The Prince and Princess of Wales learnt long ago how to ride out a storm

It was just the briefest acknowledgement in a statement that was otherwise focused on delivering dramatic and devastating news.

But the Princess of Wales’s reference to her husband, Prince William, in the video message released on Friday was a careful and deliberate tribute to the one person who has shared her recent pain.

“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too,” she said.

Not the type to gush in public, her words were typically understated.

The couple have spent the last few weeks dealing with the news that, following major abdominal surgery in January, cancer had been found in post-operative tests.

Like many others, they have also had to navigate the myriad ways of informing, and reassuring, their three young children, whilst also ensuring that the news did not leak.

On top of that, they have faced weeks of speculation and wild conspiracy theories linked to the Princess’s absence from public life, the release of paparazzi pictures, an international storm over a family photograph that was edited in PhotoShop and a furore over a visit to a Windsor farm shop.

They have also been supporting the King as he undergoes his own course of cancer treatment and dealing with the additional pressures of knowing that other, much older royals such as the Queen and the Princess Royal, are taking on additional duties to keep the show on the road.

Any one of these things would be enough to break many couples.

But the Prince and Princess long ago learnt how to batten down the hatches and ride out a storm.

From the outset, their relationship was pored over and debated, the Princess’s middle-class background used as fodder for cruel commentary.

They weathered a brief but highly-publicised split in 2007 before reuniting and developing into an equal partnership.

Their shared competitive streak has made for many an entertaining royal engagement but behind closed doors, they work as a team, sharing the childcare and the school runs.

Royal insiders note that they are very similar in that they are both “intrinsically quite shy” and sometimes struggle with life in the limelight.

Crucially, the key priority they share is family.

For William, that desire is borne out of his own experiences, a child of divorce with warring parents hounded by unrelenting paparazzi.

The death of his mother when he was just 15 only deepened his resolve to create a secure family unit for his children that he guards fiercely.

By comparison, the Princess enjoyed an idyllic childhood that is the model they have strived to recreate together.

While William has guided and supported his wife through the many highs and lows of public life, Catherine proved a tower of strength throughout the difficult departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the deep betrayal he has since felt by his brother.

Insiders note that much of their success as a couple is down to the fact that the Princess has no desire to outshine her husband, only wanting to support him to the best of her ability.

They have revelled in living as a normal family at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, which has no space for live-in staff and have maintained a small friendship group comprising just a handful of trusted confidantes.

The Princess’s praise for her husband, for the “comfort” and “reassurance” he has provided throughout the darkness of recent weeks, was a public thank you for all that has gone on behind closed doors.

But it may have the added benefit of silencing the conspiracy theorists who continue to peddle cruel and utterly unsubstantiated rumours about the couple’s marriage.

William’s stubborn insistence on reducing his workload to support his family, regardless of public pressure, has also said volumes.

Occasional references to his wife on recent engagements may have appeared insignificant at the time and may well have been subconscious.

But with the benefit of hindsight, they too show where his priorities lie.