In this week’s Gossip with Celebitchy podcast, I asked CB a question which has been bugging me for days. Two Fridays ago, the Princess of Wales released a statement in which she spoke about how she has good days and bad days but she’s doing a bit better and she would attend Trooping the Colour the next day. It was basically a long-awaited health status update with an announcement that she would appear at Trooping, which had been the big conversation in the weeks beforehand. My question was: why did Kate and Kensington Palace release the Matt Porteous photo of Kate standing against a tree? The whole point was that Kate would appear at Trooping, so we would see her in public for the first time in nearly six full months. Why release the photo, and even more specifically, why release a photo which had been so obviously edited? It was bizarre across the board. I could understand releasing a “proof of life” photo if you were announcing that you still weren’t ready to do public events, but it felt like the statement plus the photo were done to center Kate and to make Trooping all about her. Anyway, People Magazine still seems stuck on the photo too. They ran this exclusive about it:
Kate Middleton acknowledged that she is not yet “out of the woods” in her cancer treatment, but it’s there she finds her strength. In a personal message released on June 14, the Princess of Wales, 42, shared her first health update since announcing her cancer diagnosis accompanied by a new photo. The solo snap by photographer Matt Porteous was taken in Windsor, where she lives with Prince William and their three children, showing Kate dressed casually in jeans and a blazer with her arms folded as she poses outdoors against a tree.
A proponent of “forest bathing,” the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature to recharge, Princess Kate has long advocated for the benefits of the outdoors for both children and adults. “I really feel that nature and being interactive outdoors has huge benefits on our physical and mental well-being,” she said in 2019.
Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story, “There she is in nature, which has fortified her, and looking upward in a sign of real hope and encouragement for everybody.”
Adds Ailsa Anderson, a former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth, “She could have posted an image of her with William or the kids. Even though she has a huge amount of support from others, it is a journey you have to do on your own. [The photo] was her on her own; it was reflective.”
“She could have posted an image of her with William or the kids.” Yeah, she could have. Why didn’t she? She could have posted real, authentic, non-edited and non-manipulated photos at any point in the previous six months to let her supporters know that she’s alright. Why didn’t she? The fact that the palace was releasing a stream of questionable photos – if not blatantly manipulated photos and media – is still a huge question and criticism for Kensington Palace to deal with.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Matt Porteous/Kensington Palace.
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- A new photograph of Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been released ahead of her appearance at Trooping the Colour on Saturday 15 June 2024.,Image: 881655614, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Porteous / Avalon
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- A new photograph of Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been released ahead of her appearance at Trooping the Colour on Saturday 15 June 2024.,Image: 881655614, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Porteous / Avalon
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- A new photograph of Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been released ahead of her appearance at Trooping the Colour on Saturday 15 June 2024.,Image: 881655614, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Porteous / Avalon
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- A new photograph of Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been released ahead of her appearance at Trooping the Colour on Saturday 15 June 2024.,Image: 881655614, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Porteous / Avalon
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- Catherine The Princess of Wales attends the The King’s Birthday Parade at Horse Guards Parade, London, England, UK on Saturday 15 June, 2024.,Image: 881844189, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- Catherine The Princess of Wales attends the The King’s Birthday Parade at Horse Guards Parade, London, England, UK on Saturday 15 June, 2024.,Image: 881844199, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- Catherine The Princess of Wales attends the The King’s Birthday Parade at Horse Guards Parade, London, England, UK on Saturday 15 June, 2024.,Image: 881844217, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- London, UK. 15th June 2024. Catherine, the Princess of Wales rides in a carriage with her children and waves at the crowds. The annual Trooping the Colour ceremonial procession for the King’s Birthday makes its way from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade for proceedings there, and back to the Palace for a balcony appearance. Catherine, the Princess of Wales, is making her first public appearance this year.,Image: 881847743, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Imageplotter / Avalon
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- Catherine Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte photographed on the palace balcony following Trooping of the Colour on Saturday 15 June 2024 at Buckingham Palace, London. Trooping the Colour is a traditional parade held to mark the British Sovereign’s official birthday. This year the colours were trooped by The Irish Guards. .,Image: 881899109, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards / Avalon
“She could have posted an image of her with William or the kids. Even though she has a huge amount of support from others, it is a journey you have to do on your own. [The photo] was her on her own; it was reflective.” It is actually a journey that involves many others. Where is her shout out to thank all the health care workers and family supporting her? Or are they? Where is the thanks to all the public sending cards and well wishes? Why is it all about her? Where is her sentiment from her video about people NOT being alone? It’s okay for her to “overshadow” Charles with all this, but not for Meghan to simply send friends gifts?
I don’t think this specific photo was meant to overshadow KC. In fact, that’s why I think it was released so last minute.
I think that whatever the heck is going on behind the scenes, KP started with W’s image building and K’s return whenever W was slated in to definitely attending D-Day. From D-Day, Camz has been cranky, W is becoming that global statesman/ great (single?) father, and we heard that K’s role would change. This pic was the last thing they decided to release before her appearance, and like the dress she wore, it was planned ahead of time.
I think Kate was ordered to appear at Trooping and released this photo the night before in a deliberate move to make sure all eyes were on her.
There was just no reason to release this photo when she was going to be at Trooping the next day, and considering this is Kate, I think it was absolutely designed to overshadow Charles.
Becks1, In terms of overshadowing Charles, didn’t that seem more like William’s strategy?
