I still find it fascinating that none of the British tabloids or media outlets picked up Us Weekly’s cover story about the Princess of Wales this week. The g–damn Telegraph picked up my tweets about Omid Scobie’s Endgame, but suddenly the Mail is radio silent when Us Weekly’s royal insiders are soft-launching the idea that Kate might never come back to her royal role? It’s weird. In recent weeks, it’s felt like we’ve regressed back to early March, with mysterious and unverified “sightings” of Kate “running errands” yet royal insiders insist that she’s not recovered enough to stand on a balcony. It has the feel of a restless media and six months of unanswered questions. Well, Richard Fitzwilliams tells Us Weekly that it’s his hope that Kensington Palace realizes that this weird stalemate cannot continue:
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams does not think that “out of control” speculation about Princess Kate Middleton’s health will “recur” as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy.
“Lessons should have been learned from what happened earlier,” Fitzwilliams, 74, told Us Weekly exclusively about the conspiracy theories surrounding Kate’s health, noting that it would be “appropriate” for Kensington Palace to chime in when needed.
“I mean, if you’re not told at all, and months passed, clearly there’s speculation and that could happen again,” he continued. “So, I’m sure that it will be handled in a different way.”
Kate announced on March 22 that she was diagnosed with cancer after weeks of speculation about her whereabouts. Since she’s started undergoing treatment, questions about Kate’s return to royal duties continue to rise. Some reports have speculated that the Princess of Wales will return to work by the fall while others say her recovery time will be longer.
“I think the palaces recognize that it is essential from time to time to update the press — and through them the public of course — [on] important issues,” Fitzwilliams explained. “I mean, with King Charles, it’s very good to see what’s happening now, and I think everyone’s very pleased in that. I would hope by the fall or by the end of the year matters will have resolved themselves. But you just don’t know.”
Further discussing Kate and her ongoing health struggles, Fitzwilliams praised the Princess of Wales for going public with her cancer diagnosis — and hopes the public understands her decision to keep a low profile.
“The video message in March was, I would say, the most moving given by a public figure in Britain on a health issue. So, I mean, I think that people understand the very difficult situation that she’s in,” he said, noting that her public “plea for time and space” is sure to be respected. “People genuinely feel for her and Prince William and their family in this extremely difficult time.”
“Lessons should have been learned from what happened earlier” – lessons were not learned, as we’ve seen in recent weeks. “I think the palaces recognize that it is essential from time to time to update the press… on important issues.” No they don’t recognize it! Even if you completely believe the cancer-announcement video, that video introduced a timeline which makes no sense and it also acknowledges that the palace LIED about Kate’s health for weeks and failed to give the public some important updates. The palace and the British media still haven’t grappled with the fact that Kensington Palace has zero credibility at this point. Even if they were operating in good faith right now (they aren’t, but play along), no one would believe them. That being said, I would imagine we will get some kind of formal palace “update” later this month, possibly after Trooping.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, screencaps courtesy of BBC/KP, cover courtesy of Us Weekly.
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- Aldershot, UNITED KINGDOM – The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Irish Guards in Aldershot for St Patrick’s Day. Pictured: Catherine – Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 17 MARCH 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – The Princess of Wales officially opens the Young V&A in Bethnal Green, London. Pictured: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 28 JUNE 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – The Princess of Wales officially opens the Young V&A in Bethnal Green, London. Pictured: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 28 JUNE 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Windsor, UNITED KINGDOM – The Prince and Princess of Wales and Princess Anne attend the recording of a special episode of Mike Tindall’s podcast, The Good, The Bad and The Rugby, to mark the start of the Rugby World Cup, in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, Windsor, UK. Pictured: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 6 SEPTEMBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Marlow, UNITED KINGDOM – The Prince and Princess of Wales – Prince William – Catherine – Kate Middleton attend SportsAid Mental Fitness Workshop at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre in Marlow, UK. The workshop, which is run in conjunction with SportsAid’s charity partner BelievePerform, aims to support young sports people and their families to manage their mental wellbeing and understand how they can help themselves and each other to build the skills for happy and healthy experiences in sport and life. The Princess of Wales has been Patron of SportsAid since 2013. Pictured: Prince William, Catherine Princess of Wales BACKGRID USA 12 OCTOBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Marlow, UNITED KINGDOM – The Prince and Princess of Wales – Prince William – Catherine – Kate Middleton attend SportsAid Mental Fitness Workshop at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre in Marlow, UK. The workshop, which is run in conjunction with SportsAid’s charity partner BelievePerform, aims to support young sports people and their families to manage their mental wellbeing and understand how they can help themselves and each other to build the skills for happy and healthy experiences in sport and life. The Princess of Wales has been Patron of SportsAid since 2013. Pictured: Prince William, Catherine Princess of Wales BACKGRID USA 12 OCTOBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Marseille, FRANCE – Catherine (Kate) Middleton, Princess of Wales, attends the England-Fiji quarter-final, Rugby World Cup 2023, at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille. Alongside her are Bill Beaumont and Rob Briers. Pictured: Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 15 OCTOBER 2023 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – The Prince and Princess of Wales and Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden attend the Royal Variety Performance at The Royal Albert Hall, London, UK. Pictured: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 30 NOVEMBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
I no longer care and that’s more dangerous for the lot of them than any speculation.
