so am I "lesser" by default, or "greater" cos I've done more than peer out of a window?

We don't know what Kate actually thinks of this kind of description from a ridiculous sycophant.

Comments like this might go towards the belief of the royal family that they are superior - which is why they are royals in the first place, strong belief among some of them (listen to some interviews!)

or she might be quite embarrassed and realise they are so over-the-top they are not doing the royal family any favour. However hard she struggles or not, her environment is so uber-priviledged that there's no comparison with anyone else. They might not want to highlight the fact they have the top consultants of the country if not further on speed dial and being giving priority for everything. It doesn't go with the current PR "they are one of us".

So - this is not addressed to the OP - it's not really fair to describe this nonsense as a description made by Kate or her closest family.

Worth noting that you don't have to bow/curtsey/call them YRH if you meet them - you can't be penalised for not doing these things. I certainly wouldn't extend them courtesies beyond what I would extend to any human being.

I agree with you OP. I feel the same about the way cancer is talked about as being a battle to be won. You hear it all the time, people beating cancer because they never gave up fighting. Like the ones who died just didn’t fight hard enough.

Yes, this exactly.

Absolutely vomit inducing.

I was neutral about the monarchy for most of my life but the past few years has me staunchly anti-monarchy, it brings out the worst in British people.

@5128gap that would be acceptable to on extent, at least in an academic/theoretical way.

But it wasn't all us lesser mortals, a specific group was identified and clearly named , people who suffer from the same illness. People with cancer.

On one level I’m not sure I actually agree with this. She will have gone through the same gut wrenching panic, the same how do I tell my children moments. The same feeling horrendous after whatever treatments or surgeries we all have . She may well be in a posher hospital and have consultants on tap but she still has the same heartbreaking feelings.
What is different is that she has the eyes of the world on her , the first announcement she made sitting on that bench looking like she just wanted to hide away was something most of us will never have to do . And yesterday, knowing that probably millions of people were probably watching her every move .

That's the whole premis of monarchy though isn't it? Why else would you have to curtsey to her if you met her, but she wouldn't to you? It's a ridiculous offensive and archaic concept but that's exactly what it is. If we accept royalty we accept we are lesser. I'm sorry this has struck a chord with you today, but honestly it's nothing new. It's what monarchy is.

It's the telegraph, what do you expect?

Sorry to hear this. This is absolutely awful wording. What was the journalist thinking. You’re not overthinking at all.

Tired of people trying to pretend the royals and other super wealthy people have the same battles as us when the truth is even in sickness some parts of their journey will be radically different and easier in some ways compared to another person battling the same illness.

Totally agree with you. And the same applies to other illnesses too.

People are so quick to think they can "know" and gauge how much someone is struggling or how "brave" they are.

So sorry you are having a tough time

I mean that there isn’t really anything to joke about with cancer is there. You can try to laugh and joke and be cheery but actual cancer , no.
This was in response to someone further back saying “ lesser mortals” is meant to be a joke.

It also states "when lesser mortals WITH YOUR ILLNESS "so it does specifically refer to cancer patients. Not rich people, not people with a headache or feeling a but queasy or whatever other bullshit people would like to make up.

Totally agree with you. It's really awful messaging.

@Saschka the article was in the telegraph

Please ignore the people telling you how you should feel. They have no clue about your personal cancer journey and the difficulties you have faced.

The newspaper media are full of shit, take no notice

Honestly if your adult children have contacted you in distress because some sycophantic arse has written a fawning column about Catherine in the Daily Mail, maybe they should stop reading it? It’s an absolute irrelevance.

And surely the whole point of having a Royal Family is that we are all “lesser mortals”, and the aristocracy are “our betters”? They literally are, legally, above us (and above the law). Which is why I think it should be abolished…

It's shitty wording for a shitty article, but a lot of people will ignore that because Kate.

You are not criticising her, or taking anything away from her , or disparaging her, whereas that fucked up wording does from you and millions of other cancer sufferers, but somehow you're in the wrong. Fucking bonkers.

I think you are making offense for yourself.

YANBU but I'm a republican so I can't stand the fawning over the royals in general.

"Lesser mortals" is such a ridiculous turn of phrase.

Allison Pearson writes the most horrible spiteful things at the best of times. She's also thick as mince. Take no notice of her.

In fairness you didn’t have half of twitter speculating that your dh had killed you, and that that was why you weren’t out and about.

Even given this interpretation, this ignores the fact that Charles, who is also undergoing cancer treatment, turned up as well.