Diana's personal astrologer DEBBIE FRANK reveals the planets give great cause for optimism as after years of royal lunar oddities, a solar eclipse will appear on both Kate and Wills' birth chart six months after the Princess started chemotherapy treatment

Since antiquity, eclipses have been thought to herald dramatic changes and to be particularly associated with royalty.

In ancient China, emperors would abdicate in order to avoid what was thought to be negative energy from an eclipse, and put a proxy ruler on the throne for the duration. 

Medieval archers would, at the behest of a worried king, loose a volley of arrows to the Moon in an effort to ward off a looming lunar eclipse.

Centuries later, celestial events and their associations with beginnings and endings have underpinned important milestones in our modern Royal Family, too.

King Charles was both born on an eclipse and crowned on one. He married Diana during an eclipse… and 16 years later she died on one. 

The present Princess of Wales's announcement that she is undergoing treatment for cancer was notably close to tomorrow's full moon eclipse, in line with several other major royal events

The significance in an eclipse being so close to such an event in marking another cycle of beginnings and endings is plain to astrologers such as myself, writes DEBBIE FRANK

Their son, William, was also born on an eclipse as was his wife Kate. So fascinated by this was I that, as the personal astrologer to Princess Diana, we discussed the significance of then Prime Minister John Major announcing her separation from Charles on the lunar eclipse of December 9, 1992.

The present Princess of Wales's announcement that she is undergoing treatment for cancer was notably close to tomorrow's full moon eclipse.

Its significance in marking another cycle of beginnings and endings is plain to astrologers such as myself. 

Kate and William were born six months apart, and both – unusually – have Mars and Libra featuring prominently in their birth charts, right under the eye of this lunar eclipse.

It makes this eclipse highly personal for them, flagging up a challenge to be overcome.

Happily, though, the planets also give us great cause for optimism.

But the planets give us cause for optimism, with a solar eclipse set to appear in both Kate and William's birth chart six months from when the Princess first began treatment - a significant milestone in chemotherapy

On October 2, a solar eclipse will appear in both Kate and William's birth chart, marking a new beginning. This will be six months on from when the Princess first began treatment – a time generally considered to be a significant milestone in chemotherapy.

This is a hopeful sign for her recovery, which will see Kate and William emerge stronger than ever.

What's more, the planets give us more reasons to be positive, too. A Capricorn, Kate is blessed with an extremely strong and resilient astrological signature, while steely Saturn and powerful Pluto also play an important role in her birth chart.

It is an extraordinarily resolute and strong astrological combination – reassuring for all those sending heartfelt wishes for her recovery.