If I were KC, having K there means that more people might show up. It also means handing over much of the spotlight.
If K releasing that picture is in order to pull focus from KC (I don’t buy that yet), then I suspect that W is behind releasing the picture in order to win at the war he’s having with his dad.
@ML it absolutely could have been William’s idea. Maybe Kate wanted to post the message and William insisted on the picture as well, IDK.
I just think if it wasn’t about overshadowing Charles, KP could have released a very simple statement confirming her attendance and that could have been it. Or BP could have released it.
So I think the message combined with the photo was very deliberate on KP’s part. The photo would have made a lot more sense if she was saying she would not be there at Trooping.
The photo had to be Kate’s idea at least this time because she took the time to pose for it in a different location. This is the same woman who had no issues hijacking the flower show before Charles attended.
So maybe there was still a struggle leading up to trooping. The picture was taken and intended to be released along with Kate saying that she was sorry she couldn’t attend. And then something happened and it was decided she would attend and then used that picture in the announcement. So maybe her actual attendance was somewhat of a surprise. It would explain Camilla’s sour face about it all😂. Idk that’s just some spaghetti to throw at the wall of theories. But even if she hadn’t planned to attend, the picture being released could have upstaged trooping whether she announced she was attending or not.
I’m surprising myself by chiming in to support Kate’s choices (or whoever is pulling the strings over there) and say:
1) I think she had to make a health update prior to appearing on the balcony; and
2) a photo was necessary for the method of communication used.
Think about it: if she just showed up on the balcony, without any warning, after months of disappeared weirdness and weeks of speculation specifically about Trooping, and all those articles about how we wouldn’t see her for many more months, what would have happened?
Not only would the whole focus of Trooping be on Kate’s surprise appearance (I can’t see C3 agreeing to that, even if he used the weeks of will-she-won’t-she to drum up interest in the first place), but Kate would have been absolutely lambasted for showing up looking fine (relatively fine) after not working for 6 months.
So she had to make some announcement explaining her health status (regardless of what we actually believe and/or what the actual truth is), and if she was going to do it through social media – the most efficient way to get the message across at the last minute, since it would spread on social media and still be picked up/covered in more traditional media – she needed a photo to go with her announcement for attention.
And sure, she could have picked a photo with her family, but why would she? They didn’t have much to do with the accompanying message (if, as some have suggested, she wanted to thank her support teams, family, healthcare workers etc. as the focus of the message, group photos would have made sense, but that wasn’t the focus of this health update. And I get why some feel that was an oversight on her part, but I think this one needed to focus on her health specifically – i.e., it needed to answer the questions about why she’s been too sick to work, but can allegedly pop out to grocery shop for chocolates or whatever rumors have been. Presumably there will be more health updates, and things like thanking her teams can take the focus in subsequent updates).
The announcement was the letter. There was no reason to put out a photo when she was going to appear the very next day. There is a reason why the biggest headlines were of her on Trooping and not the previous days photo. There was no relevance or necessity in the photo when answers about her health were being answered in her letter and her actual presence at Trooping. Her standing in the middle of trees looking off in the distance didn’t answer any questions, it just added to the pile of questionable photos and videos for the past six months. It was to make Trooping about herself and not Charles. That photo probably had the opposite effect and showed that she doesn’t look as poorly as their actions in the past six months have suggested her to be and so fewer people were probably turned off or uninterested in what was seemingly becoming a game of PR for KP.
I think the opposite— it might have been released to reduce eyes and cameras on her the next day. Which might have been either a BP or a KP call (with different motives).
I have to think at some point if Kate’s back to working in the fall or whenever, someone will tell her to thank her medical team. It’s kind of shocking that she hasn’t.
She’s just like her husband – it’s all about me.
Definitely. That’s why I’m like there has to be a staff member somewhere that will see the need to thank medical workers. Maybe at BP but apparently no one at KP.
What if the reason why she hasn’t publicly thanked her medical team is that it reveals too much information about what ails her? Anything from the specific cause of her abdominal surgery and type of cancer to a completely different diagnosis?
Yes I agree, the omission is glaring and very rude. My mother was treated for cancer (2 hour bus journey each way for radiation sessions, just one of the many inconveniences Kate will never have to endure) but Mum never once missed an opportunity to praise and thank the medical staff for their help. She regularly brought gifts, wrote cards of thanks and made certain everyone knew how much she appreciated their help. Fittingly, the medical staff always called Mum “a real lady”. Perhaps a “real” princess could learn something from her.
@mL, while that’s true that it could be revealing, even just a blanket statement to thank her medical team would be at least something. No details needed.
@ML I could see that, but I dont think she has to name names. I think if she said something general about the entire team involved in her care, from the nurses to the surgeons to the home health workers, it would be sufficient.
Now in the announcement from January, I think there was a line in there thanking the workers, but a lot has changed since then and I think at this point another thank you would be appropriate.
but if we circle back to the theory that this is more mental health related than anything, and mentioning anything about the people involved in her care might give that away, I could see KP avoiding the issue.
Sorry for the lack of clarity: everyone here has pointed out how rude it’s been not to take the time and effort to thank everyone who helped K. ITA!! I’m afraid that I just thought, “yes, of course,” to all that and jumped over mentioning it and answered why I think she’s ignored doing so. It’s a good point that she could have done so in an incredibly general way so she wouldn’t provide any further details.
I absolutely think you’re right about them not wanting anything that’s too revealing about her actual health status but a blanket statement would be gracious. But yeah maybe they are afraid that even that would get people investigating.
