Prince William and Kate Middleton with children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis© Kensington Palace

Surprising detail you missed from Princess Kate's touching family video with Prince William and their children

The Princess of Wales opened up about her cancer journey over a moving montage

Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
Updated: September 11, 2024

The Prince and Princess of Wales shared an unprecedented insight into family life as Kate shared the news that she has completed chemotherapy.

In a moving video message detailing her cancer journey, Kate can be seen enjoying the school summer holidays with Prince William, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Prince Louis.

Included in the montage, captured by filmmaker Will Warr in Norfolk last month, the family is seen happily, and competitively, playing cards around a table with Kate's parents Carole and Michael Middleton. Watch the film below...

WATCH: Princess Kate opens up about cancer journey in moving family video

And the Waleses chose a thrifty way of keeping score during their game. In the middle of the dining table, coffee pod capsules can be seen for each player!

Kate Middleton playing cards with Michael Middleton and daughter Princess Charlotte© Will Warr
Coffee pod capsules could be seen on the table as the family played cards

It seems that William, Kate and their children are big fans of card games, as footage of the family enjoying a picnic also shows them playing with a pack of RAF 'Battle of Britain' cards.

© Will Warr
Princess Charlotte playing card game during family picnic

No doubt their family games bring out a bit of friendly competition between them all, with William and Kate renowned for their competitiveness when going head-to-head during their royal engagements.

The subject was brought up on Mike Tindall's podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, last September with the Princess quipping: "I'm really not that competitive, I don't know where this has come from."

She then joked that she and William have never managed to finish a game of tennis, laughing as she added that "it becomes a mental challenge between the two of us".

© Will Warr
Kate's parents Carole and Michael Middleton also featured in the video

And when Mike then asked if the couple's three children are showing signs of competitiveness, Princess Anne interjected to say: "Just a little bit, I would suggest."

Timeline of Princess Kate's surgery and health updates

© Getty
Kate went in for abdominal surgery on 17 January

25 December 2023 – Kate is last seen publicly on Christmas Day

9 January 2024 – Kate celebrates her 42nd birthday, with the King and Queen sharing a behind-the-scenes photo from the coronation to mark the day.

11 January 2024 – William returns to royal duties, meeting rugby heroes Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield at Headingley Stadium in Leeds.

17 January 2024 – Kensington Palace announces in a statement that Kate has undergone abdominal surgery at the London Clinic and that William has temporarily stepped back from royal duties to care for Kate and their children.

18 January 2024 – William visits Kate at the London Clinic.

26 January 2024 – King Charles visits Kate in hospital before undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate.

29 January 2024 – Kate is discharged from hospital and returns home to Windsor to continue her recovery. King Charles also leaves the London Clinic on the same day after his treatment.

7 February 2024 – William resumes royal duties attending London's Air Ambulance Charity gala with Tom Cruise.

10 February 2024 – William and Kate spend February half-term with George, Charlotte and Louis at their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. Kate's siblings are also pictured on holiday during the school holidays, with James Middleton and Alizee Thevenet flying to the Caribbean with baby Inigo, and Pippa Matthews and her family holidaying on the island of St Barts.

27 February 2024 – Kate said to be "doing well" as William pulls out of King Constantine memorial due to a "personal matter".

29 February 2024 – Kensington Palace addresses social media speculation, reiterating: "We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter."

10 March 2024 - A photograph of Kate with their three children at home in Windsor is released to mark Mother's Day and to thank the public for their "continued support".

11 March 2024 - Kate publicly apologises for the "confusion" around the photograph as she admitted she "occasionally experiments with editing," after news agencies pulled the image amid claims it had been digitally altered. The Princess is then seen in a car with William as she's driven to a private appointment in London. 

19 March 2024 - Footage of William and Kate leaving the Windsor Farm Shop is shared by The Sun and TMZ in the first video sighting of the Princess since surgery.

22 March 2024 - Princess Kate confirms that she has been diagnosed with cancer in a moving video message and is undergoing preventative chemotherapy. 

18 April 2024 - Prince William returns to royal duties after spending Easter holidays privately as a family. 

10 May 2024 - Prince William says Kate is "doing well" as he visits the Isles of Scilly. 

21 May 2024 - Princess Kate is "excited" as Kensington Palace shares update on her early years work with the release of her Business Taskforce's prioritising childhood report.

8 June 2024 - Princess Kate writes letter to Irish Guards to apologise for not being able to take part in the salute at the Colonel's Review.

14 June 2024 - In a personal statement, Kate shares she is making "good progress" and that her "treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months". 

15 June 2024 - Kate makes her first major public appearance since diagnosis at Trooping the Colour.

14 July 2024 - Kate watches the Men's final at Wimbledon with Princess Charlotte and Pippa Matthews.

11 August 2024 - William and Kate congratulate Team GB athletes in a video message after the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

9 September 2024 - Kate confirms she's completed chemotherapy in moving video message.

10 October 2024 - Kate joins William on visit to bereaved families in Southport.

9/10 November 2024 - Princess attends Festival of Remembrance and Remembrance Day service at Cenotaph.

3 December 2024 - Kate greets Emir of Qatar alongside William during state visit.

Kate replied: "What's interesting is that they all obviously [have] very different temperaments. 

"And as they're growing and trying out different sports - they're obviously still really young - it's going be interesting to see how that grows and develops."

© Will Warr
William and Kate were captured holding hands on the beach

Other sweet moments from the family video include the Waleses giggling as they splash through the waves on the beach as well as rare PDA moments of William and Kate as they lie together on a picnic blanket, with the Prince playfully kissing his wife on the cheek and neck.

As she spoke about the future after finishing chemotherapy, Kate said the "path to healing and full recovery is long" and she "must continue to take each day as it comes" as she looks ahead to returning to public duties.

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