Jemma Forte: It’s weird that Princess Kate is being praised for going to Wimbledon

As we discussed, the Princess of Wales’s second public appearance of 2024 went very well. Kate appeared at Wimbledon on Sunday for the men’s final, and she received standing ovations when she entered the Royal Box and when she appeared on court for the trophy presentation. ESPN’s American commentators mentioned on air, during the trophy presentation, that Kate has had health issues in recent years. The royalists were falling all over themselves to praise Kate’s courage for showing up to Wimbledon before her summer vacation began. It’s been wall-to-wall positivity in the American and British media. But they can’t control social media, and they can’t control the handful of people who wonder if it looked kind of ridiculous that Kate came out for Wimbledon and nothing else.

I think Jemma Forte’s comments here are completely appropriate and it’s interesting to see someone hedge around why it’s been sort of bizarre to see Kate at her two public appearances this year. There’s a feeling of… she can do this, but not anything else? Zooming to support a cancer charity or having video conferences with cancer patients would go a long way. People would be less skeptical if there was more disclosure about her diagnosis and treatment. And: there are so many people with cancer who have it a lot harder. It’s the “lesser mortals” issue from last month too, when the Telegraph boldly proclaimed that Kate deserved to be praised lavishly for attending Trooping when “lesser mortals” would have stayed home. Lesser mortals being… people with cancer and not enough access or support. At least they didn’t say that “lesser mortals” would have avoided coming to Wimbledon.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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107 Responses to “Jemma Forte: It’s weird that Princess Kate is being praised for going to Wimbledon”

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  1. Lexistential says:

    More of this, please. It IS ridiculous that she turns up to Wimbledon, but can’t do an Arly Years Zoom.

    • Elizabeth Regina says:

      The 3 million decline in viewership said it all. The British public can’t the left overs. A 40 percent pay increase for less so called engagements during a cost of living crisis? Many are angry.

      • Magdalena says:

        I cackled when I saw that! She had her people spread the news far and wide that she would arise like Lazarus for the second time and turn up at Wimbledon and people instantly tuned out, grateful for the advance warning. Says it all really.

    • MY3CENTS says:

      She was sitting outside in the sun for a couple of hours, with full hair, makeup and dress and can’t be bothered to zoom some calls for charities? Cancer charities?
      Wow with this one.

      • Gabby says:

        What if she did Zoom calls or even in-person visits? It would make no difference, because she has nothing of value to add. No knowledge, no skills, no insight, no work ethic, no gumption………nothing. She is a void of a human being and her participation is completely unnecessary.

        She should just stay home and write some big checks. Then again, I doubt she has access to the account.

    • TN Democrat says:

      Keen is a terrible public speaker and zoom would highlight her poor speaking skills, lack of charisma, refusal to prepare and weird guffaws. (Remember the memes when she did an appearance with Dr.. Jill Biden????) Her public persona is more too thin mannequin than crusading public figure. She never made an effort to grow into any public facing role other than wiglet-ed, button loving Meghan kopykeening, Victorian cosplaying sycophant. Hilary Mantel got crucified in the media for speaking the truth. She (and Willy) are both treated like children by the media.

    • the Robinsons says:

      They won’t disclose the kind of cancer Katie supposedly has, because the professional Medical community will be on the British Press likestink on a mule. They will also call the BRF out for being shameless liars — about using a very lethal disease that millions die from each year, rich and poor alike — to garner some sort sympathy for the BRFs existence. This is a tawdry display of lack of morals.
      Again. KAte, ain’t got no Cancer.

    • AP says:

      Yesss. And where is the fellow outrage about how Kate couldn’t deign to show up for the women’s final, only the men’s. She should have attended BOTH championship matches or neither championship match. Is anyone else peeved by this?!

    • Ellie says:

      She is an attention seeking narcissist . End of story.

  2. Ciotog says:

    Looking more closely at that dress, I wonder if it is concealing a port.

    • QuiteContrary says:

      I was wondering that, too.

