Timing everything: how Catherine Princess of Wales filmed cancer video

The BBC filmed Catherine’s video on Wednesday but it wasn’t released until 6pm on Friday night local time, hours after the family had left Windsor for their Easter break.

Catherine, The Princess of Wales, announced that she is receiving a preventative course of chemotherapy for cancer. Picture: Getty Images.

Catherine, the Princess of Wales announced her cancer diagnosis and preventative chemotherapy treatment hours after school had broken up for the Easter holidays.

The 42-year-old wore a casual jumper that hung off her slender frame to make the shock announcement, filmed in the gardens of the Windsor estate near her home at Adelaide Cottage.

The BBC had filmed the video two days earlier, on Wednesday but it was not released until 6pm on Friday night local time – hours after Catherine and Prince William, had taken the family, including Prince George 10, eight year old Princess Charlotte and five year old Prince Louis on their family break.

It is likely that the family had already left Windsor by the time the news had aired and reverberated around the world.

The most likely destination is their beloved country estate Anmer Hall near Sandringham in Norfolk where Catherine can still be in close contact with medical staff for her ongoing chemotherapy treatment.

By making the diagnosis public when the children were out of school has meant they can be shielded from a peak of intense scrutiny in the playground by their schoolfriends at Lambrook School. Catherine mentioned in her video how she has needed time to appropriately explain and reassure the children about the “huge shock” and that she will be okay.

It is expected that over the holidays the family will have the support of Catherine’s parents 74 year old Michael Middleton and 69 year old Carole Middleton.

Catherine’s brother James, issued a social media message with a picture of the two of them as youngsters saying: “Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too.”

King Charles, 75, has also enjoyed the quiet of Sandringham in between treatment for his own cancer.

Both Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales are not expected to attend Easter Sunday church services, instead preferring to keeping things low key and relaxed at their country homes.