Did William really cheat on Kate?

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I keep hearing this rumour and I'm just curious to know where it comes from? Where is the evidence?

But that couple are entirely private individuals who play no part in public life. The same cannot be said of the heir to the throne.

I remember that no one believed the rumours about Charles and Di splitting.

I remember very distinctly people talking about it in the office where I worked at the time. It was dismissed by all of us as “outrageous” and “tabloid nonsense” . How wrong we were!

The palace PR machine had done a good job!

I like to think we are a bit more savvy now that we have learned a bit more about the machinations of the men in grey suits? And we are a bit more enquiring as a result. Personally, I think that’s a good thing!

Quite.

Both couples are entitled to privacy. Where lines start to get blurred is when one chooses to openly speak about something personal.

I think private matters should remain that way unless a person opens up discussion by speaking about it in public. Then it could be called legitimate discussion I suppose.

Spreading rumours is nasty full stop. It damages lives and serves only to enable those persisting with the rumour to feed a nastier agenda.

I imagine most would not be happy with being the subject of unfounded gossip in their town or workplace or indeed country wide.

I wasn’t.

@Onthenextcourt67 "men in grey suits" sounds like the fevered imagination of someone who has a bit of a conspiracy theory thing going on.
Creating gossip about members of the royal family, or other celebrities, isn't pleasant, isn't fair and isn't necessary. Public interest my arse.

I’m not someone who enjoys or indulges in malicious gossip as a rule. But I think this falls under the category of legitimate interest.

There is a difference between “things that are in the public interest” (your legitimate interest above) and “things that the public are interested in” (i.e. gossip, malicious or otherwise)

The Prince of Wales getting a divorce would be the former. Gossip about whether or not he’s having an affair is the latter.

I’m making a slightly different point.

I think most of us agree that spreading rumours is nasty.

But once those rumours enter the public domain, I think it is hypocritical of the RF to expect people to remain completely uninterested in them, given that the Monarchy could not really exist in an empty vacuum without any public interest in their daily lives, which they in fact invite.

Have the royal family expected anyone not to be interested in them? I've never heard that.

Thats my point though. They want us to be only interested in the things that suit their narrative and show the institution in a good light.

Have you not heard of the RF paying PR firms to “spin” stories in a certain way to distract from another story?

Have you not heard of “convenient” palace leaks? “A friend of Prince Charles said?”

You haven’t heard of certain publications being served with legal warnings from Harbottle and Lewis on behalf of Prince William?

Yes. I have heard of "spin". I have heard of "PR". Yes, the Palace use it. So do most institutions and celebrities. I believe companies like Sunshine Sachs are paid huge sums by celebrities for spin and stories etc. I don't think using these techniques means it's ok for others to spread malicious gossip? Maybe you do. We'll just need to differ on that.

So in a nutshell, the claim "the royals tell people not to be interested in them" is nonsense.

Rumours entering the public domain are still just rumours.

Would it have been hypocritical of me to expect people to stop speculating on what I was supposed to have done just because an individual chose to spread it around and put it out in the public domain? Despite there being not one grain of truth to it?

Choosing to say that it is ok to perpetuate rumours because it is out there anyway is unfair to anyone personally affected.

I don’t think they could give a flying one if folk were deeply interested in them or not. If they invite interest by appearing in public so be it. That is on the people showing interest though. Not them.

Bit of a difference between that and nasty rumours.

I bet they care deeply when pish is spread about them.

And regardless of who they are, they don’t deserve that any more than the rest of us.

I have to go to attend to dinner but spin is a way of deflecting interest
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V happy to agree to differ!

Ditto below!

But very briefly would not be hypocritical of you to my mind , no , because you are a private individual who doesn’t invite public interest in your family.

So say that a celebrity couple, perhaps in California, use a PR firm, this ensures good stories, positive spin and flattering "pap" pictures. They pay a lot of money to stay in the press and get positive stories. Would it be ok then for people to spread malicious rumours about them? I would say no.
However, your argument seems to be - well they use spin, it's legitimate interest!

I can’t continue with a back and forth or my teens will starve but I have explained comprehensively below why I feel it is hypocritical to expect people to be uninterested in rumours, while you are suppressing and deflecting certain stories in the one hand, while simultaneously promoting interest in other areas of your life. That is a very different thing to saying that spreading malicious rumours is an admirable activity.

