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.

It might be bad PR, it might be that a sizeable percentage of the population care (although I know nobody who does) about being thanked. It's still silly to think it means anything more than they can't be arsed/don't think it's necessary given previous statements/want to wait till she's completely recovered and looking like it.

But they have issues a statement of thanks (see my previous post)

It's not been 8 weeks yet OP. And just because you recovered after 8 weeks doesn't mean everyone else will

I'm sure there are many other random women up and down the country off sick for an extended period, perhaps many longer than they needed to be. There are many women who are very unwell. It's not really your problem is it? She maybe milking it, she may have had complications, she maybe really really unwell. Either way it's not your concern. She doesn't owe you anything

Everyone should be entitled to an appropriate recuperation time after major surgery, and every employer should be made to facilitate this. This is not a luxury it's a basic right, the fact that some people don't get this is sad but it doesn't mean people who are in a position to get a proper recovery time shouldn't take it

My toes curled in my shoes too.

Recovering from what sounds like major surgery.

Obviously.

And? What does that have to do with Kate? The fact your husband is a peice of shit and didn't allow you to recover is not her problem

You know you were told 12 weeks, so therefore you know its reasonable for someone to take 12 weeks to recover

There you go then. Makes all these people frothing about not being thanked even more ridiculous!

So every public sector worker currently signed off needs to send you an update? Nope, that’s not appropriate at all. Really hope you don’t work in HR.

I believe the current ‘theory’ is she was pregnant by the fella who just sadly shot himself and there’s lots of turmoil behind the scenes

All true. Read it on Twitter.

Well..... What's good for the goose...

You would get a limited detailed sick note, which is effectively the same as the press release.

She's exactly where she needs to be. The End.

My arm dropped off last week, I folded it immediately and used it as a shotput. PoW is a proper slacker I reckon.

Abdominal surgery is pretty major. My mum had AS and was out of action for months.
If you are scrutinised to the level she is then you'd want to be absolutely well before you put your head over the parapet.

It's not as if she needs to pop to the local convenience shop for a pint of milk and a twix., is it?

FWIW I had abdominal surgery and was off work for 8 weeks, with a fit note saying I could only undertake light duties for a further 2 weeks.

I was reading that earlier, apparently Will shot him and that's why he had to cancel his attendance at the event the other day.

People clearly have far too much time on their hands and too little going on in their lives if they have time to concoct all these ludicrous stories.

If you rephrase the issue a little to 'woman has abdominal surgery and then takes 8-12 weeks off work to recover' is there anything even a tiny bit concerning or unusual about it?

OP

I'm an ardent fan of HRH and William and their family and to a good extent a fan of our King and Queen they have gorwn on me

However, they have not handled the media well or their followers. I dont want to know what they have health wise but thy should have either come clean or nothing

Re our King, I hope he fully recovers soon. They did not need to say he had cancer and could have gone down Kates route. So what was the point of sying King had cancer and telling their public in the hope this made others "more aware." You can only really do that if they were to say what it was.

Re HRH kate - we all know she had an op. We all know that all surgery carry a risk. We have been made aware she is on sick leave until Easter. I wish HRH a speedy recovery along with her FiL

OP, yuo stated you had... and back to work in 8 weeks. We must never forget we are all different. My OH had the flu and was back to work 2 days later and when i had it, I was ff for two weeks.

So weird calling her Kate Middleton when that's her maiden name and we've all watched her get married, have 3 children and get a promotion and new job title.

We did the same with "Lady Di" and still do with Fergie. Why?! Are there any other women who get this treatment or just Royals?

If I was royal and I got the opportunity to be out of the public eye and have a bit of privacy for once, I'd milk it for all it was worth. I don't blame her for one second.

My god, who cares

It has NOT been 8 weeks yet.

Announced in advance that will be absent till Easter.
Why can't people leave her alone?
🙄

And that too!

Quite. I don't care where she is. Hope all's well as for anyone.

But if she was sulking / traumatized / incapacitated/ dead by murder by William and the palace didn't want us to know, they would just get the royal admin staff onto sending thank you letters and grovelling on twitter. She hardly does it herself the rest of the time. Why would she now?!

Surely the silence is the message

Kate could easily get some admin staff to get messages out. But she's on leave. She's drawn a boundary.

William could easily have put out an unverifiable statement about mild illness, children's issue. But he said personal issue. Boundary.

They are trying to tell you that they don't have to tell you. It's the royal out-of-office. Why not?

It is weird how sentimental many people get about poor little Harry at Diana's funeral &c, while still not accepting that they don't own the royals.

Kate showing up now would be giving the British public a licence to bully her until the reign of good King George. William telling us his personal problems ditto.

They are consciously ripping off the sticking plaster. Next time they say, it's private, maybe people will believe them. Or maybe it will take a few more times. But unless you believe you're entitled to know everything about them, they have a perfect right to keep things to themselves.

They need to be able to block out the public now or then or they'll go mad.

Well then they can resign, if they don't like the job and the huge payments from the tax payer - they can quit, in fact the amount of official engagements they do is tiny anyway compared to Anne, Sophie and actually it's tiny compared to the amount of official royal engagements H&M did before they resigned.

Youre naive, not a seasoned royal watcher & not analysing anything, if you think this is just abdominal surgery. Something is brewing…

There’s a Princess in a palace that is not just , recovering but also putting her foot down on this royal charade.

Yes, I think this is a health issue but also with the double agenda of testing the waters. I think they’re seeing what the public’s palette is for a monarchy that’s slimmed down, more ceremonial and takes the pressure of Catherine - who in terms of media presence, Carrie’s the royal family. Nobody else will get her level of coverage & this interest & pressure. Sheltering her children from all of this royal weirdness is one thing, but sheltering children and young adults would be increasingly worrying and overwhelming. Especially with the cautionary tale of so many damaged royals. George wouldn’t be on her mind nearly as much as the two children that will be in his shadows.

Catherine is now in the second half of her life, without the Queen to legitimise the royals, it’s not as fashionable an institition. Case in point is the lineup of Artists (or lack of) at the King’s coronation. Not one that a 42 year old woman would want to continually sacrifice freedom, privacy and parental choices over.

I think the King’s condition was known about for longer than is being let on. The news of this and of having to step up has probably added to the pressure for Catherine. In recent times there’s been racist allegations, Harry’s book, criticism over the Middleton’s business failure & pressure mounting for George to go to Eton. There was also criticism over the Wales’s Caribbean tour and the optics seeming colonial and outdated. I don’t think the institition is thriving. Oh and throw in the Prince Andrew issue.

I don’t think the royals align with middle class values and that can only be obvious as children get over and the realities of Eton, the military and a life of service weigh heavily. With all Kate & Pippa Middleton’s (PM studied a masters) focus on early years & with the Middleton families values, I can’t see Catherine continuing this pantomime. The Middleton’s are all about affluent middle class perks & the lifestyle, activity filled resort holidays in Exotic places, and a fun & normal albeit wealthy lifestyle with the freedom and flexibility of being comfortable entrepreneurs. They’re discreet, tight knit and normal but wealthy - I suspect that’s why they raised a daughter with a happy childhood and so adjusted.

I just don’t see Catherine wanting to do worse for her children, not better. Sheltering children from the royal family is increasingly different.

William has not only flown solo but released a solo statement on Israel. It’s as though this is a ‘test run’ for what is to come.

I think William is preparing to be King his way and that with his and Kate’s star power they will only be doing appearances where it packs a punch or bowing out completely.