Okay , I'm just going to say it... where is Kate Middleton?

[Tuesdayalready]

(or for the MN purists, Catherine) The most high profile and popular member of royal family has not been seen since Christmas. I do think it's quite strange and so many rumours from the foreign press. And before anyone starts jumping down my throat about her having hysterectomy / crohns / ad infimum / I've had both a hysterotomy and half my intestine removed and was back in work within a 8 weeks.

As you must surely understand , people are rightly noticing the difference in the PAPERS

The official line is that she's still recovering from surgery, but there's at least one counter-rumour that she's been seen in South America fleeing the forces of law and order (of which we have virtually none in Britain).😀

To read some of this you'd think there's a 'one size fits all' recovery schedule for everyone who has ever had surgery...'oh I went back to work two minutes after having mine done'. Bully for you.

And if she weighs a pound less it will be confirmation of an eating disorder. Which of course makes her unstable and open for judgement.

No one would have noticed Kate’s absence if it hadn’t been pointed out .
No one is asking for her medical information - and the questions that are being asked have been prompted directly by the contradictory communication we have seen . She’s ’working from her bed’ or ‘she’s doing well’ but not one line of acknowledgment.
Ok - that’s weird but not ultimately important or impactful

The issue that is rumbling involves how the ‘royals’ and the media are behaving .
The invisible contract is looking very visible these days .

She’s ’working from her bed’ or ‘she’s doing well’ but not one line of acknowledgment.

The statement of thanks to the medical staff and the public is posted on this very thread, at 23:34 on 2 March. Page 1 for me but it will depend on your settings.

Nothing else to say until she's back at work, although they did stress she's recovering well when William skipped the memorial.

and the questions that are being asked have been prompted directly by the contradictory communication we have seen

What contradictory communication?

I think the Wales' team is making a massive PR blunder here. It's not like the old days when the press could be silenced and no-one would be any the wiser. If they had just released a personal statement from KM, saying something bland like 'thanks for all your well-wishes, I'm looking forward to coming back to work when I am fully healed' then she would not be the subject of all the internet conspiracy theories.

But now there are countless unflattering memes about her absence that have been created and they will be doing the rounds for years making her a bit of a laughing stock - one popped up on my Twitter feed today where someone has photoshopped her with a brazillian bum liftfor example. Not very becoming for the potential future queen of England.

Agree. And if anything, it demonstrates they applied the same MO to both of them.

If they had just released a personal statement from KM, saying something bland like 'thanks for all your well-wishes, I'm looking forward to coming back to work when I am fully healed' then she would not be the subject of all the internet conspiracy theories.
But she would. People have been on here analysing the precise wording of previous statements, demanding photos of her reading cards on the sofa, joining a Zoom call and plenty more. You can bet if there was a further statement like that then there would a demand for another update 2 days later, or one with pictures, or one with a more precise timeline of her recovery. There would be people claiming a statement was just a cover-up and clearly she's still in a coma/getting plastic surgery/plotting her divorce etc etc.

The radio silence approach seems very sensible to me.

i think the Wales' team is making a massive PR blunder here. It's not like the old days when the press could be silenced and no-one would be any the wiser. If they had just released a personal statement from KM, saying something bland like 'thanks for all your well-wishes, I'm looking forward to coming back to work when I am fully healed' then she would not be the subject of all the internet conspiracy theories.

This is what I think too. One brief message from Kate could've silenced speculation. I haven't a clue why they wouldn't guess it would roll out like this and stop it with a short statement

Everyone saying 'but they have' ...well, not really...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13153747/Prince-William-asked-Kate-Middleton-health-Wrexham-visit.html

William out & about earning his keep this morning. Ignored question regarding Kate

There's nothing they can do about idiots on social media, @OolongTeaDrinker and they shouldn't pander to such people.
BP said she's having surgery, they've said when she's due back, and William has thanked everyone for their good wishes. That's enough.
People should leave her alone.

I don't think it's a blunder from the Palace.

I think that not feeding conspiracy theories is the way to go. There is no need whatsoever to change the approach they are taking and the boundaries they have set for medical/personal/family privacy.

They are not engaging with any of the lunacy - they know it would be futile to try. And they know it'll all be in the past in about 4 weeks time (when either they'll be announcing she's back, or they will be dealing with real medical complications.

Sometimes to have to let the tantrums escalate to show that a boundary matters

They have given a statement, drawn their line in the sand and that is fine.

She may be a public figure but her health is private.

It doesn’t require a statement. It doesn’t require an appearance. It doesn’t require her husband to answer questions on her well being.

It is intrusive, invasive and bloody rude to want or insist upon that.

And yes winnie

Not engaging with the lunacy - wherever it may appear - is the right approach I feel.

I assume like other pp (can’t remember if on this thread as there are a few) that William is setting out his stall probably from his remembrance as to how the media was after Diana died. I’d hate to imagine what SM would have been like at that time. The media and crowds were bad enough. A lot on here won’t have experienced how awful it was - the baying for the queen and the royals.

Apologies for no paragraphs as my phone is a bit weird at the moment following an update 🤯😬

👏

Maybe the question you should be asking yourself is why do you care about a complete strangers life?

As someone else said maybe this is the line William is going to take now and in the future. It is a sensible one.

Absolutely, Maireas. And we don’t even know if the idiots on twitter are “people” any more. It might be bots and it might all just be one person.

I know. As if you'd dignify "Brazilian butt lift" with any kind of response!

Totally agree

I know. As if you'd dignify "Brazilian butt lift" with any kind of response!

I know I can't think of any dignified answer @Maireas !

I completely agree too. The rf as a whole and William in particular don't have the bargaining power to call the shots any more.

No one would have noticed Kate’s absence if it hadn’t been pointed out .

Actually, her absence was already being remarked on the day before it was announced she was in hospital.