@ML I don’t think its a crazy theory, KP is so incompetent they probably think “if we thank anyone we’ll give it all away.”
Did Charles issue any kind of statement thanking his healthcare team? I honestly can’t remember.
Charles thanked the medical team back in February. The statement is on the website.
ML a general thank you to the staff at the already publicly announced hospital that she was claimed to be at during the same time as Charles wouldn’t be revealing more than what is already publicly known. She wouldn’t have to reveal the type of cancer, treatment or anything beyond what is already known to thank well wishers and the doctors, nurses and staff who have helped her during this time. There is no excuse for not saying thank you. They want us to believe that these people are higher class and deserve to be revered but the can’t show common etiquette and kindness like not wear white to another woman’s wedding, not insist that a bride should totally redo her bridesmaids dresses four days prior to her wedding, not expose yourself publicly, not over dress at someone else’s ConAnation or TTC and especially know to send basic words of thank you to those who have helped you during a difficult time.
Tim Laurence made a statement about how profoundly grateful they are to Anne’s medical team and the hospital staff and emergency services. It’s a minimum level of graciousness that we just don’t get from the wales. They’re too preoccupied being secretive and entitled that they can’t even do the bare minimum .
It’s because Anne had nothing to hide, whereas W&K……..
@Jais, ITA that that’s exactly what it looks like- this photo was intended to be released alongside the announcement that she wouldn’t be at Trooping, but something changed at the last minute. Like, they wanted to include a photo to show the public that she’s okay, even though they wouldn’t be seeing her the next day.
Releasing the statement that she *was* going after all plus the photo makes no sense (much like everything they do, I guess!).
And agreed that obviously she should at the very least thank “all of the wonderful doctors and nurses who’ve been caring for her” or something. That wouldn’t give anything about her diagnosis away.
What if there *isn’t* a medical team?
Have no idea what to believe, but the question popped into my mind.
@Jais I believe she hasn’t because she is still on the journey. She isn’t out of the woods yet. Her chemo isn’t over. Perhaps she is waiting until she knows more about the outcome of her treatment and then will do a story about it. She’s not my favorite person, however, I certainly didn’t want to update ppl I knew all the time. I waited til I knew if I was going to make it or not. Thank goodness I didn’t have the world watching, too.
What kind of bs excuse is that to not thank the medical team. Charles hasn’t been declared to be in remission and he thanked his medical team back in February. His journey isn’t over, he’s still getting treatment.
She just prioritized her image over anything else.
You guys,,,,, she’s showing us a photo of herself in the woods because “she’s not out of the woods yet”? Get it? Princess Literal strikes again! I don’t actually know if this is true, but I am finding it amusing to contemplate and I have to admit that I wouldn’t put this past those lunatics.
@Mobimom, she theme dresses literally, and her notebook literally says, “NOTEBOOK” on the front of it, so I would not be at all surprised if the posing in the woods to go along with the “not out of the woods yet” announcement was her idea 😂
KP has made K the poster child of their manipulated images.
W took (hahaha—just pretend this is correct) and posted a pic of K and the kids for Mother’s Day back in March, also k on as the Frankenphoto. Once it became controversial, K and definitely not W was thrown under the bus. Since then, K has been attached to iffy pix where editing is suspected, lik Father’s Day and the beach. W on the other hand has had more verifiable photos (most recently at the Taylor Swift concert).
I think that KP is seeing how much editing they can get away with using K to potentially take the blame. If necessary, they can edit her into situations in the future.
I also still side-eye the use of the fricking willow tree (K is usually quite literal—think Shakespeare).
I was just about to say K’s not smart enough for Othello, then I remembered what the play was about (thank you HSC finals)…. change the fate of some characters…hmmm.
I had assumed she used that tree to mimic the gorgeous pics that M&H took under the tree in their yard (at least I had assumed it was their yard). I also think that she knew that egg was never going to be able to take a pic with her that didn’t come across as angry or cold.
I didn’t even think about it being a weeping willow. But yeah that’s sadness and depression. And Ophelia breaking off willow branches. Not sure I can see Kate making Shakespeare references but that’s really something if she is.
Is it Ophelia or Desdemona singing the willow song before she is killed (foreshadows her death at the hands of her lover despite her unyielding loyalty)?
Dedemona.
@ML it makes twisted sense
Ophelia was climbing the willow tree when she fell into the river and drowned. Wasn’t it interpreted also as suicide? Either way, the tree gives melancholy, lost love or betrayed love, which makes sense for desdemona too and why it’s in the song she sings before othello kills her. Not very peaceful under a tree😂. I actually love weeping willows. There were two in my yard growing up. So I’d sit under one and feel peaceful.
I think the tree was used because another couple posed in front of a tree. This is kate. She’s not a reader.
That’s probably giving her waaaaay too much credit for literacy. But maybe some kind of “body” is buried at the base of that tree and it’s a warning shot. We will never know. They just keep feeding new fodder to us tinfoil tiara types.
I’d be *shocked* if Kate was making a literary reference. Shocked! And I don’t think anyone on her staff is bright enough to come up with it, either.
I think it’s deliberately analogous to the Diana photo in front of the Taj Mahal. Alone, depressed, marriage in tatters. She’s copy-keening again.
I also doubt that Kate is making a Shakespeare reference but it is interesting to think of the willow tree as sad and melancholy, having something to do with betrayed love. I don’t think kate intended for it to represent those things.
