleton attend Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey on Dec. 8, 2023.Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty

Kate Middleton High Fives Boy Scout in Sweet Moment from Christmas Carol Concert

Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty

Kate directly addressed the impact of her health news on her family in the personal video message she released on Friday. She said, “William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”

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The royal mom also kept Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in mind when Kensington Palace first announced that she had undergone abdominal surgery in a statement released on January 17.

“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire tomaintain as much normalityfor her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private,” they said.

source: people.com