A MOTHER'S Strength

In the face of her devastating diagnosis, a determined Princess of Wales is putting family first

- JAIME HARKIN

Princess Kate was the picture of poise and grace as she bravely revealed her cancer diagnosis to the world in a video shared on March 22. "It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I've had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me," said the mom of three from a bench on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

"I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits," she added, noting that her husband, Prince William, has been "a great source of comfort and reassurance."

The beloved royal had undergone successful abdominal surgery in mid-January when follow-up tests discovered the cancer. Kate who said she's in the "early stages" of preventative chemotherapy - was devastated when doctors told her the news, but the hands-on mom has been doing everything in her power to stay strong for her three young children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and 5-year-old Prince Louis. "She tires easily," a source says of Kate, "but she's been trying to spend as much time with her kids as she can."

FEELING OVERWHELMED

Kate’s message finally put months of speculation to bed. Though Kensington Palace had announced she wouldn’t return to her royal duties until after Easter, the rumor mill went into overdrive during her public absence. Conspiracy theories — and talk that Kate and William, 41, were having marital issues — ran rampant and only amplified when Kate released a digitally altered photo on March 10, U.K. Mother’s Day. (She later apologized for experimenting with photo editing.)