Hmm, we have William and his ‘sexy single dad’ narrative and now we are getting her with her ‘single mom who does the school run’ vibe. What IS going on with the Wails? Are we seeing the start of a joint divorce roll out, preparing separate household.?!?!?
I’m getting more ‘she’s put out to pasture, all alone in the wilderness ‘ and ‘single dad celebrating singledom’ vibes.
I still think that she and Peg are at cross purposes. There’s KP, there’s BP and then there’s Can’t and Carole. They all have there own agenda.
I think, there were couple reasons:
* They wanted to create a buzz for her attendance + gather more crowds to see her in person,
* That photo gave the text about her having good and bad days, so lower your expectation, don’t think just because she is attending there, she will get back to work,
* Her head looking above hides the weird scar on her face, people online seeing the pic thought she is ok and well and didn’t care about the pics of the scar we got at the event,
* Why didn’t she release a photo before? It is so obvious there was some kind of negotiation behind the scenes. Kate wasn’t playing with Windsors anymore until she got what she needed. It is very similar to Melania refusing to move to White House until her prenup got updated.
I’m not sure about that first point of yours—her announcement was fairly last minute—but I completely agree and think you nailed it with points 2 through 4.
Kate’s dramatic side pose adds weight to those of us who think she hid because her face was healing. Whatever deal she made to reappear probably hinges on staying silent and not pointing the finger at Huevo if he had anything to do with it. However, she may not care if the public figures it out on their own. Obviously, CarolE was okay with publishing a photo of a scarred Kate in the car with her. All the trooping pics were heavily photoshopped but that one unedited side view of her face got through which to me explains everything. We don’t know that Kate isn’t glad it got out and people noticed.
It’s odd, though, because if she really wanted buzz, she would have released the photo earlier to ramp up speculation about her attendance at Trooping. This solo photoshoot clearly wasn’t last minute (for all we know it could be months old).
She wrote an apology letter to the Irish guards that she wouldn’t be able to fulfill her duties and then shortly after, she posted this photo and let it be known that actually, she’ll be on the balcony! It’s mixed messages at best, and not a good look. So why the inconsistency? In short, I think that BP is calling the shots, and they were hoping not to need her.
We didn’t get many stories from the palace hinting that she might return for Trooping – instead, most of the rota was talking about Fall and that it wouldn’t make sense for Kate to return and then immediately go on summer holiday.
My theory is that Kate was brought in last minute to juice the numbers for Trooping, but that they were reluctant to deploy her to avoid damaging Chuck’s fragile ego. They were hoping the whole week leading up to Trooping would be about the brave, cancer-stricken king having to ride in a golden carriage instead of on horseback. When this didn’t really work and they realized that the crowds might be smaller than anticipated, that’s when they allowed the photo to be posted. If they had planned for Kate to attend all along, I think there would have been much more buildup.
Someone posted a letter to Art Place that had a letter from the office of the Wales. The handwriting on that letter looked like the handwriting on the letter to the Irish guards. The letter to that charity acknowledged it wasn’t from kate directly but a secretary.
It is likely Kate had no part in the letter to the Irish guards.
Someone else also commented that the Irish Guard event would’ve had more close-up photography and thus would show the scarring more clearly.
All their messaging is very confusing. I think one of the reasons is because Kate is doing her own thing, and William (KP) is doing his thing. They’re not coordinated like a married couple.
The photo shoot also shows she can make time for stuff that promotes herself but nothing about charities. Why not a photo with other cancer patients.
Well, she still hasn’t thought to thank her medical team, so ……
I’m not saying the doesn’t have a medical team, but she sure doesn’t LOOK like she has medical team to thank. She looks exactly as she did before. I don’t see the refreshed face that you all are seeing though. She looks just as thin and pinched as before her major abdominal surgery followed by cancer that was present and preventative chemo.
“A proponent of “forest bathing,” the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature to recharge, Princess Kate has long advocated for the benefits of the outdoors for both children and adults.”
What a way to remind the *lesser mortals* who support the Left-Behinds with their taxes that Kate Middletonedeaf lives amidst a huge estate with forest-like enclosures of centuries-old trees and doesn’t have to think about how to pay for doctors, or where the next meal will be coming from.
Abolish the monarchy!
Like Kate has ever heard of Japanese forest bathing. 🤣🤣 She’s an incurious bigot! Photographers have an eye for setting and hers simply told her to pose next to that admittedly beautiful tree. That’s it. This particular article is probably just trying to make a very tenuous connection to the Japanese state visit.
But yeah, of course she released it to center herself at the event. Every single member of this “family” is out for themselves.
Exactly my thought. We’ve never heard that term from Kate or her people before; sure, outdoorsy stuff, but that term or concept? No.
To tell the truth, I had already forgotten about this photo, just as I’ve forgotten about her at Trooping. It’s just a body dressed up and posing.
Sally b Smith is an ardent royalist
Because Meghan had said she was peaceful under a tree so Kate had to be under a tree as well.
What I don’t get is that nobody wonders why she was fine to pose and attend the Trooping when she ditched the Irish Guards the week before. Rude…
The Irish Guards didn’t miss anything by her absence, because she adds nothing. She would have shown up in skin tight jeggings and flirted the whole time.
Just like “her” charities and causes don’t miss out when she ignores them for months/years at a time. They do what needs to be done on their own. She brings nothing to the table.
