THE TIMES: Where is Kate? The royal family attracts more speculation by the day

[TallerSally]

On today's front page, the Times' Kate Mansey reports on the contrasting approaches taken by KP and BP's comms teams in their handling of the extraordinary situation the RF's currently in. It kicks off with the current host of the US's Daily Show (formerly hosted by the formidable Jon Stewart) asking some questions:

"While the King hosted friends and met world leaders, the Palace’s reluctance to comment on the Princess of Wales’s condition has created a rising sense of panic
One of America’s most popular TV comedy programmes was asking the question that had captured the nation. It was not about the Super Tuesday primary contests ahead of the US elections, or the State of the Union address, which elicited an exaggerated yawn from the presenter.

Instead, The Daily Show’s Ronny Chieng turned to look straight into the camera to ask: “Where is Kate Middleton? Where are you, Kate?”

There was no rush to provide reassurance this week from the Prince of Wales, who appeared to begin his working week on Friday with a visit to the Oval cricket ground for his Earthshot environmental campaign. Aides said that William had been busy all week, just not in a way that was visible to the public.

The King was doing the opposite. Away from public duties on doctors’ orders while he undergoes cancer treatment, the monarch had been expected to take this week as scheduled time off. Despite being told to “slow down” by the Queen, who took her own advice and flew to sunnier climes for a few days of relaxation, the King was ramping up.

He was photographed meeting world leaders and ambassadors from his living room at Buckingham Palace. Away from the cameras, he hosted friends who rallied round for afternoon tea and dinner dates. He insisted on the “more public” option of travelling between Buckingham Palace and his more comfortable private quarters at Clarence House in the State Bentley, so that he could “be seen”. Quite what the Queen made of it all from her sun lounger is anyone’s guess, but there are those in the palace who have an idea."

A tongue-in-cheek piece, but raises some interesting questions: have KP messed up the comms around Kate? and William? What is really going on with them? Why is the Royal family-funding public kept in the dark for so long, when usually not a couple of days go by without us having some nicely staged photo of some kind from Kensington Palace?

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/where-is-kate-prince-william-king-charles-cancer-khktpx9bm

Slightly off topic but why was she sitting in the back of her Mum’s car and not in the front passenger? I can’t imagine that scenario with my mum. To avoid photos?

???

I agree that more information at the beginning might have closed down the ludicrous speculation that has since taken place across the world - 9n the Press and on social media.......but it might not.

Imagine KP statement in January that said 'The Princess of Wales had surgery yesterday to xxxxxxxxx (whatever it was). She will remain in hospital for up to 14 days and will recuperate at home , not resuming Royal duties until Easter'. Followed by several photos of William visiting the hospital with flowers, drawings from the children etc, followed by a car leaving 2 weeks later with Kate in the back waving, followed by a photo from a distance of them out for a walk with the children at Sandringham.

Would that have closed down speculation? Would we really have had nothing more from the Press and the social media nutters?

Or would we have had weeks of double page articles and comments like:

Kate's bowel surgery/hysterectomy/whatever - causes, symptoms, risks, what does the surgery involve and possible outcomes? A top bowel surgeon discusses the surgery and what she can expect during her recovery. [No doubt in intimate detail]

2 days after her bowel surgery- how will Kate be feeling? A bowel surgeon lays out the detail of these first difficult days for patients: pain, exercise, diet and the importance of keeping the bowel active.

William takes Kate roses- flown from Tenerife. Why didn't he choose English spring flowers and save the environment?

William refuses to answer questions about Kates condition as he arrives for visiting, prompting questions about how well the surgery has actually gone.

In a photo taken in the gardens of Sandringham, where she is recovering from major surgery, the Princess of Wales looked thin and tired. A surgeon tells us why that might be the case.

On social media
I had a hysterectomy and I was washing floors and looking after 5 kids 24 hours later. If I can do it she can.

Why isn't she back at work? My neighbour had that operation and she was building an extension the next week.

Or very very personal remarks about the intimacies of the surgery. [No boundaries for some people who delight in vulgarity]

I don't think it would have made any difference in the end apart from shutting up a few royalists who are soothed by a photo and a small amount of info . Journos would still be filling pages with it- in gory detail. They and the social media nutters would still be speculating about it and complaining.

No wins on this one for the RF.

"a rising sense of panic" OMFG. I am as far from a royalist as you can possibly get but for god's sake leave the poor woman alone. No one has the right to know anyones medical information.

@Primrosecottagelover I don’t get the feeling she’s going to be back at Easter, with a new style & haircut and back to back engagements. I think she’s going to be gradually faded out, for whatever reason that is.

I have thought this for a while. Her public engagements are, let’s face it, hardly numerous anyway and while she has been able to use the ‘young children’ explanation until now that will soon change as George disappears off to boarding school (potentially) which, if the media are to be believed, she did not want (but William did).