I really do think this is what they are hoping for, for the public to lose interest (because of the mess and lies) and forget about Kate and this crazy story – they usually win and all is status quo. But that’s a dangerous game to play in 2024. If their endgame is to write her off, they can’t do that as easily as they may think. Plus. it brings back to thoughts of Diana and her early demise.
Agree. I think William wants to wait it out until people no longer care about her. Then he can quietly divorce her.
The problem, however, is that she’s the most interesting member of this very dull institution. Without her, there’s nobody in the family who will make headlines. So by sidelining her, they risk making the whole organization obsolete and uninteresting.
Part of me wonders if that’s the point. If this goes on until January 2025, and William announces a divorce at that point, will anyone care? The royal family got along just fine without her for a year. The public barely missed her besides engaging in wild speculation. Would anyone really care that much if he divorces her?
The tabloids would, because of the unspoken agreement. The tabloids absolutely will not tolerate longterm lack of access to the only youngish, “glamorous” female royal and to the Cambridge kids. They’re backing off for now but they won’t accept this as a permanent state of affairs.
We all suspect that AC is K’s separation cottage. If he/she/they wanted a divorce, then they could have been done with it by now. Even if one of the parties is against divorcing in the UK, it doesn’t take years (the 2-years law has been changed a while back). These two have an interesting idea about marriage, but I’m not sold that it’s done. I think if K is functional enough, they’re most likely to continue on as they have done.
Isn’t it likely that the tabloids are much more aware of what has happened to K given their silence? If they had absolutely no idea, they would have been clamoring for access by now. Five-plus months with sketchy photos and videos tossed in is a long time to go without information and not react.
And to flip this all the way around, when this started I wondered if the media wanted him to divorce her, to replace her with a younger more glamour model since they have no more access to the Sussexes.
William also knows this would give him cover for years, to have another fashion hanger wife he can let them feast on.
That said, I’m not convinced they’re getting a divorce. But what I’m saying is the media has a lot of incentive to want them to get a divorce. So not only would no one care, but some would be pleased.
Becks,
If the last six months have just been Will preparing to tell the world that he and Kate are divorcing, then WHY haven’t we seen Charlotte or Louis since Christmas?? And WHY the Franken-photos??
If your answer to my questions is “Kate has cancer”, that STILL doesn’t seem to fit with what has been going on the last 6 months. Kate has shown herself to be BIG on public sympathy, and pretending to be some frail, bullied English rose. The amount of sympathy she would get, if she were to appear on the balcony, frail and weak, but determined to do her duty and wave to her loyal subjects, would be insane. Kate would be absolutely DRUNK on the public sympathy she would be lavished with.
Furthermore, if she’s not terminal, then appearing in public and persevering, doing her duties, and bravely showing the world what cancer has done to her, putting her vanity aside, the public would think SO highly of her, that William wouldn’t be ABLE to divorce her, without creating a whole new Diana/Charles situation (if he hasn’t already). And we know who won that battle in the court of public opinion. William couldn’t divorce her, after going through cancer. He would become (even more) universally hated.
I agree and I also don’t miss her as a public figure. Her work, fashion and presence made little impact and I had long been bored by her 13 going on 40 persona. I just wish her health and longevity for her kids, wherever she is. I ‘d like to know that hse is safe and cared for, but that’s it.
Exactly @Tuesday. I am right there with you.
@Becks1 I don’t think anybody would care if those two got a divorce. Too many on here think it would the end of monarchy or the British public would be outraged but what these past 6 months has shown everyone is that nobody cares. If it wasn’t for William’s erratic behavior and the BBL memes, Kate’s disappearance wouldn’t have been noticed at all. Kate has had the lowest work numbers out of the whole family for nearly a decade. She takes 5 months off every year even when she doesn’t have cancer. She doesn’t bring much to the table. I don’t think she would be missed beyond a few articles here and there, especially with William having the BM on lockdown about her.
If I take them at their word, then Kate is merely getting preventative treatment, she’s been going on outings, and is capable of working (as seen by her posing for photos with her kids and then editing those photos). So the only reason for her to not work for a full year, is that she’s a lazy @ss. Why should I have sympathy?
I agree with Tuesday’s comment at the very top, I’ve lost interest too in the whole debacle.
They can put out all the “updates” they want. After all the lies they’ve told, nobody is going to believe them anyway.
Yes they must keep her name out there but it will never stop the speculation. They handled whatever it is badly from day one.
At this point an “update” from KP won’t stop speculation. Proof of life is needed.
Fact. And they’ve known this since early February.
At some point, they will need to fess up on why they couldn’t deliver proof of life then, to now.
I wouldn’t believe KP if they told me water is wet.
ThatIsTheThing, I keep thinking at this point that she may be saying she won’t come back. She may just want to skip the very small number of engagements she does each year and raise her kids. Or, she’s playing hard ball for a great divorce settlement. She won’t be seen until that’s done, and she’ll just not be around (like now).
If she’s refusing to come back, what can they do?
I think one of the greatest dangers to any monarchy is indifference. Even though this is a bizarre mystery, do most British people really care that they are not seeing Kate? Are they really hung up on her health? Life goes on, and the British monarchy has become increasingly irrelevant. Charles is boring, William is a lazy jerk, and no one in that family is particularly interesting. I suspected things would go downhill after the queen died, but I never expected it to nose dive so quickly. Some older people might think Kate is great, but my son has two British friends. One comes from a titled family and the other is more “middle class.” Neither could care less about the monarchy. And not one of my friends has expressed the slightest concern about the situation. When I mentioned Kate’s disappearance, etc. to one of my friends, she said: “Oh, she’s been gone for five months? I didn’t know.”
