William was in a state of disbelief

William, according to friends, later told how he was in “a state of disbelief”.

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William and Kate with Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George

First his father had been diagnosed with cancer, and a month later his wife was now facing a similar challenge. Catherine called her parents and her siblings to tell them, then she and William resolved to gather the children and impart what they knew in the best and most positive way possible.

Catherine had already decided to make a personal statement. She had seen the positivity and warmth that had greeted the King when he had been so open about his own diagnosis. More than that, though, the princess believed that her experience could benefit others in similar distressing circumstances. Catherine's family rallied round, with her sister Pippa helping to write the script for the short video statement.

Dressed in a simple striped jumper and jeans, sitting on a wooden bench and surrounded by a serene spring backdrop of daffodils - a world away from the disgraceful chaos peddled by faceless social media trolls Catherine calmly described how the diagnosis had come as a "huge shock" on top of an "incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family".

The message, recorded in complete secrecy by a BBC special events team, was broadcast on the 6pm national news and online. Much like the announcement of the death of Elizabeth II, it felt like an earthquake whose reverberations were felt around the world.