The Royals 'will come back stronger' from Charles and Kate's shock cancer ... trends now

The Royal Family will emerge stronger from the shock double cancer diagnosis of the King and the Princess of Wales, insiders insisted last night.

Sources said 'things may look different for a while' but senior royals are rallying around to ensure the continued 'smooth sailing' of the monarchy while two of its biggest stars have treatment.

And while it is likely that the country may have to get used to a 'new normal' when it comes to the institution, the insiders say it will be no less effective.

It can today be revealed that Charles is 'so optimistic' about his treatment that he has already expressed a hope to attend Royal Ascot this summer, as well as some of the garden parties at Buckingham Palace that honour community and military heroes.

He also intends to lead a small family gathering to church at Windsor on Easter Sunday, although the princess and her family will miss out.

Sources say the King, 75, and his daughter-in-law, 42, have been brought even closer by their shared diagnosis. 

On Thursday they had lunch at Windsor, a day after Kate recorded a poignant video message revealing that tests after major abdominal surgery in January showed the presence of cancer.

She began a course of 'preventative chemotherapy' in late February, she told the nation, adding that she had reassured her three children, George, ten, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five: 'That I am going to be OK.'

Charles was already aware of the princess's diagnosis but it is clear that given his own treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, the pair would have had a lot to discuss.

They have grown increasingly close over the years and the King greatly admires his daughter-in-law – with whom he shares a love of the arts and music – for bringing so much happiness to his son and for her 'brilliance' as a mother to his grandchildren.

They were both in hospital in January, after the King was admitted to The London Clinic for surgery on an enlarged prostate and it is known he visited Kate's bedside several times.

A source also told the Mail yesterday that both the Prince and Princess of Wales had been greatly 'heartened' by the public messages of support they had received since the news was announced on Friday. They are spending Easter privately with their three children.

The source said: 'They are human beings. Every person deals with it [cancer] totally differently. There is no fast forward button.

'In the princess's case, as she said, it was a shock to her. She had to process the news, then she had to help her husband to process the news … and then they had to get their three young children to a place where they could come to terms with it. 

'And then she had to share it with the entire world. This is never a message you would want to share, but it was right that it was done when she was ready.