Indifference is beneficial to the monarchy because indifferent subjects won’t challenge the institution.
I agree. Assuming there is something nefarious about Kate’s disappearance, the indifference here is beneficial to the monarchy. I’m no fan of Kate’s, but she is or was their future queen. They’ve told us that she was the center of the royal universe; at a minimum, she is the mother of a future king. I think the refusal to tell the truth about what’s happened to her does not bode well for them, because I don’t believe the world will look kindly upon them if the truth is discovered. Whatever theories there are about who originated the concerns over Kate’s absence, the palace reaction to SM theorizings makes it clear that they are afraid.
“They’ve told us that she was the center of the royal universe; at a minimum, she is the mother of a future king.”
I see those absurd 40th portraits in an entirely different light now. Kate and Carole really did make a point of claiming her public place before she got jettisoned and the lack of embiggening was the first sign something was not right in the early portion of Kate’s disappearance. Kate has no fans in her corner but she and her mother were predictable enough for those of us watching the train wreck in real time to notice the difference/absence of their MO in all this. MaMidds got that right, I’ll hand that to her. It’s a testament to the grip the royals have on the media that William can be so obviously guilty of ‘something’ and be treated with kid gloves and no accountability all this while.
Okay I’m laughing @proud Mary. Bc yeah they’ve told us she’s the center of the royal universe. But they also today told us that William was some grand statesman. The propaganda is there. They can do what they want and it will be sold with effusive praise by the BM. There’ll be rocky moments sure but the propaganda will work. Until it doesn’t. Not sure a divorce will bring it all down if that’s what’s happening. @Interestedgawkwr, lordy those pictures were something.
I agree and as someone who is very ‘online’ I would say all of the interest in her disappearance has come from outside of the UK. Alot of the early speculation was from the Sussex Squad accounts on Twitter who were calling out how absolutely sketchy this all was. Once the fake photo came out it was just regular non-Brits who were intrigued. I mean alot of us were raised on true crime stories so it felt like we were in the middle of one. In general no one cares that she is gone. People like Elizabeth Holmes on Insta have had to pivot to new content but honestly I haven’t noticed any real interest in her or concern for her. Most of her ‘fans’ spend their days sharing anti-Meghan stories anyway.
Speaking of true crime stories, I wonder if Kate will be the subject of an episode of Dateline UK.
Her “fans” love to say “this isn’t a MM hate group” and then they pivot to the most racist disgusting conspiracies imaginable.
I have yet to see “fans” of Kate who also express concern for Meghan’s wellbeing as a mother and wife.
This supposed indifference of the Brits about the royals feels so put on to me. Apparently, no one cares or follows them and yet they are on front pages almost every day and people turn out by the million to see them in big ceremonies.
I agree. It’s as if they know they “have” to publicly say they don’t care about the royals, because modern society views royal institutions as outdated and racist. But deep down inside, they still crave that colonial superiority and (for mostly females) that Disney princess fantasy. The indifference is an act.
Truly, I don’t think Americans realise how indifferent most Brits are to royals. Go to any royal forum or discussion board or look at royal discussion on Twitter, it’s 90% Americans. Even UK tabloids like the Mail, nearly all their clicks come from outwith the UK.
Obviously there’s the minority of super royalists, mainly very right wing older white Brits. But they’ve swallowed the “leave poor sick Kate alone” line completely.
I’ve seen a lot of Americans online saying stuff like “but why don’t their subjects care” but we don’t perceive ourselves as “their subjects” – to most Brits, royals are just random celebrities who are just kind of there, that you take for granted.
The majority of Brits take pride in actively not following or knowing about royalty (or pretending they don’t), because it’s just seen as very old fashioned and uncool to follow royal news. It was different when Will married Kate and when Harry married Meghan, and huge events like the Queen’s death or a royal wedding happen.
Having said that, I know a ton of people who normally wouldn’t be caught dead following royal news who are gossiping about the Kate situation. It’s sort of considered a bit embarrassing to do so because it’s so uncool to pay attention to royals, but an increasing number of people are noticing the hinkiness.
Mr. Whiskers, do you think the indifference may be down to an unconscious total acceptance of the Royal Family despite the ridiculous amount of land and money they take from taxpayers, for little “work?” I know two expat Brits who seem highly intelligent but the least criticism of the Monarchy and they turn into snarling “F U stupid Americans whaddaboutTrump” etc. Anyway, where IS Kate? I don’t think it can ever be uncool to worry about a whole grown woman missing from a weird institution.
When I lived in the UK many Brits claimed not to care. But the same Brits, when challenged about the usefulness of the royals, would then get very defensive. I think topically there is mostly indifference but it is ingrained deep down that it’s part of the cultural national identity.
@samuelwhiskers to be frank, esp after Diana I couldn’t give a F about the BRF. Until M became part of it. And when she was being disgustingly attacked, that’s when I and many others decided to defend her.
And tbh British citizens should care. Your whole media is protecting them and covering for them at the expense of your country’s own democracy. I would think you are owed at the very least the Truth.
