Kate Middleton cancer diagnosis ‘heck of a shock’ to some friends

Kate Middleton remained tight-lipped about her cancer diagnosis before revealing her condition on Friday, according to a new report.

“She held it together,” an insider said of her clip to People on Wednesday. “It was a heck of a shock.”

Close friends were reportedly unaware of Middleton’s health battle as the “circle of knowledge was very tight.”

But despite the Princess of Wales’ struggles, she is attempting to keep her life as close to normalcy as possible by staying close to her husband, Prince William, 41, and their kids — Prince George, 10, Prince Louis, 5, and Princess Charlotte, 8.

Earlier this month, she was spotted with the Duke of Cambridge at the Windsor Farm Shop after seeing her children play sports.

“Having fun together when they can is very important,” another source said. “This is about her feeling supported. She doesn’t feel isolated at all.”

“She has the inner strength, the support of her husband and her extraordinary family, so she can focus on what’s important,” added the late Queen Elizabeth‘s former spokesperson Ailsa Anderson.

In her statement, Middleton revealed she is going through preventive chemotherapy to help alleviate her symptoms.

She is not expected to return to royal duties until her doctors have given her their stamp of approval. She has been recovering at the family’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England.

William and Middleton will also not be present with the royal family for Easter on Sunday as they attend church at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor.

Over the weekend, they traveled to the Sandringham residence ahead of the holiday.

A different insider revealed to People that when Middleton is back on her feet, “she will come back even more passionate.”

“[The royal family] is vulnerable at the moment, and there will be an even greater appreciation that they are human beings with frailties like the rest of us,” they said.

Conspiracy theories over Middleton’s mysterious whereabouts started to trickle in back in January, when she first went to the hospital for a planned abdominal surgery.

She noted in her statement that after the surgery, tests were conducted and cancer cells were found.

“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,” Middleton said on Friday.

“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment,” she went on. “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.”