    • HeatherC says:

      Ports aren’t that big and sit under the skin. Even as thin as she is, it would easy to conceal with a neckline above the clavicle.

    • Jaded says:

      You can barely detect them. My SIL had one and you wouldn’t notice it if she hadn’t pointed it out.

      • Libra says:

        The dress attempts to hide that she is bra less. A bra strap would be in a position to irritate a port, if one exists, which is needed to give recurring drugs. Arm veins get used up pretty quickly if needing 6 months of chemo.

      • equality says:

        My mother has a port and still wears bras. I’m sure that Kate could afford even to have one built in or modified in any clothes anyway.

    • anotherlily says:

      I had to search for information about this and found that a port can be used to treat IBS, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. There have been comments in the press claiming that Kate has Crohn’s disease and does not have cancer, although IBS increases the risk of cancer in the digestive tract. There is a link between IBS and eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia.

  3. sevenblue says:

    Look at how carefully she is putting her words together just for a mild criticism. When it is Meghan, they don’t even care she is a human being while uttering the most abusive statements they can think of.

    • Jais says:

      This is such a good point. It’s like they have to be ever so careful to say even the mildest thing about Kate for fear of being offensive. Although it could also be about not wanting to criticize someone who has publicly made a video about having cancerous cells found.

      • sevenblue says:

        @Jais, you would think they would show the same sensitivity to Meghan who talked about her suicidal thoughts due to media abuse.

      • sunnyside up says:

        It was the same before the announcement.

      • Jais says:

        Yeah, it’s hard to stomach how differently these two women are treated @sevenblue. And absolutely, it was the same before the announcement @sunnysideup, but I don’t know who Jemma Forte is and for her specifically the discussion may have been about both, the cancer and the fact that it’s Kate. 💯 though that overall it was the same before within the BM. People were bending over backwards to claim that having concerns about skin color was just some sort of innocent curiosity.

    • swaz says:

      It’s unbelievable 🙄🙄🙄 You would think that she was in Hitler’s Germany, so cautious so fearful. I can tell you now that they wouldn’t be that kind if Meghan was sick so it’s not about the cancer.

      • Christine says:

        I agree, this is the very definition of carefully choosing your words. They have all of the restraint in the world for the white princess. Meghan is to be dragged through the streets of London, naked, while feces are thrown at her, and the sad part is that not me being hyperbolic, they actually said it, out loud.

    • BeanieBean says:

      It was ridiculous, all three falling all over themselves to say everybody loves her & really, the claps & standing o are for everybody going through cancer treatment. Barf. The woman didn’t really fully make her point.

      • Jais says:

        Yeah, that was a streeeetch to say clapping for Kate was the equivalent of clapping for all cancer patients. Honestly that’s some retrospective bs. But I don’t expect much from Jeremy Vine and the majority of his guests. The best is when Yasmin makes an appearance.

      • Lorelei says:

        My eyes rolled right the fck out of my head when he tried to insist it was really a standing ovation for EVERYONE with cancer. Please.

      • Christine says:

        “They were applauding EVERYONE with cancer!”

        Sure, sure.

    • Proud Mary says:

      I know, I almost threw up watching that: “every body loves her.” I’m like, I guess I must not be everybody, whoever he or she is. It really like watch North Korea tv, they way the hem and haw over the mildest of criticism.

    • Carrie says:

      That totally struck me too. All the hedging, we all love her etc. Any departure from the party line appears to make commentators very nervous. It’s like they are very scared of running foul of the cult. Quite N Korea.

  4. Slippers4life says:

    Good for her for saying something when the other guy was trying to defend it like “we were clapping for all people with cancer.” Also, if THAT is accurate and the purpose of the BRF is for British society to see themselves and project onto them…what were they “projecting” onto Meghan Markle then? If clapping for Kate is clapping for all people with cancer because they were projecting the general feeling of all people with cancer onto Kate….bullying a Black woman to the point of suicidal ideation; constant racist news articles, and on and on is a projection of societal racism then? Oh OK, so we agree. Being racist towards Meghan wasn’t “we just don’t like ‘her'”. It was a projection of racism towards all Black people. Got it!