This business with the scar (which I can see, sort of)
If it was significant and she’d wanted to hide it, surely she would’ve by placing the hat on the other side of her face.
Which leads me to conclude that the scar is a nothingburger.
From a previous post, I have gathered from the Brit-watchers that hats are usually tilted with the low part by her right ear (please see the post about the Trooping balcony).
Yes, I imagine it makes for nicer photos, if all hats are worn on the same side.
Or she was assured it would be photoshopped out sufficiently by the media or she thought she had it covered well enough with makeup that it wouldn’t be visible. Or she thinks speculation will make someone else look bad so it doesn’t bother her if people wonder.
I think the photo was a last minute release because she agreed at the last minute – in whatever she is negotiating. Also, I think it prepared everyone that she would look great – as opposed to someone who genuinely has good and bad days, or someone in the thick of actual chemotherapy. I am back to giving side eye to genuine chemotherapy. The large scar over her eye speaks to something else, which includes a full facelift. (No shade… just don’t call the procedure preventative chemotherapy).
Eastern violet, no semi competent plastic surgeon would EVER leave her with a scar like that after a face lift. Even an INcompetent plastic surgeon would have to be on one to leave that scar on her face.
And Kate only uses the VERY best plastic surgeons in the world. The kind who don’t make mistakes. CERTAINLY not ones like that.
I was a receptionist at a plastic surgery office in college in the early 2000s. A scar like that, after ANY plastic surgery to the face is unheard of. Unless it’s reconstructive.
This is the crux: ” She could have posted real, authentic, non-edited and non-manipulated photos at any point in the previous six months to let her supporters know that she’s alright. Why didn’t she?”
Many will say, as Kate did on the bench, that she needed time to heal, and therefore deserves to be left alone. Many say that concerns for Kate’s well being, and calls for proof of life were intrusive and unhinged. However, here’s crux #2: “The fact that the palace was releasing a stream of questionable photos – if not blatantly manipulated photos and media – is still a huge question and criticism for Kensington Palace to deal with.”
Personally, I am relieved that the Princess appeared at Trooping. Clearly she is alive and, as William had assured us, doing well—not ravaged by cancer. With that settled, I need to step away from the circus. It’s really not my business, nor my concern. But you can be sure that after all the lies, manipulations, and unanswered questions, any trust I ever had in the Firm is now gone for good.
This photo definitely looks like yet another pitch by Camp Middleton to show everyone that Kate (alone) has more power to elicit a response from the people of Britain than the rest of the royalty put together. Also they really want to make sure William knows she’s limiting her time with him (good days and bad days).
I’m done trying to figure out all of this. The disappearance, the fake photos and video, whether Kate was ever even seriously ill. Someday a real historian will learn the truth and tell the world. Until then, we don’t know. I only hope I’m still around when the tea is spilled. I have a feeling we’re many years away from the truth.
I agree that we are many years away from the truth. Maybe we will never know, maybe it will come out in 5 or 10 years. But I feel like we’re still seeing this play out.
Second this. From many years… to not in our lifetime. I don’t think we’ll ever get the truth.
The garden centre video is what got to me the most. I’ll never understand whether the palace orchestrated that crap from beginning to end, or whether the guy videoing it orchestrated the whole thing himself, and the palace gleefully adopted it as “proof of life” and used it to their own ends. It was so obviously not her, or him. And it was also crass to hell and back: she’s really ill everybody, and yet here she is at a garden centre, skipping about. I’m not saying those with cancer can’t go out, but the video was insulting to those who were seriously concerned about her. They’ve treated the UK public, in particular, very poorly.
I think there’s a real chance we find out 20+ years from now if Charlotte or Louis are done playing this game and decide to tell the truth. I know Will and Kate are hoping to give them a normal upbringing but there’s no world where the tabloids are going to leave those kids alone once they are adults. And there’s no way they won’t be thrown under the bus to protect George or Will.
Yes, we’ve had other spares before, but Harry was the first victim of this messed up relationship between the family and the tabloid press.
I think that whether or not the children all return to school in the fall will be very telling. Because if it WAS cancer all along, why NOT let them go back to school??
I’m betting they DONT go back to school. The Palace cannot risk the children saying something that contradicts the narrative the Palace has fed us.
On a very basic level, the image is confirming that Kate is not out of the woods.
She’s not even in the woods. She’s standing in a patch of weeds, next to a tree covered in weeds, next to a drainage ditch.
🙂 Definitely not woods, not with the mowed section of grass at the left in the photo. And notice the cars across the road, at the far right? Backyard garden, this is.
Ciotog, if you mean a figurative ‘out of the woods’, I agree. I think she was ensuring the public understood the parade was a one off, done despite ongoing treatment and feeling ill. She later claimed it was her idea, but I sensed she was pressured, either by the family and/or herself. On a side note, it proved that her ‘work’ is neither here nor there; she is just a seen entity, and the need was to be seen. No wonder they’re scaling back the monarchy; it’s post empire, post interest amongst the commonwealth, post UK belief in their ability to do anything worthwhile. Are people clamouring for her early years return? No. Are people clamouring for her to be seen at a parade? Yes. I suspect she and her husband are delighted that the public will be satisfied with, if not bread, at least circuses. ps saladspinner. I like your interpretation very much.
