General News for the Wales Family 1: September 2022-March 2024


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I've always felt this whole situation was handled incredibly poorly. Had KP been more upfront about what was going on, I feel a lot of the drama/conspiracy theory/innuendo could have been avoided. I[.....]

The BRF has been very open about Charles' health issues in the hopes of inspiring others, particularly men of his years, to go to their doctor and get checked out. Is what's going on with Catherine so much worse that we can't know anything? I don't think anyone is asking for CT scans and blood test results, but they've unintentionally made it look like whatever is wrong with her is worse than her father-in-law having cancer.
 
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I've always felt this whole situation was handled incredibly poorly. Had KP been more upfront about what was going on, I feel a lot of the drama/conspiracy theory/innuendo could have been avoided. [.....]

The BRF has been very open about Charles' health issues in the hopes of inspiring others, particularly men of his years, to go to their doctor and get checked out. Is what's going on with Catherine so much worse that we can't know anything? I don't think anyone is asking for CT scans and blood test results, but they've unintentionally made it look like whatever is wrong with her is worse than her father-in-law having cancer.
KP has handled it fine. They have given two statements outlining exactly what was happening.

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I've always felt this whole situation was handled incredibly poorly. Had KP been more upfront about what was going on, I feel a lot of the drama/conspiracy theory/innuendo could have been avoided.[.....]

The BRF has been very open about Charles' health issues in the hopes of inspiring others, particularly men of his years, to go to their doctor and get checked out. Is what's going on with Catherine so much worse that we can't know anything? I don't think anyone is asking for CT scans and blood test results, but they've unintentionally made it look like whatever is wrong with her is worse than her father-in-law having cancer.
To be honest, at this point, I HOPE she made a plastic surgery as well (if that's her wish of course), she has already endured media scrutiny, so why not take the advantage of staying out of the public eye for months? She'll not have an opportunity as good as this.
 
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I sincerely hope NOT, because she is a beautiful woman and there is no necessity at all for any kind of plastic surgery. I am mostly in favour of women who are not ashamed of showing their age and are proud of every wrinkle they have gotten by getting older.
 
To be honest, at this point, I HOPE she made a plastic surgery as well (if that's her wish of course), she has already endured media scrutiny, so why not take the advantage of staying out of the public eye for months? She'll not have an opportunity as good as this.

Have you ever had a serious illness? The last thing you need is more, in that case self-inflicted, surgery & pain.
Also why on earth would she need plastic surgery?
 
Of course it is serious when she can't appear for months. And by serious I don't mean life-threatening, but serious in the sense that it is debilitating for a while. She cannot live her normal life and do her usual activities.
If you got this plastic surgery idea like people on social media because her face looks different, that happens due to illness and medication.
Why would she want plastic surgery when she is so ill she can barely leave the house? It makes no sense at all to me. Sick people usually just want to get healthy again, not get plastic surgery...
 
I've always felt this whole situation was handled incredibly poorly. Had KP been more upfront about what was going on, I feel a lot of the drama/conspiracy theory/innuendo could have been avoided. I[.....]

The BRF has been very open about Charles' health issues in the hopes of inspiring others, particularly men of his years, to go to their doctor and get checked out. Is what's going on with Catherine so much worse that we can't know anything? I don't think anyone is asking for CT scans and blood test results, but they've unintentionally made it look like whatever is wrong with her is worse than her father-in-law having cancer.
Catherine may be willing to deal with a few months of online drama and innuendo in order to keep her medical information and health history private while she recovers.

If they had been given the option, I’m sure Catherine and Charles would have chosen to NOT get acutely ill at the same time, so that they could have each chosen how much information to share without being compared to the other. But the awkward timing doesn’t change the fact that they’re different people, with different illnesses and roles to play in the BRF. Catherine isn’t under any obligation to match Charles’s level of openness, just as he isn’t obliged to keep his illness private the way she has.
 
Of course these rumors and speculations are pretty annoying and not so nice but IMO Welsh family and speciality their media stuff should blame bit themselves too. Yes, verybody have right to privacy but when you are member of royal family and yet with very high status, you can't just expect such privacy as commoner. Not need everything but perhaps something should tell to stop these rumors. People understand that this situation is not really normal. And it almost look like that the king's media staff is more open than media staff of the Welsth family.
 