  5. aquarius64 says:

    Is the bloom finally come of the English Rose? I think people are starting to push back because Kate is showing up for high profile glamour events and not putting in the work for bread and butter events or starting initiative involving cancer treatment and recovery. Kate is dangerously giving Marie Antoinette vibes.

    • Penny says:

      It’s all bizarre. From frankenphotos, to no apparent hospital vistors, to this.

    • Nic919 says:

      Everyone knows someone living with cancer without a fraction of the resources Kate has and doing far more work than she is. Showing up and looking fine really makes the hiding away for months and not even doing virtual meetings look very lazy.

      I’m surprised she said this on air. But looking at social media comments under posts about Kate, there is a lot of criticism and it’s not Sussex squad accounts as much as Eden wishes it were so.

      And it also looks odd that Charles has been doing a decent work schedule also doing chemo treatments and he’s 30 years older than her.

    • unblinkered says:

      I agree with the Marie Antoinette allusion and the feeling of daft propaganda around KM – a la North Korea. It’s as clear as day there’s something wrong with the woman but, like most people on here, I don’t want to spell it out. Yet she somehow also looks smug.

  6. Liz says:

    Most people with cancer aren’t looking for applause. Nice she could show up for a royal jolly which the rest of us have to pay good money to attend. And bask in the glow and attention which should have really been on the players.

  7. Amy Bee says:

    “Zooming to support a cancer charity or having video conferences with cancer patients would go a long way.”

    This is such as a good idea. So far Kate, as a cancer patient, is not relatable to me. I wonder if she returns to work would she want to use her platform to promote cancer awareness? I have my doubts but would still be surprised if she didn’t shift her focus slightly away from the early years to cancer awareness.

    • manda says:

      And considering how much she likes to cosplay, why NOT do something that Diana did and see people in hospitals? The decisions she makes are just so strange, and because of that, I sincerely doubt she will ever do anything in support of cancer patients or cancer awareness

      • Persephone says:

        To do as Diana did, you would actually have to care about people.
        Kate doesn’t care about “regular people”, especially black and brown people.

    • Lady D says:

      She could do a 10 minute Zoom where she speaks about a cancer, highlights symptoms and offers information on what doctors or hospital/clinics to access based on this particular cancer. She could do 10 of these using a different cancer each time, which would also keep people from assuming what cancer she has/had. She could host the f-i-l she’s so, so close to, speaking about his cancer. ONE A WEEK, KATE. You wouldn’t even have to do the research.
      Every once in a blue moon, it really bothers me that she could do so much good with such little effort, but she just doesn’t care. The good I could do in her position, the good 90% of us w/could do in her position. I don’t understand her inability to care.

      • Normal Islander says:

        To be fair the majority of very wealthy people do sweet FA to help those less fortunate than themselves. I wouldn’t expect Kate to be any different.

      • Nic919 says:

        Most wealthy people are not funded by UK taxpayers unlike Kate.

    • Jais says:

      I do wonder if KP or Kate’s team or whoever will hear this criticism and end up doing some sort of zoom to support a cancer charity at some point. It’s such an obvious thing to do that I’m actually baffled as to why it hasn’t happened.

    • Christine says:

      It wouldn’t even take a slight breeze to shift her focus from Early Years to cancer awareness. She’s never been focused on it at all.

  8. Shai says:

    She’s right, it’s weird. I’m glad she’s doing well, but receiving a standing ovation for attending a tennis match? WWE’s Roman Reigns’ leukemia returned in 2018 & when he was in remission, he used that to try & make a difference in people’s lives. He did zoom calls with patients (mostly kids), made hospital visits when he could & donated. This was a missed opportunity to prove Kate’s more than a pretty coat hanger.

