How Kate Middleton told her kids she was being treated for cancer

Catherine, Princess of Wales, said she didn’t rush into discussing her cancer diagnosis with her three young children.

“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment,” the former Kate Middleton said in a video statement on March. 22. “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."

Kate, 42, shares Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, with her husband Prince William.

Follow TODAY’s coverage of Kate Middleton’s diagnosis and live updates here.

The princess, who underwent abdominal surgery in January, said her diagnosis came as a “huge shock,” as her condition was previously thought to be noncancerous.

“William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she said.

Kate added that she is “getting stronger every day,” and asked for “time, space and privacy” as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy. Kate has not specified what kind of cancer she was treated for.

Both Kate and William are champions of mental health and therapy. In 2016, Kate shared her approach to parenting in a blog published on The Huffington Post UK.

“Like most parents today, William and I would not hesitate to seek help for our children if they needed it," Kate wrote at the time. "We hope to encourage George and Charlotte to speak about their feelings, and to give them the tools and sensitivity to be supportive peers to their friends as they get older. We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness,” she wrote.

King Charles III is also facing health issues. In February, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles, 75, was diagnosed with cancer after undergoing a procedure for benign prostate enlargement.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com