I would say that most people in the UK have no idea she’s not out there doing BAU as they don’t pay attention to her at the best of times. You still see her picture on the front pages of newspapers when you go to the supermarket and if you don’t read any further that’s it.
The media may want regular pictures/stories but most people DNGAF and that suits the royals as it will take a lot of willpower and momentum to get rid of them. Apathy suits them.
I can assure you that in Australia, probably the most crucial realm outside the UK, having been literally born from the Empire’s penal colony, we are indifferent to the monarchy and that is how it stays in figurative power.
I’m in law so every day I’m reminded of the monarchy (laws having to pass Royal Assent inter alia), yet no one mentions it at all. Many Australians are not even aware that the British monarch is our head of state, thinking that the Governor-General is. That is a failure of our education system, but I digress …
As one of our most eminent proponents of the constitutional monarchy says, “they only come when invited”. They stay out of our affairs, save the dismissal of the Whitlam government in 1975, and that works in their favour and ours.
Well, at this point its crystal clear KP has learned nothing from the March debacle because nothing has changed. There still hasn’t been a live sighting of Kate. I don’t think another video would help, especially if its as edited as the March one was.
And I don’t think the rumors would be gaining the traction they are if someone (KP, Kate, William, whoever) wasn’t running to Becky English with stories about how Kate is out and about and running errands and doing the school run etc. That was their mistake in March too – oh no, Kate’s doing well, oh look, Kate’s at the farm stand, oh wait sorry never mind, she is undergoing chemotherapy and you won’t see her for months.
KP has bungled this from the word “go” and it looked for a while like BP had righted the ship and now we’re right back where we started.
That’s really it @becks1. I cannot fathom why, presumably KP, briefed BE that Kate was out and about and got a store owner to make some weird and vague statement about royals visiting. Everything about that was weird and it’s what really set off rumors again. Why would KP do that? Bc of course people are going to wonder about seeing her if she’s capable of being out and about. What did they expect?
Exactly! So she can run errands and buy chocolate but can’t go to Trooping, where she literally rides in a carriage and then waves from a balcony? Of course people are going to ask questions.
Tight? They are equally driving the speculation through these cute little leaks that she was seen out and about. It’s not cute though. Bc then they chastise the public for speculating. Is it incompetence or purposeful bc it’s really insulting. They’re playing in people’s faces. It’s a mess😂
Whether or not she skips Wimbledon or makes a “brave appearance” there will be the true test I think.
Watch a tennis game or two then take off for summer break.
Sometimes I think Will and Kate are actually fully in cahoots and are using this to change how being Royal will look for them. I know they’re not that smart, but William has been awfully tanned lately. Wouldn’t surprise me if they went to Mustique on this last break.
Omg. Meant to say right? Instead of tight? Can y’all tell I’m on auntie kid duty this summer? A full mess is happening right now 😳
@shazbot, I’ve alternately wondered if the wales know they’ll be king and queen soon and this is a break time. She could’ve had cancer cells but will ultimately be ok but they’re using this time to chill. Most of my theories center around things being bad but not that bad bc I would hate for her to be in dire straits health wise. Don’t wish that on anyone.
The messaging has improved nominally since Buckingham Palace has gotten involved, but it fundamentally remains weird. A. You can’t forget William’s behaviors, and B. There is no timeline for her return from a serious but vague abdominal issue and adjuvant chemotherapy. It’s like ChatGPT is their main source of communication about Kate, and the lack of transparency is mind boggling.
When they allow space for wild rumors, then for a suddenly absent public figure like K, those rumors will grow and flourish. Clearly, whatever she has is not simply a gnarly adbominal issue and cancer. She would have been (briefly) seen and heard from. Either she’s terminal (hence W shouting about her health in full denial), she has severe mental issues (beyond acceptable level Head’s Together levels), or it’s something deeply “shameful.” Possibly a combination.
At this point you can write a multi season script for a TV series based on how different media, palaces, employees and the public have/not been made aware of what’s happening based on not seeing Kate. It’s fodder for conspiracy theories, and it’s incredibly intriguing for someone who was so bland.
Reading your post, @ML, it struck me that, sadly, disappearing is the most interesting thing Kate has ever done…
I know certain people who post here are losing interest, but for me, yes, it’s seriously compelling.
Why didn’t W visit her more than once? Why was he swaying? Why did he blame her for the picture he took himself and posted himself for Mither’s Day? Why the insistence that she is/ getting better; that she’s healthy? How about his neck bruises and pulling out of his godfather’s funeral?
Why did Carole post that 5-wheeled car picture? Why are the Middletons silent? Where are they?
Why can’t they say what happened? A clearer medical diagnosis and timeline for healing? Where is she? Why AI? Why aren’t they doing something similar to KC with her? Is she okay?
Why did Camilla of all people let Piss Morgan let us know that she’s not doing well? Why did BP take over?
Why has she not had contact to her staff? Friends (?)?
There’s actually more weirdness to that story and you could tell tons of different interesting stories from those details alone. It’s crazy. And, yeah, it makes her disappearance interesting.
After all these months I still don’t understand what there was to bungle. Cancer is a serious medical condition, but not a serious PR condition. Neither is abdominal surgery, even a colostomy bag. It wasn’t even a issue of respecting the privacy of a beloved figure because, until all the clown show weirdness started, people were happy to let her be. This is not the way normal people behave.