We are used to Queen Elizabeth being hard-working, resilient, dutiful and prominent. The younger generation of Royals want to have much more control over their life, time and work. However, they are public servants. That is their reason for being. If they can’t serve then quite frankly they need to step off. Except they won’t so it gets termed as a new, modern generation of Royals rather than a bunch of grifters who want the wealth and privilege but also life on their terms.

You don't just think she might have the use of extensive private grounds, pool, gym etc at Windsor? You don't seriously think that she steps out of her front door onto the street do you??

And you dont think even one devious and determined member of the paparazzi would have managed to sneak his way in to take a candid photo in all that time?! Or settle for taking a photo of some friends and family bringing her flowers? Or do all members of the press suddenly respect boundaries?!

Not quite. The MoD said that both the King and the Princess of Wales would be at the trooping of the colour, but of course that can’t be guaranteed as both are unwell and no guarantee can be given. It may well be that they do actually attend, but the MoD were rapped on the knuckles for saying they would definitely be there. We have been told that the Princess will be back at work after Easter. If she is, then that’s not half the year. And as many others have said, your personal health experience is not a valid comparison when you don’t know what procedure the Princess has undergone.

She was in the front passenger seat in the photo I saw?

I would be very grateful if one of the people convinced that they’re getting divorced would please explain why that would require a cat and mouse game rather than a straightforward announcement as happened in the cases of Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Andrew and Sarah and Charles and Diana. Please.

Sorry haven't RTFT bur this is my theory (based on nothing but a hunch).

William's reluctance to be drawn into commenting on Kate's recovery is the Wales's doing a reset on how KP (and in due course BP) deals with the press.

No doubt they are sick of the incessant briefing going on from all quarters and the big tell alls from the Sussexes. My bet is he is keen to show that privacy means privacy and this is him drawing a boundary. He's going back to the type of relationship his grandmother had with the press in the early days of her reign.

Obviously it's a risky strategy because we are in a different world. The crown isn't so much of a divine right but rather a business that needs to show ROI.

I posted this on one of the earlier threads on this theme

I can make a good guess about how the June engagement thing came about, because it's for Trooping the Colour.

That was the only future event listed for King, Queen and the Waleses on the official calendar for 2024. It was mentioned on a MN thread at about the turn of the year, as part of a "look the lazy feckers have no engagements" discussion; and posters pointed out absence of events in the official calendar (which is only really useful as a record of past events) was for security reasons, and no-one could take seriously the idea that there would only be one engagement in the whole year.

I think everyone forgot that Trooping The Colour had been added to the 2024 calendar - because the default is that engagements aren't added until they'd taken place. So at some point, someone (probably military, dusting off the ceremonial plans ready to rehearse) spotted it, mentioned it, and it grew legs (or should that be a scaly tail) and it ran.

Yes, if she's back, as expected, she's bound to be there. I don't think that her name on a list for it is any indication of anything to do with her health or when she will return to a public-facing role.

There's no benefit to any additional official announcements. The media, the conspiracy theorists and the just plain old nosy, will not be satisfied with anything that comes out of Kensington Palace and it will just trigger even more speculation.

They've already said she's had surgery and will be recuperating until at least Easter and look at how many column inches and social media storms have been whipped up because basically people like to gossip. Especially about the rich and famous.

As parents, they have children who they will want to shield as far as possible and part of that is going to try and avoid having breathless, frantic commentary about their mother's illness on every television, radio and newspaper. All they have now is 'where is Kate?' and the children know exactly where she is. That's a hell of a lot better than having her medical condition splashed everywhere and dissected endlessly with morbid speculation.

All KP needed to say is:

”The Princess of Wales would like to send her grateful thanks to well-wishers for their kind messages of support. She is looking forward to returning to public duties in due course and would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their patience as she focuses on her recovery”

Except they haven’t said that. And that is what attracts speculation. If I were off work and received messages of support from the people who pay my salary while I’m off sick I am damned sure I would find a way of acknowledging this and thanking them.

Ignore me. I’m going nuts! Imagined she’d been in the back seat. Will shut up now!

I'll ask the question again as it wasn't answered last time. Why is a Murdoch paper suddenly a credible source of information for you?

Could you name some newspapers you personally regard as credible?! I can't think of any.

She wasn’t

I know. Who are these people panicking? And why? Seems to be the people who dislike her who have the most to say about not seeing her. You'd think they'd be glad to take a break from her. Narcissistic feed requirements writ large on a societal scale.

No idea

KP have done this and it’s been posted on here several times. Here it is yet again. Statement

Because maybe she’s not coming back 🤷‍♀️

There are so many possible reasons and good reasons for keeping it private. They could have lost a baby or had a termination for medical reasons, she might be grieving as well as physically healing. She might have cancer and not want her kids school friends asking or gossiping about it. She might have any number of other intimate issues that she prefers privacy for. And 1001 other possible reasons.

Personally I don’t think my nosiness is a good enough reason.

Ffs

She did seem to have been papped in a different era of photography to her mum though, if not a different row of seats. Carole looks quite well-defined and in focus, as does the car, whereas Kate just looks vague and grainy.