The nation wishes the Princess a rapid recovery

The video released last night by the Princess of Wales, announcing that she is having treatment for cancer, will have come as a great shock to the nation. But her moving and highly personal message also illustrated why the Princess has become such a beloved member of the Royal family.

Following her successful abdominal surgery in January, the Princess said, tests had discovered cancer had been present. Her medical team advised her that she should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy. Her Royal Highness says that she is now in the early stages of that treatment.

But it had taken her time, she said, for her and her husband Prince William to process this. It had taken time for her to recover from the major surgery. And, most importantly, she said, “it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.”

It often seems to have been forgotten – amid the disgraceful conspiracy theories that have engulfed social media across the world in recent months, fanned by people in public life who really should know better – that there is a young family at the heart of all this. Her Royal Highness has gained the public’s admiration for combining her duties – including a particular focus on early years development – with her devotion to ensuring that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have a happy and well-adjusted childhood.

Now Her Royal Highness must be given the space and the privacy to recover in full, without constant speculation about her health. It was characteristic of the Princess to include her sympathies for other families affected by cancer within her video message. But the public will understand that, in the period ahead, her focus will necessarily be on herself, her husband and her children.

It has been a difficult few years for the Royal family. After the upheavals caused by the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the controversies surrounding the Dukes of York and Sussex, there had been hopes following the Coronation that there would be a period of calm and consolidation. Sadly, that has not been the case, with the King also currently undergoing treatment for cancer.

But it was reassuring to hear the Princess say in her message that she is well, and getting stronger every day. She will of course be receiving the very best medical treatment. She can also be assured of the nation’s best wishes for a speedy recovery, so that she can return to her duties in due course. on Russia’s energy infrastructure. Such strikes mark one of Kyiv’s few recent military successes, wiping out around 12 per cent of Moscow’s overall oil production. Yet the White House is said to be concerned that if Kyiv keeps hitting Russian facilities, global oil prices will increase sharply.

Two years into the bloodiest conflict Europe has seen since the Second World War, surely the West should have realised by now that Ukraine is in an existential fight for its survival. For too long, Washington and other capitals assumed the war was in stalemate, withholding weapons and funding. Yet as Russia ramps up its efforts, time is running out to rectify the damage.

Before the full-scale invasion, countries such as Germany became overly dependent on Russian oil and gas. With hundreds of thousands dead on European soil, it beggars belief that Western leaders still appear to think Russian energy production is a reason for Ukraine to stay its hand.