Well said!
They started this up again with the Becky English story about doing errands. She’s also the one who after the initial surgery announcement in January stated it was definitely not cancer. Someone at KP is feeding her nonsense and her stories start up the speculation cycle again.
And no one showed up or left flowers for her at the hospital and only one bunch of flowers at the castle.
It’s tragic the way Kate’s illness was largely ignored by the British public, especially if we contrast with how it would have been if Diana were in hospital.
@WithTheAmerican – yes, it’s sad. I think some concrete information at the beginning would have helped. Charles didn’t open up his entire medical file, but what he revealed has carried him through all these months with no more scrutiny and it’s brought sympathy from the public because they can relate. It’s hard to sympathize with someone who’s just basically disappeared. Concern and curiosity, yes – but you don’t send flowers for that.
@eurydice agree, if KP had shared the news like BP did, at least her older royalist fans would have shown up or left flowers.
Kate has behaved horribly, but it’s still staggering to watch the power of the institution, run by her husband and his father, to erase her at will.
Please spare us more AI chimera. Lies destroy reality, there’s enough BS going on in the world right now. Verifiable proof of life, period the end. Where IS Kate?
Didn’t page 6 run a similar story to what Usweekly said? So it wasn’t just one publication. I expect the Washington Post to soon write a lengthy essay about this topic. Authorized by Will Lewis😂.
Page Six was quoting the US Weekly article.
Ah got it. Thank you. Page 6 out there quoting us weekly though😂
Will Lewis is very busy making Hunter’s trial the most important news of the day!
Which makes sense because he’s..not running for president. And is being prosecuted for allegedly owning a gun when he shouldn’t have, which is something Republicans are in favor of (no background checks needed!) unless it’s a Biden.
Bless Richard Fitzwilliam for giving KP the benefit of the doubt but, once again, they are screwing this up. First, the cancer bench video was March 22nd. It’s now June 7th – so over two months ago with nothing.
That *might* have been ok – and at least in line with their pleas for her to be left in peace if they hadn’t then:
Run to Becky English to float the ‘she’s out and about running errands’ story
Drip fed ‘will she/won’t she’ Trooping of the Colour appearances
or HAD
Given a definitive timeline for her return beyond “when her doctors give her the green light”
Or convincingly shut down the ‘not back until 2025/ever’ stories.
So now if we are to believe the BE stories and the sighting in the Norfolk chocolate shop AND that she can’t appear publicly because she’s not ‘medically’ cleared then we are absolutely full on diagnosing her with MH problems because that’s the only thing that makes sense of the contradictions in the above. So, er, well played KP?
Or she’s terminal?
It’s not “simple” mental illness: they could have a simple video of her looking at cards or have her pop out and wave with a depression and no need to literally say anything. The public would send cards and flowers and messages of support. Since physical illness is often paired with trauma or mental illness, she quite possibly is struggling with it, but she can’t be seen.
So, something additionally physical like a stroke? Stronger mental challenges and lots of meds? Scars that will encourage questions?
Over the last few days some of us shared experiences with people who has been hospitalized for MH crisis, and afterward were drooling zombies who could not even be posed for a photo.
It is the only thing that makes sense of why they won’t take a real time photo of her.
I’m sure they could take a profile pic (which is what they should have done for “had been present cancer”), but there’s something deeply unethical about doing that to someone who is not aware of what’s happening and can’t consent. Though the Firm has no scruples or morals, so who knows.
Ethical and Kensington Palace are not synonymous at all. First off, Kate supposedly issued an apology about the Frankenphoto William supposedly took of her and that he posted. Next, the Sun editor is on record stating that the Windsor Farm Store dancing along with bags and William woman was Kate and KP has never taken that back. If it would help them, then a profile picture of K would be par for the course. I don’t believe they have scruples.
@ML I can’t argue that! So if we look at 5 wheel Audi as Carole’s doing which showed Kate looking unwell, and KP is the one who made them take it down, what does that tell us.
KP doesn’t want a photo of Kate out there.
William didn’t even go to the taping of the bench video and made that known. So there’s no proof of life because William doesn’t want that out there, except in fake sightings like the Farm Shoppe.
Yes exactly @thehench it’s also like they want to restart the timeline at the video. If you do that, it makes more sense to believe them at face value. But anyone paying attention since January will be highly skeptical because it doesn’t make sense.
I agree. Don’t go to Becky English with stories like running errands if you want people to not question things. The US weekly story could have been waved off on its own, but supposedly Becky English is in the know.
“William didn’t even go to the taping of the bench video”
Well, judging by the cadence of ‘her’ speech, body language and the peculiar flat faced squared jaw and wider shoulders; physical features that don’t match any of the Kates’ we’ve been privy to post Christmas -different to previous images of her, I suspect William was definitely at the taping of the bench video at some part of that video’s construction.
💯 @ Interested Gawker. I 100% believe that too.
In her video, she stressed that she was getting better, it was preventative chemo and everything was okay. That’s all fine, but if you’re telling people all is okay and then you stay disappeared, people will speculate. “Oh this must be worse than she said” or “oh she’s milking her sick time because she’s lazy”.
Totally inept PR people.