Of course these rumors and speculations are pretty annoying and not so nice but IMO Welsh family and speciality their media stuff should blame bit themselves too. Yes, verybody have right to privacy but when you are member of royal family and yet with very high status, you can't just expect such privacy as commoner. Not need everything but perhaps something should tell to stop these rumors. People understand that this situation is not really normal. And it almost look like that the king's media staff is more open than media staff of the Welsth family.
NO. Medical information is private. End of. They have said what they wanted to say. She had operation and now she is recovering. Don't understand what's so hard to understand about that.
 
NO. Medical information is private. End of. They have said what they wanted to say. She had operation and now she is recovering. Don't understand what's so hard to understand about that.

Totally agree. Having said that: Just a simple photo of her smiling/waving and "sending her thanks for all the well wishes, we well see you again soon" would be a big help against at least some of the horrible rumors flying around.
 
They said that she'd be out of action until Easter, and that's over three weeks away yet. It takes time to recover from major surgery. Surely everyone knows someone who had had a big operation. There's no mystery about it.
 
Totally agree. Having said that: Just a simple photo of her smiling/waving and "sending her thanks for all the well wishes, we well see you again soon" would be a big help against at least some of the horrible rumors flying around.
Why do they need to provide a photo? Maybe she hadn’t felt like getting camera ready. Just the fact that they said she was having abdominal surgery and would not be doing public duties for months should be enough. It speaks for itself regarding the seriousness of her condition. They told people exactly what to expect and a reason why. I mean….it’s not complicated.

They did send a message thanking people for their well wishes. Really should be enough imo.

There’s no need for KP to bend to the will of a lot of conspiracy theorist nuts on the internet that think they’re entitled to information (or a photo) that they are not.

If Catherine was the Prime Minister or President, for example, then, yes, more transparency would be necessary. But she’s the wife of the future head of state who happens to be globally well known because of the family she married into. That’s it.
 
I feel there was inevitably about how this would turn out - Social Media constantly pedalling rumours and some elements of the Media endlessly pushing for more information. I think William who, quite understandably, is so fiercely protective of his family’s privacy, initially made the decision that no further information or photographs would be released and he is determined to stick to this. If he relents on this it could be viewed as another blurring of the lines regarding intrusion into his private life. Although I admire his stance, it could well be a pyric victory in terms of the amount of misinformation and rumour circulating. Some of which will sadly stick. It is unlikely that Prince George, and to some extent Princess Charlotte, can be shielded from this barrage of opinion about their mother’s health. Who would envy the future monarch as he tries to navigate a way for his family to live amidst such a toxic background ?
 
At this point, I think Kensington Palace should stop responding at all until HRH The Princess of Wales is ready to return to public view. They have been open about her abdominal surgery, her progress, the timeline of her recovery (with has been consistent so far), and have thank both well-wishers and medical staff. The only thing they haven't reveal is the reason for the surgery, which she's has the right to keep private. As someone said before, she may not have the energy to get dolled-up for a photograph.

If people want to indulge in conspiracy theories, that's their choice. KP has provided enough information for the public to know about how HRH The Princess of Wales is doing, and people should take KP's correspondence as it is rather than trying to find something else within it.
 
Why do they need to provide a photo? Maybe she hadn’t felt like getting camera ready. Just the fact that they said she was having abdominal surgery and would not be doing public duties for months should be enough. It speaks for itself regarding the seriousness of her condition. They told people exactly what to expect and a reason why. I mean….it’s not complicated.

They did send a message thanking people for their well wishes. Really should be enough imo.

There’s no need for KP to bend to the will of a lot of conspiracy theorist nuts on the internet that think they’re entitled to information (or a photo) that they are not.

If Catherine was the Prime Minister or President, for example, then, yes, more transparency would be necessary. But she’s the wife of the future head of state who happens to be globally well known because of the family she married into. That’s it.
I have to agree with you. The messaging has been pretty clear. IMO, KP is doing the right by sticking to its line.

As Catherine feels better, she may get photographed picking up or dropping off the children a few more times. That is fine, IMO.
 
