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

I remain utterly convinced that she and the Prince are separated and thrashing out a divorce settlement

😂😂😂 Never in a million years.

For one thing have you seen the way they look at each other & the little touches etc There's nothing whatsoever to even hint at problems. They look very happy

I think after what William went through with his parents divorce , he'd never put his kids through that

There's going to be some very unhappy people when she appears at Easter looking happy & healthy.

I think you misinterpreted the motivation. The people who keep starting threads and posting gossip and conspiracy theories are the opposite of genuinely worried about her. There is clearly an orchestrated campaign to create negative rumours backed up with the usual array of shit stirring trolls and the terminally gormless who believe everything they read on the internet.

In the crap quality grainy photo she was in the passenger seat

3 months isn’t a long time for some abdominal surgeries. Everyone is thinking hysterectomy or similar but I had a whipple surgery for duct damage caused by gallstones and I was out of action for months. Had I needed to be pictured in front of the worlds press it would have been 6 months or so. I had a lot of complications too and then started losing a lot of weight. All stuff you wouldn’t want to be seen and commented on and poured over by the press. The palace said Easter and we are weeks from that. We know she’s doing the school run again, albeit being driven. What more do people want?

I agree with this post, I do not know how she has coped mentally at all, let alone being physically ill and having major surgery, which just shortly prior to she was branded a racist on the world stage in Scobie’s awful book and there was no denial from the Sussex camp, I really felt for her that week when she attended an evening event in that lovely teal dress and to me she looked quite frail when William helped her out of the car, the strain she must have been feeling with that hanging over her can’t have helped her health, both mental and physical. I haven’t looked on social media but from reading on here there are disturbing AI images of her on top of the hideous speculation that I have read that she is dead/in a coma/ domestically abused by William/getting divorced to name a few.

I am a monarchist but the social media world is such an utterly toxic place that one day something utterly dreadful could happen, someone could be driven to suicide, I dread to think how if will be when the children are of age so maybe, though it pains me to say it that it’s time that the RF is disbanded for their own mental health and they can live their lives in relative obscurity. This thread is a tiny example of the utter madness that surrounds them, It wouldn’t surprise me if William started the ball rolling to make Charles the last monarch, I’m sure he doesn’t wish this toxicity for his children.

Maybe. Maybe she’s going to ‘step back from public life’ although I can’t see that happening unless there are specific health reasons for it. Even the Royal Family know that they have to work a bit to maintain their privilege.

I’m probably only jealous as when I had major abdominal surgery I was back at work much faster than three months in a very physical job. No extended rehab for me!

We will all be stuffing our faces with Easter eggs and waiting for her appear. What will we all talk about if she happily strolls to church smiling and waving?

Her whole thing is about looking perfect and being blandly pleasant. Shes never pitched herself as working hard or getting stuck in. If she doesn't look perfect she doesn't want to be seen. There's no substance to back her up.

KP kicking off about the Irish Guards daring to expect her to be at their event which is a whole two and a bit months after her comms team said she'd be working is abysmal.

I wonder if it’s been an ectopic pregnancy necessitating some surgery and has left her feeling emotionally fragile, understandably…

@JaneAustensHeroine It’s possible she’s not enjoyed the role/marriage and is rethinking it all. It’s possible x

I'm addressing the OP, because they (and others who generally support the Sussexes) deride any Murdoch owned news outlet as not a credible source, along with the DM. Specifically on the basis that they are both pro RF, in cahoots with the RF and that Harry is suing them, so they have a vendetta. That is, until it suits them, and we get a Murdoch source used to prove whatever point is being made by the OP. I'm personally not questioning or affirming the credibility of The Times piece, I'll assess what's said in there and any other article piece by piece.

Absolutely this.

KP kicking off about the Irish Guards daring to expect her to be at their event which is a whole two and a bit months after her comms team said she'd be working is abysmal

As I said above though, they did say that both she and the King would be there and they probably will, health permitting. It obviously can’t be said for definite though. If you were unwell, would you expect it to be said that you would absolutely definitely be somewhere at a point in the future when you don’t know how you will be feeling?

I don't think that's quite fair. Most people just seem to be seeking some kind of concrete evidence that she's OK. Understandable as it's been pretty much daily wall to wall coverage of her life over the past 12 years or so, then suddenly nothing. We're social beings, we're hard-wired to wonder in these circumstances.

The difference back then was no social media, blessing and curse that it is, with the ability to whip up random conjecture into a frenzy based on nothing whatever, which is IMO what this speculation is.

As an aside, those divorces (especially Charles and Diana) filled quite enough papers, I cannot imagine what it would have been like with Twitter/X, Facebook, 24 news et al. Well I can imagine it, horrific.

Good point, well made. If looking perfect was all I had to offer then I’d never get to work (mind you with stylists and hairdressers sorting me out, I might be ok once in a while). What a dreadful waste of a Royal position though. How did we get to a position where style wins over substance…

I'll be pleased, especially if she accompanies the smiles and waves with a V sign!

I’ve only skim-read OP. I simply don’t understand why you, @TallerSally , demand that Meghan must be deified - no negative comments on Meghan Out and About threads, yet you are going for it with regards to Kate. I don’t think it’s the sort of behaviour your idol would approve of when she was talking about social media on her panel the other day….

But many of us can accept that we have been told she is doing well and will be back at Easter. We don’t all need to be spoon fed information every five minutes

It’s also entirely normal for the royals who are attending the two troop reviews before the main trooping the colour birthday
parade to be confirmed closer to the time.

This was an error made in an MOD update about Catherine attending the earlier ToC that is being blown massively out of proportion. They wouldn’t normally put it on. They realised the error. They took it back off. Nothing abnormal there.

I think it’s been really badly handled by KP, they know what the internet is like and should have anticipated the conspiracy theories.

You can maintain medical privacy while providing a couple of updates. Like it or not, she is a public figure and people are going to speculate. The radio silence feels churlish.

I would actually be quite impressed if this were the case…it would say something positive about her character.

Sadly I think she would “put up and shut up” because of the level of privilege afforded and because she wouldn’t see leaving as an option. I don’t think she’s the type to go “fuck this….I’m off!” She would likely just step back, do minimal public engagements, be unfailingly nice (bland) and hope no-one notices.

That said, if she feels strongly about her children going to boarding school and possibly into the armed forces then maybe that would be enough for her to think again…

She’s never going to be a Princess Anne. Sadly.

I am in the camp that believes she is simply recovering from surgery and will reappear around Easter. However, I wouldn't be surprised if some sort of Mother's Day photo is released tomorrow.

@JaneAustensHeroine It’s a huge undertaking. Maybe the privilege isn’t outweighing the stress of it all for her. With her background/upbringing she could have a much better life away from the relentless spotlight. It destroyed Diana x

I don’t give a flying fig about any of the royals but any woman who’s had abdominal surgery ( or any surgery ) decides when she’s well enough to work. No one owns her, no one bullies her into “ appearing” just to satisfy random people. Applies equally to Kate who’s a princess and Kate who works in Asda.