Kate Middleton, Prince William head to Sandringham with their kids for Easter amid cancer diagnosis
Kate Middleton and Prince William will be spending some much-needed quality time at Sandringham this Easter.
The Prince and Princess of Wales left Adelaide Cottage in Windsor via helicopter on Saturday with their children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — to head towards Anmer Hall, located on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, “Entertainment Tonight” reports.
Middleton, 42, revealed on Friday that she has been undergoing chemotherapy treatment after doctors discovered cancer during her planned abdominal surgery.
The family will spend Easter break at the estate, where they’re expected to see King Charles III, 75, who is also battling cancer.
Understandably, the Waleses will stray from tradition this year by not joining the rest of the royal family for Easter services.
Instead, they will spend the long Easter weekend together behind closed doors.
Charles, for his part, is set to attend a small Easter service with family that’s set to be of much smaller scale than in previous years.
It’s unclear if the entire family will unite for a publicized church service this year.
Kensington Palace declined to comment.
While initial palace guidance said that the princess won’t return to royal duties until after Easter, it’s now been said that she won’t return to the royal fold until after she’s given the all clear by her doctors.
“The princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team,” a palace spokesperson said following Middleton’s cancer announcement.
“She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery.”
The mother of three had already stepped back from her duties after having the abdominal surgery in January for what she thought, at the time, was a noncancerous condition.
She then started chemo in late February after post-operative tests and results uncovered the disease.
“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,” Middleton said in her announcement.
“William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment,” she continued, noting that the news came as a “huge shock.”
“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.”
While Middleton continues her treatment, the palace said Prince William will carry on with his official royal appearances.
“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 palace spokesperson said.