I suspect to make sure people understood her health condition continues, before being seen at a public event, in order to prevent speculation along the lines of “if she can be at this parade, why can’t she return to work fulltime” etc. That’s my reading. Call me gullible and easily led if you so wish! I am tired out from being through month upon month of misdiagnosis, from at least three GPs and an A&E doctor, only to be told by a colorectal specialist that the intermittent excruciating pain I’ve been in is a development of my IBS, not ovarian cysts, not appendix, IBD/UC, not “could be anything, I don’t know”, not anything else, and to understand it and change certain elements of my diet even more. He couldn’t understand some of the tests I’d been through, and others I hadn’t been sent for. One GP sent me home with the advice that I could have appendicitis and to be prepared for sepsis to develop should it burst. I kid you not. Another GP shuffled me out the door, saying it’s IBD, you’re going to have to monitor this condition every day from here on in. I said, I have epilepsy, I monitor a condition every day, I’m tearful because I don’t know how I can run two side by side, I’ll get there, but I’m floored at this moment. He practically shut the door on me. I’m hugely relieved and thankful, and I know others on here are/have been in a far worse state of health, battling hugely more difficult conditions, but I’ve been in a state of limbo since November, referred to a wrong specialist. I did what my GPs advised, waited it out, and then thought **** this, I’m going private to a consultant who seems more appropriate. I don’t know how health care works in other countries but surely it’s not this messy, with multiple GPs and long wait times, to the point that my consultant appt was set for practically 10 months later. Rant over.
Sparrow1, Just because other people go through worse, doesn’t negate that what you’re experiencing is horrible and you are absolutely allowed to feel that. Don’t let anyone gaslight you into downplaying your condition! I was misdiagnosed on my journey to finding out I have celiac disease (including depression which in retrospect has been fixed by being able to digest nutrients). I’m sorry you live in a state of uncertainty due to the epilepsy and ignorance due to your digestive issues. I hope at some point you are able to get some relief! Wishing you lots of luck, hugs!
Thank you, ML. I recall your celiac battle on another post. Why or why are people, women in particular I must say, not listened to? What I found frightening was the way each GP would say, “well, he/she got it wrong, this is right”; these were their colleagues in the same practice, one consulting room down. I lost so much faith, didn’t know which way was up, was getting very scared. The GP who told me totally it was IBD, and to get ready for a horrific condition, was arrogant to the point of disbelief. I don’t know whether the UK is alone in being so generalised before sometimes having to almost beg for a referral. I feel sorry for people who don’t feel able to speak up with GPs or don’t have the money to self-refer.
Everybody is different, but my IBS is so much better without dairy. Hope that may be helpful @Sparrow1
Thanks, Janet. Looking back, I think it was prepared meals. I was working for two bosses at one point, from home, with interruptions from the kids at the end of the day. I found myself reaching for a readymade salad quite frequently. Not me. God knows what’s in them when you look carefully. Also, I was drinking decaff coffee more than ever before. I know this is weird, but I think that was part and parcel. I thought it would do no harm, being decaff. I’m going along the route of cutting down on dairy and perhaps more low fodmap stuff. I really wasn’t paying enough attention around the early part of the year. I’ve lost a good half stone in weight over the last couple of months. I know why, and I discussed this with my consultant: I became terrified to eat in case something went wrong, and found myself picking at food. For an ex anorexic, the weight loss has affected me badly; I don’t want to fear food ever again.
@Sparrow ugh I’m so sorry you are dealing with that. Our system is so different here in the US I think its hard to compare, because so much depends on your insurance. For example, I’ve never had an issue getting an appointment but I have excellent health coverage thanks to my job so I have a lot of options. My mom was able to see one of the top specialists in the country for her eye condition a few years ago because of where we live.
If we lived in a more rural part of the country with different health insurance, I think things would be very different for my family.
And even access doesn’t mean the doctors listen to you – we definitely have that issue here as well. I hope you are able to recover and that the pain stops!!
Thanks, Becks1. That’s really interesting to me. I’ve been told by other people, within parts of Europe, that patients are referred on very quickly. Your insights re the American system are thought provoking. It sounds like access to good care can be guaranteed through insurance. I think access here is also a matter of money, which it wasn’t so much before, as well as pure luck of the draw at lower levels of the health system, ie at the GP level. A fundamental change has been lack of funding and the impact of covid on delayed waits for consultants. GPs are leaving right left and centre. I feel those who remain are more cynical and sometimes, and I stress sometimes, more unfeeling. You can’t blame them, they must feel beleaguered, I suppose, but patients are suffering. I’ve been through health care for years with epilepsy and first hand the NHS process is now slower and less caring. I can see some kind of insurance system will come in here. Sad. The 90s under Blair was one of the best for funding, but the money quickly ran out and left huge problems.
@Becks1: you make a good point & it was something I didn’t pick up on. The quick referrals to a specialist rather than depending on a GP. Yes, I have a primary care physician, but she will quickly refer me to a specialist when particular issues arise. I’ve never had a problem getting a referral when necessary (and by golly, I see a lot of specialists any more), and that’s, I’m guessing, due to having good health insurance as a federal employee. For which I am very grateful, because I remember the days of not having health insurance, when you’d check in at the front desk & they’d ask if you had insurance & you’d say no, then they’d sort of reel back & act as though you’re robbing them at gunpoint.
Sparrow: I’m so sorry you’re going through all this. It sucks.
Hi QuiteContrary. Thank you. I have an answer to work with at least. I was stupid to disregard my IBS. I really put my intestines through the wringer. But what to do when you get caught up in work and family and “forget” what is good for you, or even assume something will be OK.