  9. Jas says:

    Charles has just been quietly doing his stuff despite looking very ill sometimes and no one’s giving him standing ovations for his courage. The press coverage of Kate (and William too) is so much more fawning than it is for any of the other royals. It’s odd.

    • Nic919 says:

      I noticed that too. Charles hasn’t always looked great and yet he’s travelling around the UK and doing things like the kings speech but not getting ovations everywhere he goes.

      • SarahCS says:

        Charles is one of her major issues in all of this. Of course the whole situation is ridiculous but that’s being highlighted very specifically by him getting out and about and doing things (without a standing ovation in sight).

  10. girl_ninja says:

    It was horrible. Seeing how Kate was eating up like a glutton was equally disgusting. There are people going through chemotherapy everyday. Some have the help, but some have no support at all. Why isn’t she using her standing by doing Zoom calls with different charities? She take 15-30mins out of her lazy day to do this and so can her lazy, useless rageaholic husband.

  11. robinathefirst says:

    Here’s my question: she’s a cancer patient, undergoing chemotherapy, and she had major surgery 6ish months ago – why the F**K isn’t she wearing a mask?!

  12. Becks1 says:

    I wasn’t that surprised by the standing ovation but I did think it was weird. Like, we just saw her at Trooping a month ago. She’s showing up to a tennis match that she almost always attends.

    I think she looked tired but overall fine and someone pointed out on the other post that that (her looking “fine”) could be a problem for KP if people start to wonder why she can’t work more.

    The propaganda around her cancer has been so over the top and so different from Charles, its really weird.

    • Nic919 says:

      I agree it was weird because she had already been seen at Trooping.

      She’s yet to do anything like even attend a clinic, unlike Charles, and it fits with the fact that Kate has rarely visited hospitals and patients in her time in the BRF.

  13. Interested Gawker says:

    “Keen Kancer Kate” and KP cannot have it both ways. On the one hand they thrive on and encourage the idea that Princess Catherine should be lauded for stepping outside of where ever William is stowing her and living with a serious health issue but will not disclose what sort of cancer it is(was…?), have no public facing programme of being seen among other sufferers of the disease or support related charities, provide updates from or be shown with her medical team or even wear the corresponding ribbon for her illness. They don’t understand that secrecy and visible lack of unity, let alone affection, between WanK keeps the general public from giving a damn about them. Other ‘lesser mortals’ facing serious illness grapple with far more responsibility and challenges with far fewer resources than the royals. People can’t relate to her and the wide disparity between ordinary life and her privileges of what ‘work’ is considered to be in any case. By not even providing the fig leaf of what performative charitable actions the BRF were known to do to water down their privilege in the eyes of the public, playing so many media games and foisting so many scams over Kate’s situation swaning about Wimbledon won’t elicit the accolades KP seems so desperate to receive.

  14. Andy Dufrense says:

    WHAT IF Kate doesn’t even have cancer at all?

    WHAT IF this is all just a cover for what is truly happening behind closed doors? *coughs* divorce *coughs*.

    I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but something here just doesn’t sit well with me.

    • Liz says:

      It’s not unpopular Andy – many have thought there’s something else going on behind the scenes. Things don’t quite add up.

    • RRN says:

      She HAD cancerous cells as per her bench video. And she was advised to take chemotherapy to prevent cancer from occurring. If you look at her engagement pictures from before december…she was looking frail…haggard. I believe it was diagnosed before Jan and the abdominal surgery was regarding that. The way it has been communicated to the public hasn’t be right and transparent..whether it is hiding the truth altogether, miscommunicating the timeline of diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, the frankenphotos, little to no information about her health thereby creating a vaccuum and expecting the public to play along.

      2 things can be true – she is ill and other things are happening behind closed doors…something we will never know.

      • Lorelei says:

        I clearly remember her lightly holding her hand over her stomach in a few photos from December (I think it was December; possibly a little earlier?), actually sparking a few pregnancy rumors. (The consensus here was obviously that it would have had to have been an immaculate conception.)

