Kate Middleton is counting on her parents for support in her battle with cancer

Royal family

from Sarah Whitman

Kate Middleton is getting support from her family amid her cancer diagnosis.

“She has a really close group of friends and, especially in Norfolk, really close friends there,” royal expert Katie Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight in an interview published Tuesday. “But I think the real anchors in her life are her parents … and her brother James … and her sister Pippa.”

“Although you certainly don’t see them photographed together very often, they are very much in the background,” she continued. “They are absolutely fundamental.”

James shared a message of support for his older sister following her shock announcement with a throwback photo of the pair as children.

“Over the years we have climbed many mountains together. As a family we will climb this with you too ⛰️❤️,” he captioned the touching post.

Nicole also said the Princess of Wales’ parents, Carole and Michael, were “relieved” that her cancer had been detected in its early stages and felt “comforted by the fact that the chemotherapy was preventative chemotherapy”.

“Catherine will have the best doctors in the world looking after her, so she’s in safe hands,” muses Nicole.

“Carole and Michael, they’ve always been an incredibly strong couple and also very down-to-earth… what they’re going to do now is they’re going to come together and support her – and not just William and Kate, [but] their grandchildren too.”

In her cancer diagnosis announcement video, which Middleton, 42, shared on Friday, she said her husband, Prince William, had been by her side as a “great source of comfort and reassurance.”

Page Six has learned that the Prince of Wales, 41, pulled out of a memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine II of Greece, in February after learning of Middleton’s illness.

The couple have since jetted off to Anmer Hall in Norfolk with their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, to enjoy some family time.

Middleton will not be joining the royal family at this year’s Easter service because of her ongoing chemotherapy. It is unclear whether William and their children will appear.

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According to a palace insider, William is “doing everything he can” to balance his responsibilities while his wife focuses on her health.

“One minute he’s doing the school run and now he’s under incredible stress,” the source added to Page Six.

Of course, the announcement of Middleton’s diagnosis came a month after her father-in-law, King Charles III, revealed he was being treated for cancer.