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 disagree. It's predominantly a polite discussion about two public figures lots of people are concerned about. If it was as you claim, it would be full of deletions and warnings from MNHQ: If this is your idea of "insane" you must live a very dull life indeed!

If I were Kate I wouldn’t come back at all after all this lunacy. These threads are fucking insane. Real-life normal people are not panicked by her absence, it literally has no effect on anyone’s life whether she recuperates in private, issues a thank you statement (which she DID but the swivel-eyed loons apparently need a daily gratitude voice note from her to convince themselves she’s allowed some fresh air and isn’t being kept in a box under the bed), comes back on Easter Sunday, the day after, or three weeks after. Like why does anyone need updates? What’s wrong with you?

The only communications misstep Kensington Palace made was underestimating the quantity of nutters in this country – god knows how/why, the Diana hysteria is still in living memory – and in saying “after Easter” they basically opened the door on the crackpots going “but it’s three weeks until Easter and no sign of her even though they said Easter! There’s creme eggs in the shops and everything, I cannot rest till I’ve seen her children and got a picture of her with some flowers and a bandage on her tummy, why hasn’t she thanked me!” They should have said summer, or not given an end date: after Easter could mean several weeks after, but I suspect the tinfoil hat brigade are going to be hitting refresh like a rat in a lab experiment from midnight on Good Friday, hoping for an appearance.

Honestly I hate this rainy fascism island so much, can’t blame Camilla for fucking off on holiday.

I suspect the tinfoil hat brigade are going to be hitting refresh like a rat in a lab experiment from midnight on Good Friday, hoping for an appearance.

@mardylookingfrump 😂😂😂😂

Personally I really hope she turns up to church on Easter Sunday, looking exactly like she usually does, not a hair out of place and she and the Palace never ever make reference to this again. The tinfoil hatters will explode.

It's the people complaining that it's "insane" or "swivel eyed nutter" to ask questions when a woman disappears for months on end, who really live up to their own slurs. By contrast, I've been calm and measured throughout. Not always accepting the official line and doffing one's cap at authority isn't the huge character flaw you're making it out to be!

She didn't live in Malta continuously, She was there when first married, returned to UK for the birth of Prince Charles in late 1948, went to Malta over Christmas for a holiday in 1949 (Charles at Sandringham), back to UK 1950 (Anne born) visited again 1951. Maltese sites say total of four visits, ranging from a couple of weeks to a few months over the period.

Now perhaps no-one should ever leave DC with grandparents whilst they go off to visit their military deployed husband (I wonder how that would go down if posted in the Forces MN topic?) or just go on holiday

I second that. Spot on.

Doffing one’s cap at authority? Or simply not caring or believing that the royal family have any authority? Pretending that it’s some kind of radical anti-authority move to question Kate’s whereabouts is hilarious; it’s equally not hard to stay calm and measured throughout when literally nothing is happening. Most of us are calm and measured whether Kate is turning up in a dress to an event or taking some time off: neither scenario is exactly hysteria-inducing.

The big communications misstep, IMO, was William missing his Godfather's memorial at short notice 'for personal reasons.'

That was unusual and is what kickstarted the social media storm. If KP had given a reason- minor illness for him or the kids or whatever- it wouldn't have been such a gossip point. The whole ' it's absolutely nothing to do with Thomas Kingston' thing was also bizarre.

I've said from the outset that I expect there will be an announcement a bit before Easter (so things can start being put in her diary) and that her first appearance will be at church on Easter Sunday.

And that, once recovered and back on an even keel, she may well talk about the medical condition, possibly by taking on anew patronage with the relevant charity.

And people will wonder what on earth was the group-think that led to the constant demands for updates (and associated conspiracy theories) and try to forget/deny the hounding as quickly as possible.

It's easy to think of two or three conditions that would involve hospitalisation and recovery times that match and they're not rare/unusual (and I dare say doctors could come up with more). So I think going on "sick leave" for the recommended time is entirely sensible, and I agree with the "no updates unless they're something to say" approach.

But it does seem that there are plenty who can't wait. But I doubt very much the Palave will give in. We've had initial statement (plus gloss that it's not cancer), a statement confirming that she's left hospital (includes thanks to staff at the hospital and to the general public for support)

Now there are viral images of her with Photoshopped BBLs all over Twitter and Tiktok. That would never have happened if KP had better control of the narrative and not gone on record to tell the public to shut up and listen to their first message, instead of clarifying things or even acknowledged the well-wishes (a metaphorical card-reading moment like Charles did).