Oh, @sparrow1, I am so sorry for what you’re going through! If it’s some small consolation, I completely understand the different doctors, different diagnoses, months of waiting, etc. That’s one of the reasons I put off going to the doctor (years ago now) for a problem I was having. I figured it would be a matter of seeing this specialist, then that specialist, having tests, then more tests, then seeing another specialist, and more tests, and after spending a lot of time & money & anxiety & stress I’d end up with either ‘we don’t know what it is, so you’ll just have to live with it’ or ‘we do know what it is, but you can’t do anything about it, so you’ll just have to live with it’. And that’s exactly what happened. After a few years of this (and trying to go about my life) I went to the Mayo Clinic & got a definitive diagnosis (this is what it is, but no treatment or cure so you’ll just have to live with it–but hey! it’s not going to kill you or put you in a wheelchair), but still. You are not alone! I wish you all the best!
Hi BeanieBean. So good to hear from you! I’m sorry to hear you’ve lived in fear of a similar diagnostic rollercoaster, until you couldn’t stand it any longer and went searching for an answer. I would have an episode of extreme pain, for days, cancel things, put it to one side, get back to stuff. This went on for months. I accepted each new diagnosis and plodded on for a few weeks. The pain that took me to A&E was off the charts. I’ve neglected myself, stupidly. But I’ve got an answer and I can move forwards. I wish you all the best, too. Sparrowx ps I’ve just read your comment above re insurance. Wow! Mind blowing.
@Sparrow – I know how frustrating it is to wade through serious health issues, you have all my sympathy. I’ve had umpteen scans, tests, blood-letting, etc. in my situation and some days I think if I have to have another needle I’ll throw a fit. I hope your family understands your stress and pitches in. I’m lucky to have Mr. Jaded, he can’t do enough. Best wishes to you!! xo
Thank you, Jaded. As you’ll know from my Christmas time posts, Mr Sparrow isn’t the most instinctively empathetic of people. He’s been good about this, though. I don’t drive, so he’s driven me round and waited in waiting rooms, missing work, doing some of his work with files on his lap in the car (while stationary!). Sounds like not much to ask, but it’s cut into his day at times. It is the long hike through medical care that really gets to me, and you. Wishing you the best. x
Just came to say that if I was undergoing cancer treatment, I would be wearing baggy sweatpants, tshirt and my hair in a very messy bun (and not in a sexy way)
I suspect it was just so Kate could get her message out. Trooping is a non-speaking event. I *hope* we’ll get a tell-all from Kate soon. If there’s one thing the Windsors are known for it’s authorizing biographies- so sooner rather than later we can expect books from George and Charlotte, and maybe even Kate.
I think the photo was a very deliberate statement before trooping that ment that no matter if you see me at trooping I am alone in my fight. No William, no Palace , no kids especially no Charles and his side piece Queen who was not in many camera shots and left alone to converse with the lady in yellow. It was KP sending out signals. You won’t see very much of her going forward.
As a young cancer survivor myself, I understand the privacy and solitude of her messaging. Yes, you need the support of those around BUT cancer is a truly isolating experience. No one really can fully understand the tremendous burden the weight of treatment and serious illness bring. It is a burden and heavy worry/challenge that you face alone. Her separate photo really carry that message well for me and truly resonate.
K I appreciate your post and insight. Having read through posts on here from people who’ve had cancer/who have close family with cancer/are currently ill with it and getting treatment, everyone’s experience is different and therefore worthy of equal attention. I’m glad you got through it and your post made me think a lot. Thank you.
If we take her message at face value, I think the pictures were taken ahead of time incase she was having a bad day/week so would not be attending the Trooping. So they had proof of life shots ready if they had to confirm she wasn’t attending. But when she made the decision to attend, they decided not to waste the photoshoot and posted it anyways.
But I agree the shots aren’t really compatible with someone too sick to attend.
I cannot help but wonder, why doesn’t anybody notice that Kate in the forest pic, looks totally different, even the jawline is different, than ‘Kate’ at Trooping of the Colours. They look like totally different people. Are people that incapable of paying attention to what or who they are looking at?
Yes.
Kate and her photos. She is always totally different in real life. Photoshop is the reason, pure and simple. She is one of the most edited women in the world. I know people who ran into her when she was younger and around the time of her engagement. What you see in her shopped pictures is someone they don’t recognise. What you see when the photos get through without being heavily edited is someone they recognise.
They don’t look like totally different people, but some features (especially the jawline) do look different.
The text that came with the photo stated she’s not out of the woods yet, right? So she basically shot a photo that would literally show her IN THE WOODS.
She’s a very literal person so I’m sticking to this lol
I can see that! I love a tree, though, don’t you?! All celebs should take their photos in forests imo.
From all indications, Kate will make a full recovery from her health crisis, which she is milking for all it is worth. I am aware of someone who had surgery in the mid 80’s, whereby they discovered cancer cells and was sent home to gain weight before treatment was administered, that person is still alive…
It is not a stretch to see the parallels with Kate….
It is the marriage that is in crisis, the image maybe? in its own way an update with that…..
Holding on to be QC is so ridiculous…….