Exactly, Shazbot. It’s also deeply strange that Fitzwilliams went to an AMERICAN publication and said this. He also praised K for revealing her cancer (when at the time, the RR was reporting that K would speak about it with her charities and people who had experienced similar situations) and we still have no idea what the abdominal surgery was for nor what cancer she’s being treated for. This may be fine culturally speaking for British people, but Americans are a bit more open and used to hearing details. His response was culturally tone deaf.
I guess the BM are too muzzled to use their own media. Wootton got off scot free over allegations of blackmail and William’s only purported visit to the London Clinic was a ‘me and my posse in a posh car warning shot’ I expect the rota took notice of.
Fitzwilliams is just a mouth for hire, not a bit of difference between him and Piers Morgan. He’s not any kind of insider.
I very, very strongly doubt Us Weekly have any actual royal sources.
That video was AI manipulated. Was it even Kate telling that story? Was the story even true? We don’t know. There has been no verifiable proof of life since Christmas of 2023.
If KP had truly learned their lessons, there would have been an update last month.
I can tell you why the British tabloids haven’t picked up on it, it’s because they’re incredibly paranoid and RACIST and ignorantly believe anything in the American tabloids is being leaked by Meghan (like Meghan wastes a second of headspace thinking about Kate).
100% guaranteed if a UK tabloid had picked this up they’d have hundreds of angry comments from gammons saying “why are you repeating American lies, obviously Meghan leaked that story because she’s jealous she doesn’t get to be Queen rawr rawr”.
The level of paranoia that exists amongst the UK tabloids and gammons over Meghan is just insane.
Samuel Whiskers, The British tabloids are the ones responsible for creating this racist view of Meghan in the first place. We’ve seen them pivot from criticizing Kate when Meghan arrived on the scene to creating a deified Duchess of Cambridge. If they wanted, the tabloids could turn back the isht they spewed about Meghan and they could write about Kate. They aren’t paranoid about their own selves.
Yea the levels of delusion they’ve reached should be studied. They always blame M for anything that isn’t propaganda about Kate.
Seems to be a lot of Sammy energy taking hold, and we all know how mentally unwell she is.
And why was the BM so vicious towards M? Why were they fomenting so much racist antagonism and character assassination towards her?
To try to separate H&M so the BRF could control him and cease the lawsuits.
Why does the BM routinely try to make H&M’s business dealings look like bad decisions, insist that they are broke, need the royals? To try to interfere with their income and make it more likely people might not work with them. To crush their money stream and make it more likely H settles out of court.
Why do we see an up tick of hideous abuse of M in the press after the rural rivals story -first greenlit in the BM by Camilla’s niece, editor of Tatler? To cut the story of Rose Hanbury off at the knees.
Why was it said that William was so nervous about the impending Oprah interview he became physically ill?
There’s a method and reason to all of this BM harassment of M and it all boils back down to William and Camilla. The BM isn’t working to ruin M&H’s reputation just because they’re racist meanies, they were DEPLOYED to be so because they do not want their decades of malfeasance aired out in court.
The negotiations are underway and they’re trying to phase her out quietly. But as much as I am not a Kate fan, even I recognise how dumb an idea that is.
I suspect that post divorce she will lose her HRH, and this is what is holding up the negotiations. I also suspect that this is why the strip H&M stories are resurfacing.
Like I said, these are my speculations only as I suspect that Kate (*cough* Carole) is negotiating much harder than they ever imagined.
I’m inclined to believe that there’s not just one explanation for her absence and that the cancer (assuming it’s even true) plays a smaller role than the palace wants the public to believe. Suffice it to say, I am leaning more and more in your direction on this. But I think you perhaps your confidence in Kate’s bargaining power is overrated? I mean, what if any power does her bankrupt mother have?
Carole knows where all the bodies are buried, you can bet on it. Why was her brother placed on Celebrity Apprentice, and why was he removed so quickly? (Yeah, yeah, the voting’s rigged “someone” wanted him silence-ed.) James wrote a memoir, imagine HERS. Even if it was just chapter after chapter of all the times Bulliam put his head in her lap (ew!) it would embarrass tf out of desperately embiggened Bill. Imagine the dirt Kate has told her over the years. So, yes, Carole does have some chips left.
100% agree with @Agnes I think that Carole has A LOT of dirt not just on Bill but also the whole family.
I think there is a lot there and Carole could become very leaky leaky to steer Chuck and Bill in the right direction.
Also given what happened to Diana, I believe Carole would have prepared for this eventuality and kept a little black book as ‘Insurance’.
I think the ‘War of the Wales Part deux’ is coming. However I think the BRF are trying to contain and manage Kate via access to the things that matter to her ‘birth family’ i.e. money and titles etc.
Proud Mary, I’ve been thinking that Bone Idle is refusing to return–probably in return for what she wants. I can’t see that there is a way for them to force her to return to her ‘duties’. That gives her quite a bit of power.
That’s interesting about HRH title. It makes sense, too, especially knowing the fit Anne pitched about refusing to curtsy to Camilla so she needed a new title.
And this is exactly the kind of thing that would bother Kate and her mother. (I’m still not convinced they’re getting a divorce, but this argument makes sense of the title fits being thrown again)
@Proud Mary and @WithTheAmerican I am leaning towards the loss of the HRH for the following reasons;
1. The articles this week state clearly she will not be returning to the same role, so give her seniority in the Royal pecking order, that can only mean one thing i.e. separation/ divorce. I mean what other role is there if she will no longer be PoW or Duchess of Cambridge ?