I don’t think they could give a flying one if folk were deeply interested in them or not. If they invite interest by appearing in public so be it. That is on the people showing interest though. Not them.

I so disagree with this. Without public interest, the RF would fade into oblivion. They are desperate for coverage. Whether it be a royal tour, going to a foodbank, early years speeches, earthshot, flying here and there to open things, mix with the public... they really really want the coverage. Look at the absolute frenzy when Kate goes to Wimbledon or wears a gold dress to a film premiere. They don't want to do that privately! They work the crowd all dressed up.

If they weren't interested in coverage, they wouldn't take along hordes of photographers, royal reporters and such like. When W&K went to the foodbank they had videographers, photographers, RRs there. They could've gone privately if they wanted, but without all those, they would miss out on the PR.

indeed Maireas

Nasty rumours are nasty rumours. Be you prince or pauper, celebrity or Jimmy public.

I think those who seek to justify it would be outraged if it happened to them. And rightly so.

I was a private individual.

Not any more. Because of nasty gossip.

@Roussette

Absolutely!

In ye old days they could do more to have it on their terms.
Now they can't.

They could all abdicate etc

Without all those, they would miss out on the PR.

I see it more as without those, the organisations and people they are meeting and highlighting would miss out on the PR.

There aren’t many regular events where the royal family is highlighting just themselves. Photos released on birthdays/significant dates, family weddings, Trooping the Colour, Jubilees - there’s bound to be a couple I’ve missed. Otherwise they are either highlighting the subject of the visit, or UK plc.

Publicity is a different beast for the causes they support. That is only to be expected. They want interest in the things they support. Of course they do. They know their presence helps the cause. But themselves personally? Does anybody honestly want to have every aspect of their lives under scrutiny?

‘Deep’ interest and the creation of nasty rumours are not part of the interest most would expect. They certainly don’t deserve it just because they are Royal or marry into a certain family.

I really hope they don’t give a flying one about the rubbish that is spouted on here.

No one deserves to have their spirit crushed like that.

No one deserves trying to fend off playground gossip that have hurt their children.

No one deserves trying to battle through the day with a smile plastered on when they are broken.

Spreading nasty rumours is desperate. Resurrecting threads to whip up a frenzy is desperate.

I see it different Serenster. Yes exposure for good causes, and that is very relevant. But lots of other functions and premieres and sporting events they go to. Not in the back door, but in full glare of publicity.

Look at that Tom Cruise film. A long walk together dressed up to the nines, Tom Cruise helping Kate up the stairs etc. They could've gone in the back door if they wanted. It was dress up time, and be seen. That is not a criticism, just fact in my book. Feeding the insatiable desire of the media.

They need to be seen.

@Serenster - that's right, they're highlighting their job, their causes, UK plc. It's not about earning money from appearances or ensuring they remain famous.
I'm glad that Kate visited our local Baby Bank - it promoted the work, and the publicity meant that donations increased. So she's in our local paper and the national press. It doesn't mean people should spread unpleasant gossip.
Very sad and true, @ArcaneWireless

So are you saying, @Roussette , that if you have a public role, people should be free to write and print malicious rumours about you? Just because you're in the public eye, and choose to be?

I would imagine that the people who turn out to events and the like would soon start chopsing if Kate hoiked up her frock, got William to push past the drunk relieving himself in the alley and tried desperately not to lock eyes with the young ones shagging by the bins just so they could sneak inside.

I think I would rather take my bloody chances going in through the front door too.

Nowhere have I said that. I am not the slightest bit interested in what William has or has not done. All I said was, he'd be a fool if he had strayed because Kate is the glue that holds the RF together for the future.

My post of 18.22 was disputing what a poster said ... that they wouldn't care if people wereen't interested in them. Of course they care! Without the oxygen of publicity they would fade into oblivion.

I do agree with @Onthenextcourt67 in part. I'm afraid the rumours come with the territory, unpleasant though it is. That is not me condoning it, but every single famous person gets gossiped about and they are no different.

No one deserves to have their spirit crushed like that. Precisely. And on here some people want to crush K&W's spirits. It's nothing to do with republicanism. It's a personal vendetta