Why do they need to provide a photo? Maybe she hadn’t felt like getting camera ready. Just the fact that they said she was having abdominal surgery and would not be doing public duties for months should be enough. It speaks for itself regarding the seriousness of her condition. They told people exactly what to expect and a reason why. I mean….it’s not complicated.

They did send a message thanking people for their well wishes. Really should be enough imo.

There’s no need for KP to bend to the will of a lot of conspiracy theorist nuts on the internet that think they’re entitled to information (or a photo) that they are not.

If Catherine was the Prime Minister or President, for example, then, yes, more transparency would be necessary. But she’s the wife of the future head of state who happens to be globally well known because of the family she married into. That’s it.

They don't need to do anything that they don't want to. My point is just that a photo and a message could help with some of the craziest rumors out there. I think it would be worth it. That doesn't mean that they have to do it. I just think it would be a better strategy.
 
I do not know: Quite opposite to what some posters say, we do not know anything!

She was undergoing surgery in the belly - which is a pretty large area... - and she is at least alive behind her sunglasses. That is all we know! Not much, if you ask me!

Now you can say, the future Queen of the UK is not important enough... - so she can have some privacy... in my humble opinion the Princess of Wales should be more open.
 
We also know how long she was in hospital, that she left hospital within the indicated timeframe and that she is currently recovering (assisted by two nurses - according to a participant who talked to William at one of William's few engagements).

I would like to see William be a bit more active in royal engagements. I fully understood when during her hospitalization, he had to focus on his wife and children but by now, he should be able to undertake a few more engagements. Even more so, since his father is limited in what he can undertake as well.

While it must be hard that the whole world is looking over your shoulder, also in situations like these, he also needs to realize that he is privileged that he could take off/slow down so much, unlike most other people in a position where their spouse is ill and needs support. So, unnecessarily prolonging that period is not a good look imho.
 
Totally agree. Having said that: Just a simple photo of her smiling/waving and "sending her thanks for all the well wishes, we well see you again soon" would be a big help against at least some of the horrible rumors flying around.
I do not think it would help as there will always be those who want more, details of her appearance would be picked over. It is better that they stick to the original timeframe, although I wonder if we might get something on Mother’s Day.
But having said that If we do there will be people who will say that they are responding to pressure. They are in a no win situation.
 
I think they handled Catherine's op and recovery well. What they haven't handled well is the things that have cropped up along the way - William's rather vague "personal matters" meaning he had to pull out last minute from the Greek memorial service and the way they responded to the Army making a very routine post about Trooping (all Colonels are put down to take the salute when its their regiment). They should have recognised with tension, rumour and interest so high these things needed more sensitive than usual handling.

Someone should have told William that as they were doing all they could to protect Catherine's privacy and her medial info that the vague statement of "personal matters" wouldn't fly this time.

Likewise they should have simply downplayed the Army post - "it was unauthorised and in line with standard practice but as a proud Colonel in Chief the Princess very much hopes to be in attendance" or similar. The rather petulant "only we confirm events" was unnecessary.

I don't think they've handled Catherine's absence or health issues poorly but that has been the victim of their poor handling of these other matters.
 
I think the issue is also that William is not as visible as you would think the next in line should be. Its great that he wants to be there for his wife and children but at this point in her recovery personally I think he should be seen doing more and stepping up. Canceling at the last minute for his godfather's memorial service didn't help either.
 
Agree that it’s time for William to do more ”usual” engagements by now to at least give the general public the impression that he is stepping up the plate…

That it has so far been The Queen and not The Prince of Wales who has been and will be standing in for The King on non-constitutional matters like King Constantine’s memorial service, the Commonwealth Day Service and the Royal Maundy Service is not strange for me… She is his wife and as a Majesty outranks William… Queen Alexandra did the same when King Edward VII was ill, and Queen Elizabeth did the same when King George VI was ill…. The constitutional matters have so far been undertaken by The King himself so there is simply no need for William to do that at the moment…

But the heir to the throne is expected to increase his/her workload… Not making it even smaller… It would ofcourse have been different had Catherine been terminally ill but as they say she is not, and as the surgery is now weeks in the past, it should be time for him to do more… Had he been King, he would not have had this luxury of cherrypicking his engagements… It’s time to show that he understands that
 
I have had major abdominal surgery a hysterectomy and bowel surgery. Both times, it has taken up to three months to recover. Two of my children had heart surgery (minor by heart standards.) Due to hospital conditions, many people are sent home very quickly. Many wounds do take up to 3 months to heal as healing comes from the inside out. If the princess who seems on trend to a 3 month recovery has extra time in hospital, and extra help good luck to her. Who knows what stress she has been under. she has 3 small children. She has a very high profile role in the Royal Family. Maybe the doctors just said to her that in order to recover properly, take extra time to recover, it will pay off in the long run.