The photo was definitely to overshadow Charles at what supposed to be his event. As I said up above, this is the same woman who wore white to another woman’s wedding; insisted that the bride have the bridesmaid’s dresses completely redone; wore red to a infant’s christening, wore an overly expensive tinsel tiara to a conAnation where everyone wasn’t supposed to wear tiaras; was late to that conAnation because she was making a video about herself and her family; wore fuchsia at the Queen’s last big balcony event; wore green at Charles’s ConAnation while everyone stuck to a obvious red theme; copies Diana’s style almost entirely to the exact detail for specific events and copies Meghan’s style, accessories, mannerisms and actual projects colors and fonts for her own mediocre projects. She wore a see thru dress to catch a princes attention and has been doing things to make sure that eyes are always on her. There is no reason she needed to put out that picture when she was going to be seen the very next day.
She is a show pony with no imagination. She probably has self made books of styles that she copies and refers back to often.
Regardless of why it was released, the photo is ludicrously dramatic. She is *obsessed* with her image. It is the kind of photo that accompanies a long form profile of someone that “went through” something. It is wild that she had a professional photographer come to “fortress Windsor” to take her photo gazing pensively up at a huge adult mature tree on her huge mature estate, to make an announcement to the peons. She also “had the strength” to do full hair and makeup.
W went to MI6 before Trooping. Maybe they gave him intelligence to show that there would be more anti monarchists out there than royalists hence the update with photo to drum up attendance of royalists? That would make sense for C to be willing to trade the spotlight to avoid the negative press around having so much “not my king” messaging in his face.
That photo doesn’t say loneliness to me. It says: I’m not going anywhere. I’m at the very root of this monarchy — the next heir is an extension of me. Deal with it.
The next heir is part of a patriarchy not just an extension of Kate
Boy oh boy. Notice how she was jockeying for position with William to get next to Charles on the balcony, like she used to do with the Queen, who clearly didn’t like her or her hard-faced family. She wasn’t budging. Always slithering up to the seat of power…what a piece of work. The Windsors are finished. Will the new Middleton royals be accepted, though?
I still don’t understand how someone getting only “preventative” chemo can be “not out of the woods yet.” That’s not how prevention works. She cleary HAS cancer, the denial and minimizing is just part of the royal family’s ableism and their false image of genetic perfection to fuel their conceit.
https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=preventative+chemotherapy&l=1
In my humble opinion, it is not at all clear that she has cancer.
How do you reconcile the eloquent, well-spoken Kate, who announced to the world that she has cancer, with the VERY not so well spoken Kate that we knew prior to 2024, with the Kate who didn’t even speak to or acknowledge her children during Trooping the Colour?
This woman has cancer. She has a public role and is expected to show a strong front. Leave it at that.
So we’re just supposed to accept the Palace’s explanation for the absolutely BIZARRE past six months??
Personally, knowing what I know about Kate, knowing how she has exploited the public’s sympathy in the past, reveling in a “fragile English rose” persona, I FULLY believe that if Kate actually had cancer the last six months, she would have been making a POINT to be seen, looking like the fragile English rose she would have us believe that she is, soldiering through her chemo, putting on a brave face, never abdicating her duty to crown and country……😇😇😇😇
The fact is Kate was in an increasingly weakened position within her marriage and the royal family, and if she had actually had cancer, had actually been going through chemo, she would have made sure the WORLD saw it, which would have made it IMPOSSIBLE for Will to divorce her, unless he wanted it to be Charles and Diana 2.0.
Furthermore, if Kate really was going through chemo, living in Windsor or Amner Hall or wherever, I feel certain that SOMEONE would have been able to surreptitiously take a photo of her, one that could be VERIFIED. Only in a place like a hospital room with a ton of security, would a pic have been impossible
Also, I don’t think it’s accurate to state that the royal family is supposed to put on a perpetually strong front, all the time. Maybe in the past they did, but in today’s world, in which the royal family is looking more and more out of touch and totally unrelatable, something like a royal having cancer can be PR magic, JUST what the royal family needs to curry sympathy from a public that is becoming more and more hostile to them every day. After all, cancer is one of the great equalizer s, sometimes, all the money and power in the world can’t save you from it.
For the first time maybe ever, Kate was relatable. Sort of.
But she’s not showing a strong front. She just disappeared with some vague word salad about scheduled surgery, finding some bit of cancer, then a series of fake photos and videos. I have cancer. I’ve had brutal surgery and am now facing equally brutal chemo. My prognosis is not good but I’m out there living my life, not hiding away from the public whose tax dollars support her in a very luxurious style. Mark my words, there’s more to this than meets the eye.
Jaded, I agree with you 100% and I am frankly baffled by all the people willing to accept the Palace’s non-sensical explanation of cancer. Especially here.
I do think Kate wants to stay in her marriage. If she’d shown the world her face with a fresh temple wound/ before her scar healed enough everyone would have been demanding she divorce Will. No matter what cover story they ran with. So the past six months of hiding have been to heal, stay in a loveless marriage, and still become the next Queen. Amazing. What worthless prizes.
I don’t think people would have been demanding that she divorce Will, because we’ve seen the public’s willingness to ignore gigantic red flags regarding the royal family.
I think it would have been more like people would have been forbidding William from divorcing Kate.
So I totally agree that Kate wants to stay in her marriage. Otherwise, the last 20 years have been for nothing.
Do remember that until July 5 the RF mustn’t make waves, they must remain low-key and uncontroversial until after the UK General Election.
This fact will be informing their actions .
So she is not at the state dinner, which is not a surprise, but Sophie was given the lotus flower tiara that kate has worn in the past. Camz is sending a message as we knew she would.