The next step up is Queen and with Chucks health now been in issue, Bill may just have decided to avoid the whole separating from a Queen before we get that far along. I mean look what Queen Margarethe did to prevent a split at the top of her family so close to succession.
2. Also we saw how horribly the separation idea worked between Charles and Diana and eventually Diana was stripped of her HRH on divorce in the same way that Fergie was. Diana was still the PoW in name only without the HRH so Camilla could never have used that title Diana had lived on.
I think William is thinking ahead and they’re trying to carve out a ‘new role’ for Kate given that George is in line to succeed his father.
So the question becomes how do they ‘re-brand’ a separated or possibly divorced Kate, especially as Chucks health ‘apparently’ also hangs in the balance.
This is why they’re trying to drag H&M into it because if Kate loses her title that will be a HUGE humiliation for the Middleton’s considering the media war they waged against Meghan.
IIRC QE2 made it standard that a divorcee from the family automatically loses their HRH – I think this was done after the Wails divorce.
Kate and Ma can try all they like about Kate keeping her HRH but not going to happen. And yeah, losing that and the PoW title will really bother them. They both live for those titles and the status. I suspect that Kate will get the keep the Duchess of Cambridge title without the HRH which will revert back to the crown on her passing.
Are they rebranding her posthumously or is she still with us is the overarching question at this point.
Divorce would mean Kate is no longer royal (no HRH) and I suspect they won’t want her to use Princess of Wales since that is still so strongly associated with Diana. Plus, the title would then solely belong to William’s next wife, or eventually George’s wife. I think they’ll give her “Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge” — but “THE Duchess of Cambridge” will be William’s next wife, or George’s wife after William dies.
I think it makes sense that if all this is actually a prelude to divorce and negotiating behind-the-scenes, Kate will be known as the Duchess of Cambridge since this is the previous title she held in their marriage before William became POW. I don’t think she’ll remain princess of Wales either. If William remarries, his wife would be known as the Princess of Wales as well as the Duchess of Cornwall as a subsidiary title. Once William becomes king, George inherits both the Cornwall and Cambridge dukedoms. And, most likely, the prince of Wales title by which any current wife would be known as princess of Wales. But all that remains to be seen if a bride can be cajoled into the RF.
I am totally on board with this theory, except I can’t wrap my head around the fact that the statement the other day said this will give Kate and William more time to spend together, they’ve been reconnecting while she’s been sick, blah blah blah. Why would they make it sound like their marriage is so strong, only to turn around in a few months and admit that it’s over?
@InterestedGawker, yes it makes you wonder about the Companionable Order of the Companion (or whatever TF that “honor” Chuck just gave her was called) was actually all about. Rewarding her in memoriam? I really can’t believe there’s been no proof of life for one of the most public figures in the world since Christmas of 2023.
The ugliest part being, if they can do this to Kate Middleton in full view of everyone in 2023 how can any of us be safe or even trust what we see next year, five years, ten years down the line as the technology gets more difficult to detect? The implications politically, accountability for law enforcement, and social cohesion in this brave new world of AI and people in positions of authority with bad intent is very scary.
Yes, and it seems like at least 75% of the world has Bad Intent. You know it’s critical when a comfort food site like Celebitchy brings home such heebie-jeebie issues. There doesn’t seem to be any remedy to lies anymore; even the BBC denied FOI to that bench video (thereby confirming it was AI, imo)
I think something nefarious has happened to her.
Everything we have seen so far has been fake AI photos and videos. William has been pushing PRIVACY. Gee, I wonder why… The way William has behaved and acted. The unprofessional updates through tabloids. All the crazy sh*t… And yes the Thomas Kingston death needs to be mentioned in all of this. The one lone message from kitty apologizing for the Franken photo but not another since. Not one zoom call from her.
Now more lies and FAKE sightings. Reports continuously being pushed as return dates and then walk backs. First, Easter, then after Easter, then Easter again, then Trooping, then not Trooping, Autumn, December…. Reports she isn’t coming back at all. Employing paid personall and buying BOT farms to attack anyone that question the legitimacy of the cancer video or question if she really had or “has” cancer. Bullying, calling people insensitive and conspiracy theorist for calling out their lies.
Proof of life. This is ludicrous.
Bottom line, if they could have presented Kate to the public they would have. Kate, Charlotte and Louis have not been seen in public for 165 days. Anyone else would have the authorities conduct a well check by now.
Proof of life of Kate should have been provided months ago now her two youngest children require this too.
@Interested Gawker
I agree. And they certainly would have presented Kate to the public if they could. And they haven’t because they can’t. And they still haven’t been able to 6 months later. Something is seriously wrong.
William said Charlotte was taking tests at school.
At this point I wonder if Kate is hanging out with Shelly Miscavige.
fr.
a new round of conspiracy theories is already starting to pop up on the internet.
kensington is handling this badly, as usual.
“I think the palaces recognize that it is essential from time to time to update the press (ME only) … on important issues.”
There you go Richard. Fixed it for you, the mortgage has to be paid after all doesn’t it? 😉
The first thing that entered my mind as I read the quotes were this is a veiled threat. If you don’t start giving us more information people will speculate threat threat if you don’t give us new photos people will speculate threat threat.
