In her emotional video revealing her cancer diagnosis<\/a>, Kate Middleton<\/strong><\/a> singled out her husband, Prince William<\/a><\/strong>, as a big support.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance,\u201d the 42-year-old, dressed in a Breton striped sweater and seated on a bench in front of a sea of daffodils, said in the March 22 message. \u201cAs is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.\u201d<\/p>\n He won\u2019t be alone in helping the Princess of Wales stay strong. The mom of three<\/a>, who underwent abdominal surgery<\/a> in January before what she called her \u201cshock\u201d diagnosis<\/a>, has been leaning on her sister and lifelong confidante, Pippa Middleton<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cPippa is not only Kate\u2019s younger sister, but she\u2019s her best friend and loyal to the bone,\u201d an insider exclusively tells Life & Style<\/em>. \u201cKate can trust Pippa with anything she needs to get off her chest.\u201d<\/p>\n The world got to know the 40-year-old at Princess Kate\u2019s 2011 wedding<\/a>, but the sisters were mainstays in the U.K. press after they both graduated from university and lived together in the Chelsea area of London. At the time, Princess Kate worked for the clothing company Jigsaw, while Pippa worked in PR.<\/p>\n \u201cKate and Pippa were quite the social butterflies,\u201d notes the insider. \u201cThey\u2019d go clubbing together and get home late, sleep in when they could, then laugh at their nightly escapades over breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n As Princess Kate\u2019s relationship with Prince William became public, the press wasn\u2019t always kind to the two, dubbing them \u201cThe Wisteria Sisters\u201d for their supposed social climbing. (The future queen and her sister were commoners running with an aristocratic set.)<\/p>\n \u201cFortunately, they had each other to commiserate with,\u201d says the insider. \u201cThey encouraged each other to ignore it and get on with their lives.\u201d And as Princess Kate joined the royal family<\/a>, her sister became a valuable ally. \u201cShe trusts Pippa with her secrets and vice versa,\u201d says the insider. \u201cThey speak all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Some even believe that Pippa, who wed hedge fund manager<\/a> James Matthews<\/strong> in 2017 and will become Lady Glen Affric when her husband inherits his title, will become Princess Kate\u2019s lady-in-waiting when Prince William becomes king<\/a>. (Like Princess Kate, Pippa has three young children<\/a>.)<\/p>\n \u201cKate has a difficult time trusting anyone who isn\u2019t family,\u201d notes the insider. \u201cThis became especially true after she married William and became a member of the royal family<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n The Middletons have always been close-knit \u2014 something that appealed to Prince William from the start. The future king would often spend holidays at the family\u2019s spread in Bucklebury with Pippa and Princess Kate, their parents, Carole<\/strong> and Michael<\/strong>, and brother James<\/strong>.<\/p>\n After the formality of royal life, adds the insider, \u201cit was a pleasant surprise for William to see how tight and affectionate Kate\u2019s family is. They were brought up in a warm and lively home where no topic was off-limits.\u201d<\/p>\n Pippa herself has acknowledged how the Middletons help her sister with the \u201cpressures\u201d of public life. \u201cWe still do a lot together as a family and I think that\u2019s really the heart for all of us is having a really close family that we can sort of be normal with each other, treat each other normally,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s sort of kept us all, you know, affixed to the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n As she faces her illness, Princess Kate will need that support. \u201cThat\u2019s given her a great deal of comfort,\u201d says the insider. \u201cTheir bond will see Kate through her recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Pippa](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/inside-kate-middletons-unbreakable-bond-with-her-sister-pippa-2.jpg?fit=400%2C271&quality=86&strip=all\")
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