“A new level of madness”
Kate's absence fuels rumor mills
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Isolated from the public, Princess Kate is recovering from surgery. The palace remains silent about the reasons for the intervention. But the information policy does not seem to be beneficial for the British royal family. The internet is abuzz with rumors.
It has been 69 days since the future queen was last seen. Together with her husband Prince William and their three children, Princess Kate attended the Royal Family's Christmas service on the first holiday. Laughing and waving, everything as usual.
And basically, the fact that the 42-year-old hasn't been seen since then isn't worth getting excited about. The palace announced on January 17th that Kate was recovering from a planned abdominal operation and would therefore not attend any appointments until after Easter. That's still a month away – and yet unrest is rising in the UK.
This is not the fault of the tabloids, which usually pounce on every detail: what color is Kate's dress, what does she want to express with her jewelry, how gracefully she smiles. But there hasn't been a word of speculation about her state of health for weeks. The Royal Family had asked for privacy and parried the infamous “yellow press”.
“Kensington Palace will therefore only report on Her Royal Highness's progress when important new information is available,” it said when the operation was announced. No details were given about her illness, except that it was not cancer. But the old palace rule “never complain, never explain” – which the late Queen Elizabeth II always adhered to – is becoming increasingly difficult in the age of social media.
“Not enough to satisfy modern curiosity”
It was Kate's husband who started the rumors. When Prince William canceled an important royal event at short notice “for personal reasons” on Tuesday, Pandora's Internet box was opened. The rumors on social networks became so big, and various conspiracy theories raged so wildly across the internet, that Kensington Palace felt compelled to announce again: The princess is recovering, she is doing well. They said that they would get in touch if the worst came to the worst.
But it didn't help. And William's happy mood at meetings for the Welsh national holiday on Friday did not calm the speculation and rumors.
The explanation “is not enough to satisfy modern curiosity,” the Telegraph lamented, criticizing that online royals watching had “reached a new level of madness.” The “Sun” wrote about a “week of crisis”. Even the BBC spoke of “a royal dilemma as public curiosity about Kate's health grows.”
The English patient is by no means the only senior member of the Royal Family who is currently absent due to illness. Father-in-law King Charles III is suffering from cancer and is currently not attending any public appointments. But there are no rumors about the monarch.
“He is the head of state”
“The voracious appetite for news about the Princess has not been helped by the perception that the King is being much more open about his cancer diagnosis,” commented Sky News royals correspondent Rhiannon Mills. Charles waved to onlookers from a distance as he walked into church. He was photographed reading get-well wishes and met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for an audience in front of the camera.
Experts believe the comparison is unfair. “He is the head of state,” emphasizes Mills. Not just from Great Britain, but from a dozen other countries. Kate, on the other hand, has no constitutional office. That's why Charles is in a different position than the princess, Mills said. Charles wants to send a video message for Commonwealth Day, one of the most important dates in the royal calendar. “I have to be seen so that people believe in me,” said his mother Queen Elizabeth II.
The monarchy, which was slimmed down under Charles, needs its staff. Without Charles and Kate, there are hardly any royals who attend appointments. Queen Camilla and her sister-in-law Princess Anne are there, William – and then the second row almost begins, with Charles' youngest brother Prince Edward and his wife Duchess Sophie.
Camilla in particular has recently attended significantly more appointments than were actually in her calendar, the “Sun” reported. But the Queen also needs rest. The paper reported that she would soon be setting off on a vacation abroad. However, this leads to new concerns. Royals expert Ingrid Seward told the Sun: “This will raise the question of who is in charge at such a crucial time when so many key royals are out of action.”