So I take the whole article as a veiled threat but that’s just me
I think the Rota understand they need to be given something to work with before Trooping if it ends up that the royal children aren’t in attendance, maybe William doesn’t understand this but they do. If that happens a whole new wave of SM speculation might start up again. Any eyeballs on this is a problem for KP and a headache for the rota. Revived interest from the public on SM won’t fit KP/BRF agenda.
Definitely got that and I don’t think it was subtle, either.
I wonder if any of those seven presidents, three kings, a grand duke and too many PMs to count asked Peg where Keen was. Or maybe they already know? I think someone should spill the beans, this is beyond ridiculous.
The palace strategy of sticking to silence may be the only thing that still piques people’s interest.
But the most reliable source of all sources, Welfare Big Boy Willy himself, has just so beautifully shared in the most credible and heartfelt manner the fantastic news that KatyCan’t is, in fact, getting better, yeah. Does that count for nothing? What more could anybody want?
It’s so frightening to watch this unfolding.
Soylent Green is people!!
If we hear anything, I think it will be after the election in July.
The only reason for their comments in January (she’ll be back at easter) would be if Kate’ condition was something they expected her to recover from in just a few months time. Now it looks like it will be a year, at least. So either her cancer is more dire than they are saying and it’s not just “preventative chemo, she’s out and about and doing fine,” and/or something like a stroke incapacitated her and her recovery did not go as planned.
That’s what I believe too, that they feel there is a possibility of her return, that they will be divorced and some settlement they were working towards might be but as this continues I don’t know what to think. They ‘want’ people to believe she will come back…? If they had gotten away with the Frankenphoto I suspect KP’s moves would be different. The bitter way the BM kept saying
any sort of questions or push back was an attack, William being so all over the place and out of it at that medal ceremony, missing the godfather’s memorial, the farm video and the way The Sun/NY Post are joined at the hip with William through all of this -bots too, from the very first announcement pushing talking points on SM, there was so much that was weird and suspicious before you even get to the cancer video… At day 165 and counting the idea Princess Catherine may be deceased is becoming less easy to set aside.
At first I considered that too but now believe they were just doing what they have done throughout this whole ordeal (and prior) — was just lying. Right before the cancer video they were pushing Kate’s big bang Easter return! And then the cancer AI video dropped. They knew she wasn’t going to be there at Easter but they lied anyway. They were pushing articles that she might be there for Trooping and then suddenly when that organization (the military – can’t remember right this minute) posted on social media that she would be there KP shut them down fast and made them take their posts down. So they were lying about that return date too. They are repetive liars and are definitely covering up something serious.
Haven’t we had TOO many updates?
“I would imagine we will get some kind of formal palace “update” later this month, possibly after Trooping.”
Are you kidding? Everyone knows that any official updates on kitty from KP will drop in the midst of M’s ARO launch which everyone knows will be by mid June bcos June 21 is the end of spring and M had said (at the Power of Women in Hollywood award last Nov) that some projects will be revealed “later in the spring.”
Question: If you are the Princess of Wales, can you just quit? As in, step down from all Royal duties and obligations and still be married to the Prince of Wales? Because maybe that is what Kate has done. She hasn’t done any Royal work for six months and no one seems to care (yes, I know she has been sick, but people with cancer do return to their regular lives, in most cases).
Alexandra when princess of Wales was ailing from a bad illness. She lost her hearing or much of it but she never quit. Kate never did that much to begin with.
I am one of the many who have burned out and lost interest in the whole Kate saga. Question everything, believe nothing.
I am at a distressing and unsettling time in my life so I find myself wanting to return to the comforting familiarity of seeing Kate turn up to events grimacing and wildly gesticulating. I loved reading the comments on her “highly derivative” fashion and the little wiglet spotting lessons. I missed the embiggening that was so wild and outrageous it seemed more like satire than something intended to be taken seriously. Those days were fun. (Once the Sussexes made their successful escape). This stuff is not.
Everything happening now in Royal news and Kate gossip in particular is distressing and strange. It gives me the feeling of something terrible being covered up and the even more distressing feeling that it stands at the top of all the other horrible things that have happened to truly innocent people at the hands of this monarchy machinery that will never come to justice. Because these these people and their ilk are embedded at every step in the system. It would take someone who was once among them to turn things around.
Harry is the one most visibly turning over the rocks and shining a light on these vermin. And Meghan has been consistent in relating what was done to her. But they can do only so much.
If it wasn’t for the way K and the BRF treated M, I probably also wouldn’t care. I actually didn’t even care about the BRF esp after Diana past away- she was the only one imo that made them relevant outside the UK. And I only became interested again when M married H.
I’m suspecting this is also why there’s more Americans who’s been tuning in esp how they toxic family disgustingly treated M.
I know above it was mentioned that a lot of Brits don’t care, but if someone very public hasn’t been seen in mths, many Americans wouldn’t keep quiet about it esp if it’s close to home. No one around here is above the law.
KATE needs to appear and set rumors to rest. The public pays for her, they have a right to know how and where their money goes.
There is a youtube channel called Kate Middleton AI, that displays a AI Video of Kate, which is very eye opening to what is possible. Sorry, cant provide a link – tried that, comment did not show up.
On a side note
I would appreciate more clarity around the do’s and dont’s of commenting because that is really annoying and frustrating and also feels intransparent for me.