SHINING BRIGHT - KATE'S MESSAGE OF HOPE

Her emotional health update video made it clear that the Princess of Wales' family comes first, says former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond.

There can be few more testing times than the difficult journey the Princess of Wales has been through these past nine months. Since her planned abdominal surgery in January that resulted in a "shock" cancer diagnosis, which she revealed in March, Kate, 42, has had to come face to face with her own mortality, while also trying to keep worries as low as possible for her children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.

And while there is still some way to go, the light at the end of the tunnel came into focus when the Wales family released a heartfelt video revealing that the princess had finished her chemotherapy treatment. It was the joyful news royal fans had eagerly waited for and underlined that, above all else, her family remains her priority.

"Catherine has made it clear that from now on, more than ever, her family will come first," former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively tells OK!.

"She will return to work slowly, on her own terms, and William will completely support her in this. I don't think he will exert any pressure whatsoever on her to increase her workload, because the days of duty taking precedence over everything have passed." Jennie adds, "This doesn't mean she intends to be only part-time forever because these days there are other ways to be visible... Video messages and social media posts are all ways she could still be in touch and give her support to her causes, while still being there for her children.

In 12 or so years, when Catherine's full recovery will hopefully be well-established, the children will probably all be off into further education, and then she can concentrate more on her work... But until she feels comfortable taking on more, we must be patient." On how George, Charlotte and Louis will have been impacted by what their family have been through in the past nine months, the expert makes it clear that they need their mum more than ever.