Kate Middleton confided in a small group of people before going public with her cancer diagnosis last week, but left other close friends in the dark as she was wary of the information being leaked. That’s the word today from a friend of the Princess of Wales – as reported by PEOPLE Magazine – who admitted to having been shocked by the news. On Friday,

March 22 Kate appeared in a video to confirm that her recent, highly-publicized absence was because she is fighting cancer. The mom-of-three underwent abdominal surgery back in January; it was tests post-op that revealed the cancer. Needless to say, the announcement sent shockwaves around the world, not least because King Charles is currently fighting the same disease. Kate’s brave video message came after weeks of intense speculation, with the media and general public asking all sorts of questions as to the Princess’s wellbeing and whereabouts.