        But it makes sense if she already knew she had abdominal issues back then, and possibly some pain in that area.

  15. Kelly says:

    I was honestly worried about her missing all those months and the ridiculous lies by Kensington Palace, but really wonder if she was/is sick at all. She and William are truly pathetic. Anne is even back to work.

    • Christine says:

      That’s the part that should be hurting her the most. Anne got kicked in the head by an effing horse and was found unconscious, and she was only out for three weeks.

  16. QuiteContrary says:

    Like I said elsewhere, Kate wouldn’t even have to identify her cancer to be of some (not much, but at least some) help.

    She could talk generally about her privileges and how so many other families, including those with young parents and children, have to go through cancer without the support she has. She could highlight charities that help people dealing with the practicalities of a cancer diagnosis, providing transportation to treatment, meals, financial assistance, etc.

    Young kids can be traumatized when a parent has cancer. Princess Early Years could lean into that. Instead, like William, she only shows up for fun things.

    • Tessa says:

      Kate has no qualifications to speak of early years. She does not give credit to the real experts

  17. Jilliebean says:

    I don’t even believe that she has cancer. Or had it.

    • kelleybelle says:

      Me either. And look at Chuck, a tour on the other side of the planet at his age, while “battling cancer.” Sure. I think they were panicked about their popularity plummeting and made the cancer BS up completely.

    • Beverley says:

      I absolutely don’t believe KKKhate has/had cancer. Never believed it. The cancer story conveniently derailed the Royal Racist accusations. She saw the sympathy Chuckles received and her lazy ass wanted the same.

      What a useless and selfish queen consort she’ll be.

  18. Tessa says:

    Her preening before the cameras and basking in the applause was out of place.she was pushing the envelope showing up there in the first place.

    • yupyup says:

      It’s disturbing to me. Like “I got what I wanted” she forgot she was suppose to be well a Princess and instead I see an attention hungry liar that never had cancer. She needs more media training.

      • Mayp says:

        @yupyup, “Like “’I got what I wanted’” eerily echoing what Prince William allegedly said to her on the balcony at the trooping of the colour, something like: can’t you be happy? You got what you wanted.

    • Sid says:

      Mrs. Wails preening like a peacock was quite something. I actually expected a standing o because of course the crowd was going to do it, but I didn’t expect her to revel in all the attention in such a blatant way. But after her stunt at Philip’s funeral I should have known better.

  19. Lisa says:

    I read in a article that the bow she was wearing was for the type of cancer she has! It is a crazy little known type. Long name but this is what I wrote down! Leiomyosarcoma! Anyone ever heard of it? I looked it up and it seems to fit what little we know.

    • Jaded says:

      The bow represents Wimbledon colours — purple and green. Last time she attended she wore a green dress and bow. And wearing a certain colour to represent cancer doesn’t work, nor does Kate. If she DOES have cancer (and that remains doubtful) she could tie it in with her “Ahly Yahs” stuff and promote charities and organizations that help little kids dealing with childhood cancer.

    • KASAlvy says:

      The bow is a Wimbledon ribbon given to committee members. Nothing to do with cancer.

    • The Hench says:

      The bow she was wearing is what ladies wear to demonstrate they are members of Wimbledon. She’s worn it every year since she became their Patron. Men wear a tie in the same purple and green colours.

      I don’t doubt that there may be another bow that does denote a form of cancer but it’s not what Kate is wearing here.

      • Lorelei says:

        She’s been wearing that bow to Wimbledon for years, so whoever’s claiming that it’s for her specific type of cancer isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

        It’s amazing how her fans will try to stretch any tiny detail to try and make Kate appear “better” than she actually is in some way. It’s like subconsciously, even *they* know she’s pathetic and needs more valid reasons to actually deserve any praise (not that wearing a bow would have made her deserving of praise anyway 🙄).

