Cancer-stricken Kate 'doesn't need Meghan or Harry to console her,' says expert who believes Princess of Wales' immediate family will help her through treatment

Cancer-stricken Kate Middleton 'doesn't need Meghan or Harry to console her', a royal expert has claimed.

Sally Bedell Smith insisted the Princess of Wales has enough support from other members of the Royal family as she deals with her shock diagnosis.

'She has her parents and a sister, and she's very close to King Charles,' Smith told New York Times' star columnist Maureen Dowd.

Kate revealed she is undergoing cancer treatment in an emotional video statement released on Friday, prompting Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to offer their well wishes for her recovery.

Smith's comments came after she hit headlines for comparing the Duchess of Sussex to American divorcee Wallis Simpson, claiming both were 'very narcissistic, very controlling, very dominating'.

Cancer-stricken Kate Middleton 'doesn't need Meghan or Harry to console her', a royal expert has claimed

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry offered their well wishes for Kate's healing after the Prince of Wales released a statement revealing her cancer diagnosis

Sally Bedell Smith (pictured) insisted the Princess of Wales has enough support from other members of the Royal family as she deals with her shock diagnosis

'Meghan has announced she is going down a very different road, starting a new brand with the most bizarre name' Smith added, in reference to Meghan's American Riviera Orchard lifestyle company.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were understood to have made contact with the Prince and Princess of Wales 'privately' last night.

It is not clear if the contact was a phone, video call or some messages of support. The possibility of whether Harry would fly back to the UK is not known.

They also released a statement to Harper's Bazaar magazine, saying: 'We wish health and healing for Kate and the family.' 

Kate was given a boost of support from her father-in-law King Charles, who released a statement expressing his pride in her 'courage' and who was himself diagnosed with cancer just a month ago. 

In her statement, the Princess of Wales revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer after 'planned abdominal surgery' in January. 

She said she had delayed making any public announcement so that she and her husband Prince William could tell their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Her statement came amid mounting speculation on the Princess' whereabouts in the months after her surgery.

Smith said she hoped that it would stem further conspiracy theories and allow her to recover.

Smith previously took a swipe at  'very narcissistic, very controlling, very dominating' Meghan

Once dubbed the 'Fab Four', the two couples have not been seen together publicly since the Queen's funeral (Pictured on September 10th 2022) 

'I hope they will show common decency, which maybe they don't have in great supply. I hope they will stop speculating on all sorts of dire and ludicrous things.' 

But she admitted that online speculation on social media is 'much harder to control'.

 Smith said her royal sources are 'trying to come to grips to manage this maelstrom of opinions and speculation and vicious theories' and are 'in a state of shock'.

Kate and William's relationship with Harry and Meghan has become fractured in recent years. 

The Duke of Sussex, 39, had previously described Kate as the 'big sister I never had' after getting engaged to Harry in 2016. 

However, his relationship with the Prince and Princess of Wales shattered in the bitter aftermath of Megxit, when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to take a step back from royal duties.

Meghan was accused of making Kate cry in the run-up to her 2018 wedding - but later told Oprah it was actually Kate who'd made her weep. 

The tension between the two women came as relations between Prince William and Prince Harry were plunged into the deep freeze.  

Kate last met Harry after the Queen's death in September 2022, when they joined their spouses on a walkabout in Windsor.

Last week, the rift between William and Harry was more than evident as the brothers made dueling appearances at a memorial event for their mother Princess Diana, with William leaving the ceremony before Harry joined via video link.

King Charles greets Kate during an event at the Royal Albert Hall in September 2021. The King offer praised the Princess' 'courage' following her announcement

Sally Bedell Smith insisted the Princess of Wales has enough support from other members of the Royal family as she deals with her shock diagnosis

Kate's revelation followed a statement from Buckingham Palace which revealed King Charles had also been diagnosed with cancer.

In February, the palace confirmed that Charles had been diagnosed with a form of cancer, which is not prostate cancer, that was discovered while the King was being treated at the private London Clinic for an enlarged prostate.

The King has postponed public-facing duties but is said to be continuing to work behind the scenes on his red boxes - his state business and official papers.

Sharing Charles' reaction to the shocking news, Buckingham Palace said: 'His Majesty is ''so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did''.

'Following their time in hospital together, HM has ''remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks''.

'Both Their Majesties ''will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time''.'

Royal biographer Smith praised Queen Camilla who has been attending to his public duties during the recovery.

 'She's been unbelievable,' Smith said. 'One day she's on the Isle of Man, the next day Northern Ireland, looking cheerful, taking good wishes to Charles. 

Prince William attends the The Diana Legacy Awards at the Science Museum on March 14 - before making a hasty exit before Prince Harry appeared via videolink

 Someone in the crowd noted that men were difficult patients, and Camilla laughed and said she was doing the best she could.'

Sarah, Duchess of York, became the third royal in quick succession to announce a medical procedure at the beginning of 2024, when she revealed a diagnosis of malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer.

The princess is now on what has been described as a 'recovery pathway' having commenced a course of chemotherapy in late February.

It is for this reason that Prince William pulled out of a memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine of Greece.

Kensington Palace has strongly asked people not to speculate on what cancer she has.

However they say that she is in 'good spirits and focused on her recovery'.

'She is hugely grateful to the medical team for the care they are providing to her,' a spokesman said. 'She now needs time, space and privacy to complete her treatment and make a full recovery.'