That would never have happened if the bottom-feeders of the Internet stopped to think about how horrible their actions were. And if newspapers like The Times called it out for the harassment that it is; rather than joining in as is it were raising a valid question

If she’d disappeared without a trace and without any explanation, yes. If it gets to June and there’s still neither sight nor sound of her, possibly. If she lived down the road with just her husband and no-one had heard from her for 6 weeks, absolutely. But none of those things are the case.

So for now, I’m happy to accept she’s had significant abdominal surgery and will resume duties after Easter, once she is fully recovered. Occam’s Razor, innit? That doesn’t mean I’m a naive hat-doffer. It just means I don’t have a prurient interest in another woman’s physical or mental health, and don’t believe in conspiracy theories.

What the public won’t accept is a lack of effective communication and accountability from public figures

Oh really? I don't know what 'public' you've self-elected to speak for but it's not me. Do you extend this to the government and MPs as well, or is it just the royal family who have to lay out every private detail for your delectation and to pick over?

You don't think there's any authority in one of the world's richest (and by most people's standards, strangest) families? I guess Prince Andrew got off scott-free purely off the back of his self-made success, wit and charisma then 🙄

She did after the birth of Princess Charlotte - bodice yellow flowers on creamy white background, skirt same creamy white no coloured flowers, some widely scattered greyish petals.

So not solid white; but essentially white from midriff down

I think they have money, power, and influence, yes – I’m not stupid. I’m also not a royalist – you seem to be drawing that conclusion from my original post? That I’m somehow so in awe of the royals I take KP’s statements that Kate had abdominal surgery at face value because I’m blinded by their authority? No cap doffing here simply because I’m taking KP’s statement at face value.

Actually I take it at face value because it would be barking mad to release such a press statement – that itself acknowledges the interest this statement will generate – and have it not be true/be a cover story for an extended conspiracy.

Although I’ll add I didn’t take KP’s statement at face value or at all on first release: I didn’t even know it had happened until the recent internet brouhaha, which is what drew me in. I love internet brouhaha! Things haven’t been this much fun since the demise of Fametracker (IYKYK!).

Governments consist of elected representatives. People elected to do a job. If people do a bad job, they will have to face accountability through the ballet box, as we will hopefully see soon. The Royals are there simply because they were born into the correct womb. They gain their privilege through being a member of a family that contains the Head of State. It is almost impossible to get rid of them, no matter how awful, lazy, or entitled they turn out to be. Their only accountability is that they show their faces in return for their privilege. And even then they can say and do what they like and won't be scrutinised or questioned about it. The media is meant to hold them to account, but when faced with asking William how he has cut his own carbon footprint and losing access to a cute curated picture of the children, they take the photo. No one asks the Wales' why they think the only way they can bring up balanced children is for both of them to work a couple of days a week, term time only, or exactly what Kate' s early years foundation has done in 10 years. They want pretty pictures of her in a new dress and matching children.

Their only accountability is that they show their faces in return for their privilege

Which is what the PoW will do when she's recovered from whatever she had done. Did you miss that announcement?

No doubt everyone will be delighted with the newly released Mothers Day pic

They look normal and happy.

Is that enough now?

Probably not. We’ll be inundated with “this was taken ages ago”, and “it’s been photoshopped” etc etc.
Maybe people will accept her thank you this time though. We can but hope 😂😂

edited to add: also “but she looks so well, why isn’t she back at work”. Think I’ve covered most base there

It’s been credited to “The Prince of Wales” as photographer with a date of 2024 - which means it’s either current or from early January - but yes of course people on twitter are already pointing out she’s not wearing any rings 🙄

She's alive! Praise be!

Anyway, I fully expect posters on this thread will now immediately retract all their comments and their speculation since they now have exactly what they’ve been clamouring for….?

If I were her the temptation to fuck with the trolls by doing that would be irresistible.

Ah but the date stamp has probably been altered and filters have been added to make her look like she is alive when in fact she is being propped up “El Cid” style (google the fill ending if you are interested) 😂😂

Yeah I’m sure her thank you message will be ignored, or won’t be enough, or the wording won’t right, or it’ll will be interpreted as a coded plea for help or something.