      • Christine says:

        We can see the lies happening in real time. It is going to become “fact” that she was wearing a ribbon for whatever kind of cancer, even though it’s a Wimbledon thing, that she’s done every single year.

  20. I am baffled by Kate at this point.Trooping maybe as a show of respect for her FIL as a way of being seen at a high profile event.Wimbledon however could have done without her.Idk what she is dealing with at this point but all of the secrecy and then there she is a trooping looking alright albeit unhappy imo and next Wimbledon that she truly enjoys.Sorry if I sound harsh but she wasn’t there as a form of duty it was for enjoyment and attention.She would have done better staying completely out of the spotlight even if rumors still abound,and she’s getting negative attention so I think she should have stayed home if the too sick to do anything is the route she’s going.Consistency is key and this is just weird.

    • Nic919 says:

      She attended Wimbledon because she knew the attention would be on her alone and not Charles. Let’s not pretend she didn’t know this. The will she or won’t she articles from the road were part of the build up.

    • Lorelei says:

      @Spice Cake, ITA, and I have to hope that it comes back to bite her in the ass eventually.
      She simply cannot claim she’s too ill to work (“work” of any kind, even a Zoom) for months on end, yet at the same time, show up at Wimbledon with a tan, looking deliriously happy.

      Right now, it appears that that’s precisely what she can do, and she’s getting away with it, but this can’t last forever. I hope.

  21. Tessa says:

    franklin d roosevelt had polio and as a result established the march of dimes which worked towards helping patients and scientists work for a vaccine. He was proactive. Kate is in a position to promote donation for cancer research. She just doesn’t get it.

  22. Mrs.Krabapple says:

    We all knew that when she eventually showed up in public, it would be Trooping and Wimbledon — public places where she can get a standing ovation. It’s obvious she planned this in advance too, based on her dress — she’s wearing Wimbledon purple, which meant she planned far enough in advance to have a dress specifically made for this appearance.

  23. Lissen says:

    Mr Lissen was watching the men’s final and the commentators said there was a ticket on eBay to this final, bid up to $17,000 and it SOLD.

    Only the rich and the well-connected there. And Princess Patron, to show off her lofty status, waffles on whether she would “grace” the event with her presence. Maybe I will; maybe I won’t.

  24. TurbanMa says:

    Ugh she’s such a foolish person. I just cannot imagine the thoughts in her head. Publicly funded family with arrangement to be civil servants. She’s been out of work for 7 months and is now able to attend family and social events but oh no, not work. Aside from claiming attending events as a spectator is work. Just so wild. I thought they were going for “relatable”. This is not a relatable experience for anyone.

  25. Proud Mary says:

    “The Princess of Wale’s second appearance at Wimbledon went very well,” says CB. Jeezus Christ in a speedo, what does this even mean? The bar is so low.

  26. Elsa says:

    I think she does deserve praise. Cancer is no joke.

  27. Nerd says:

    She at best deserves well wishes, if she does indeed have cancer. It is absurd to say that she deserves praise for something that unfortunately too many around the world have experienced without the financial, medical and public support that this extremely privileged woman has with a platform that she doesn’t use to benefit others. Imagine being part of the hundreds or thousands of cancer patients in the UK who are unfortunately put on waiting lists for treatment or help OR have to suffer financially and still work daily while funding her so she can only attend two events that we all knew she was going to attend no matter what. Praise should go towards those who use their platform to help others, not those who use their privilege to help themselves.

  28. Lily says:

    This women did nothing that would deserve a standinng ovation she did not had a job in her life, she just spend her parents money and waited for a fu.. ring she did nothing after the wedding appart from pushing out an heir and two spare. Only started to be more active after Meghan put her to shame showing that a women can work . Now she is celebrated for faking cancer and Meghan is ripped appart for supporting her husband

  29. Bookie says:

    I survived cancer and a double mastectomy and all the surgeries that followed that choice. I’m actually a little offended by Kate’s cancer cosplay. She could do a Zoom call here and there with a cancer charity if she can go to Wimbledon.