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

[Maybethisyearornext]

'When lesser mortals would have stayed at home, Catherine proved that the show goes on' | Writes @AllisonPearson in the telegraph

I find this indescribably offensive

I am a "lesser" cancer patient because I didn't attend the trooping of the colour? Ok, but I attended as many days of work as I could, and as many hospital appointments as was required, and that mean a mile walk to the station each time. And in the months I could not return to school premises I undertook small amounts of voluntary work in order to keep in touch with the world and work on my stamina

And I coped without any income at all in the 5 months it took the DWP to process my ESA claim - did this "greater" cancer patient do this?

I don't blame Princess Catherine. She is just muddling through the best she can like all of us, trying to cope with treatment, keep up her spirits, provide happy times for her family, be a useful citizen, and hope for the future

But how ignorant do you have to be to write that other cancer patients are "lesser mortals" - and how could an editor let that pass? Were they asleep at their desk?

Please complain or suggest any other way you can to react to this, and get it taken down, and get an apology - this has caused distress among many families this morning. I am not on twitter myself, can people who are on twitter say something please?

https://x.com/Telegraph/status/1802114337319932072

@Saschka the article was in the telegraph

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

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.

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.

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

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.

It's the telegraph, what do you expect?

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.

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 .

@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.

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.

Yes, this exactly.

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.

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.

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.

I understand your point, but I think it's more a way to try to stress how hard it is to go through the entire process, it is a battle. No one knows how hard it is until they go through with it, but I don't think people believe you die because you don't fight hard enough, that's not the idea.

Absolutely ridiculous thing to put in a paper, and unnecessary.

I will say though, those of you who do get to go to work, aren't about to be subject to the worlds press and the eyes of millions looking for every tiny crack or flaw in the façade of being 'well enough' to do what you're doing.

It’s similar to the discourse about “fighting” cancer, as though dying is a character flaw.

People get sick. Some people get sicker than others.

I’ve delivered food bank parcels to women who cannot work due to a cancer diagnosis. They’re on zero hours contracts and have to wait 5 weeks for the dwp to decide whether they’re entitled to any benefits. Most people undergoing chemo are in full time work for as much time as is humanly possible.

yes it’s terrible that Kate has cancer but it’s far, far more terrible for almost everyone else. There’s nothing heroic about standing on a fecking balcony and to imply that she’s done something that other cancer sufferers could not do it fucking offensive.

She explicitly mentions cancer patients, she isn't talking about people who don't go to work because they're a bit poorly.

"Two words: Thank you. Thank you Princess of Wales for being an absolute trouper and attending Trooping the Colour on a cold, grey day when lesser mortals with your illness would have stayed home, tucked up in their jim-jams".

I thought OP was perhaps being a bit unreasonable, that it was just a tactless headline/sub heading (as they aren't written by the journalist) but then I read the whole piece and I'm not surprised that the OP (and others) might be upset.

Exactly.

Also, "at least it's not cancer" when said to people with equally devastating and debilitating conditions

People are so often just not rational or fair around illness and it is really frustrating.

Indeed Cassandra. My son has a plexiform fibroma on his spine and lung but as an old teacher said least it's not cancer.

The main comment made me cringe yesterday was Bravest Woman in the World ...

The goal of newspaper columnists these days is to be goady and post strong opinions on shit so that they can make more money and develop a name for themselves.
Its The Telegraph- of course they were going to be OTT about Catherine’s return even if it’s only to relieve themselves of the guilt of bring swept up in the rumours during her absence.
Catherine’s return is a good thing but her journey with cancer will look different because of her unique circumstances and nobody is going to know what that’s like so journalists discussing that is pretty pointless.

It's a strangely worded article because who else is in her position? Apart from King Charles. Most people wouldn't attend the trooping of the colour anyway, whether they had cancer or not. So you can't really use it as a comparison.

I'm so sorry about this, and you are 100% correct.

What a shitty, shitty thing to write.