The Princess of Wales' younger brother is speaking out after Kate announced that she's undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
James Middleton is sharing his support for his sister. After Kate Middleton revealed on Friday that she has been diagnosed with cancer, the Princess of Wales' younger brother took to Instagram to share a sweet message in her honor.
James posted a never-before-seen photo of the two as children, wearing backpacks in front of a mountainous backdrop. "Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too ⛰️❤️," the younger brother of Kate and Pippa Middleton captioned the photo.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl tells ET that Kate's family has been supporting her and that they are "an incredibly close family."
"Well, this will be hugely shocking, of course for the middle son family, their eldest daughter, Catherine, they are an incredibly close family. I mean, one of the reasons the princess is down to earth and grounded and anchored in all of this as she is is because of her family," Nicholl says. "They've been there every step of the way throughout this very difficult journey supporting her and they will continue to be there but one can only imagine for her mother and father this must just be absolutely devastating."
On Friday, Kate announced her cancer diagnosis in a video statement shared by Buckingham Palace. Although the mother of three did not reveal what kind of cancer she's battling, she shared that she's currently undergoing "preventative chemotherapy" and is "now in the early stages of that treatment."
Kate said the news of the cancer diagnosis came as a "huge shock" to the royal family. She explained that she and Prince William endeavored to manage the situation privately for the sake of their young children -- Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
"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 shared in the video. "But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louie in a way that's appropriate for them and to reassure them that I'm going to be okay. As I said to them, I am well, and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal. In my mind, body and spirits. Having William by my side is a great source of comfort."
Following the devastating news, a source told ET that Kate filmed the video on March 20, and she started receiving cancer treatment shortly after her surgery in January.
The source explained that William and Kate struggled to tell their children, because they wanted to shield them as much as possible. "Children process information in different ways. Their primary concern was to be able to explain this to the children in a way that was reassuring, and they could process," the source said.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have also shared their support for Kate after she shared her diagnosis.
In a statement to ET, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said, "We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace."
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