Kate Middleton and Prince William 'tremendously touched' by support

Kate Middleton And Prince William have been 'touched' by the kind messages the royal couple have received since the Princess of Wales revealed her cancer diagnosis.

In a statement to ET, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: “The Prince and Princess have both been hugely touched by the kind messages from people here in Britain, across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness's message .”

The spokesperson continued: “They are extremely touched by the warmth and support of the public and are grateful for their understanding of their request for privacy at this time.”

Kate, 42, made the stunning revelation on Friday that she has been diagnosed with cancer. The princess said that when she underwent abdominal surgery earlier this year, her condition was not thought to be cancerous. But tests after the operation revealed cancer.

Kate hasn't revealed what type of cancer she's battling, only that she's currently undergoing “preventive chemotherapy” and is “now in the early stages of that treatment.”

A source told ET that Kate filmed her video announcement on March 20 and that she received cancer treatment shortly after her surgery in January. The royal couple struggled to tell their children, the source explained, because they wanted to protect them as much as possible.

“Children process information in different ways. Their main concern was to be able to explain this to the children in a way that was reassuring and that they could process it,” the source said.

Also on Friday, King Charles III shared his support for his daughter-in-law, saying through a spokesperson that Charles “is so proud of Catherine for her courage to speak the way she did.” Kate and Charles were both admitted to hospital at the same time earlier this year – Kate for her planned abdominal surgery and His Majesty for a correction procedure. The king is also battling cancer.

Following their time together in hospital, Charles “has remained in close contact with his beloved daughter-in-law in recent weeks, and both royals “will continue to offer their love and support to the entire family at this difficult time.”