By the way, medical conditions are confidential unless the patient decides to reveal it. She does not have to. If I have a certain condition, my nearest and dearest (in my case kids and siblings) may be entitled to know but the general public don't. Leave her alone.

As for William, maybe he received a phone call regarding one of the children. Something only a parent can handle. These things do happen. A lot of stickybeaks really need to back off.
 
This interview/article is a very comprehensive overview of the current "Where is Kate" narrative. The deep dive into how royal news is made is very eye opening. The comprehensive timeline at the end is also very informative.

 
Great article in NYT with mature and measured reasoning from Jessica Grosse on the online obsession with Catherine:



The extract below is on point re the underlying societal issue driving this obsession:

The vagueness of “planned abdominal surgery” and her complete absence from public view have sent the internet into an absolute tizzy, and it just underscores how out of control the culture around celebrities has become. The royal family, funded by British taxpayers, are Britain’s stars. And star-watchers with bad boundaries and unhealthy parasocial relationships feel they are entitled to every bit of personal information about the objects of their fixation.
Kate, despite choosing a very public life, has never been a “warts and all” kind of princess
...

A flashback article from the Guardian, before their wedding in 2011, underscores that avoiding a "warts and all" approach to public life, maintaining boundaries, and valuing their privacy is not a new phenomenon for the Waleses, rather a consistent feature of their lives.


The below extract sounds so familiar, it could have been written today:

The contrast between the media coverage during the buildup to that 1981 wedding of Charles and Diana and the treatment of this month's wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is marked.
Newspapers have found it difficult to find anything to write about. There have been few pictures because there have been few, if any, photo opportunities. Clearly, that is just what the couple wish. It follows a pattern throughout William's life – at school, at university, in the household cavalry, now in the air force – during which he has successfully sought to maintain a low profile.
Similarly, his bride-to-be has followed suit. She has never made the slightest error by offering up an inappropriate quote. Nor has she made friends with any journalist.
They have kept out of the public eye,
making very few appearances together aside from their first official public engagement in Anglesey in February to dedicate a lifeboat...

Clarence House, which oversees the affairs of William, has made judicious use of the Press Complaints Commission's system, in which editors are routinely informed about instances of misbehaviour by freelance photographers.
That mechanism grew up around William and Kate. But it is available to everyone and has been used by many celebrities too. Indeed, it is a reminder that William's whole approach to his position has been aimed at what we might call a de-celebrification of the royal family. In an age of celebrity, it would appear that he is returning monarchy to the 1930s and 40s, to the time of his great-grandfather George VI, to an era of discretion.
Whether this is a conscious act is less clear. Indeed, it is doubtful if he sees it in such terms.
But it is patently obvious that he wishes to avoid he and his wife becoming sales-building tabloid fodder. He seeks, if not anonymity, then a large measure of privacy. He will not countenance the nightmare of publicity in which his mother became embroiled...
 
If the Prince of Wales did attend the one hour Thanksgiving for the late King of Greece , most of this posts should be cancelled. He did not his Duty and now....
 
I think it's perfectly legitimate to question William's actions (such as bailing on Constantine's Thanksgiving Service with no proper explanation) but I simply don't comprehend how people go from that to wanting more from or about Kate?

From the beginning, KP has said she would be recuperating until Easter. And as I've understood it, that would be the best case scenario after what sounds like a big procedure. To the best of my knowledge, I have not yet been off on Easter holiday (🥲), so what's the sudden rush?

I feel so sorry that she has to go through this on top of major surgery and I sincerely hope she won't feel forced to reveal more about her private health than she's comfortable with.

Your final sentence for me sums up Williams approach, He was old enough at the time to understand, and does not want that for his own family.
[.....]
 
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