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

@Maireas I have none! But I just get a feeling that the news isn't physical health related as she had engagements planned that were suddenly cancelled due to 'planned surgery'. Also KC released his health news at exactly the same time which looked like a diversion tatic. This indicates that there's something else entirely going on. She would only stay quiet if it were in her interests to imo. Divorce , child access , money etc would be a bloody good reason to stay silent for a period.
I guess we shall see.

We own the rf they answer to us

Dear oh dear

@FriendsDrinkBook , so just speculation then - you seemed quite sure.

I think part of the reason it’s slipped into the mainstream media, is that there’s very few royal stories to fill the space. It’s also a commentary on society & the angle is that the public is concerned to the point of going a bit nuts, and whether that is right, what it means.

Pulling down Kate’s photo on the Guard’s website/not confirming her for the event is a funny one. Richard Eden on DM’s ‘Palace Confidential’ was basically saying that if you take sick leave from work, you wouldn’t be booked in for anything until you return. This is a different situation, they’ve surely given her a wide berth for her return and she does this event annually.

The fact that the Times are going on about this days a lot.

Very little has been made of Camilla jetting off, surely she could have got some relaxation close to wherever the King is.

I think Charles and Camilla have quite a lot of space away from each other though don't they? I'm sure I read she retreats to her own home quite a lot on her own or with her own family, so I don't think anything unusual in her having a holiday away without him. If he is having to stay in the Uk for weekly cancer treatment and she wants a bit of sunshine, then I guess she can do that. I'm sure he has plenty of people rallying round after him and he probably wants her to have a good rest whilst she is stepping up with Royal duties, she's not exactly young.

I’m inclined to agree with this.

Not to mention the fact that a radical hysterectomy would require HRT which could take a while to get the balance right.

Why would you want to be out working/in the public eye while that was going on if you had the option not to?

They don't "owe" the public anything more than they have already given. They've said that she is recovering from an operation and that she'll be out of the public eye for a while. What more do you want? You don't have any right to her detailed medical records.

Do you really believe that we, as a nation, have bought these people and that they therefore have no right to any privacy?

The whole idea of the monarchy is just totally fucked.

You have a confirmation or a loose pointer as to the issue. Abdominal surgery.
You have a confirmation or a loose pointer to the recovery timescale. Not this side of Easter

@Maireas Indeed.

In no way am I saying that we're entitled to her personal medical information , but I do believe that the public are being fed a line to cover something else up relating to W and K. The only part of this that seems completely plausible is KC's illness.

I agree that the posts on here piling on others and labelling them as “nutters” or crazy for caring etc and making personal jabs and not picking at tiny details is boring. It’s also boring listening to people praise themselves snd their moral virtue for “not caring”. If you don’t care to analyse and discuss UK’s most influential & powerful family then just don’t, but don’t make the thread tiresome.

Who says she is stuck indoors . She could be doing all of that but in private ?

They made an announcement . Said she wished to recover in private and that’s what she is doing .

leave her alone is what I say .

Crazy for caring? Crazy for salacious detail, more like it. If you cared about Catherine, you'd respect the boundaries she has laid down.

It’s a huge deviation from how the last Queen would have, and quite brazen for a new Queen. The royal family is on “skeleton staff” and surely they want to send a message of unity and holding strong where they can… or don’t they care ? Kind of seems like they don’t give two hoots about public sentiment.

Well, I find that strange. We were told Kate had abdominal surgery and would be off until Easter. I personally don't believe in conspiracies, so I am taking that information as correct unless otherwise reliably informed. It doesn't mean that I believe everything that I read, I just don't know why this explanation isn't a plausible one, yet unsubstantiated rumour is.

I really hope that you're being ironic.

If not, please give your head a wobble. We might pay for the royal family, but we certainly don't own them.

They are human beings.

Another bullying thread I see. I’m glad KP are taking the stance it has. Leave the woman to recover in peace. And if they are separating we will find out in due course.

It could be almost anything. There aspects to many procedures and illnesses that take time to adjust to. I can imagine myriad situations in which someone who lives in the glare of publicity might want to lie low and recover for longer than the average Jane.

I'm not suggesting that any of these situations applies to Kate, but as examples, consider a procedure involving pregnancy loss, or something that catapults you straight into medical menopause, or a stoma as a surgical outcome. There are so many things that could make someone (especially an habitually immaculately well presented person) want to stay away from cameras.

In any case, it is her medical condition, her recovery and her preference to maintain complete privacy. Just accept it and give her a break. The constant scrutiny is by far the worst thing she has to deal with and nobody would enjoy it at a time like this.

We are not children, and this isn't a dictatorship. We can all manage perfectly well without her.

It isn't the job of other posters to keep you entertained. People can post whatever they like as long as they stick to the talk guidelines.

I’ll keep this in mind next time I meet her for brunch, and steer clear of discussing the matter.

The public at large doesn't give a crap.

Agree but it's all very different to the last Queen. Honestly I doubt Camilla ever wanted to be Queen at her age, why would she ? I feel really sorry for both Charles and Camilla having to do what they do in old age. I know people say Charles waited his whole life to be king but I'm sure he's rather be at Highgrove tending his plants or whatever. . I don't understand why any of them keep it going, why Kate would have kids knowing they were going to have such a restricted life and be groomed to be king. It's the last thing I'd want for my kids. Maybe being seriously ill has made her seriously re-evaluate things ? Anyway sorry this is totally off the point of the thread !

Why can't you "concoct" the notion that she's at home taking things easy? You know, like they said she is?

Case in point - This is what I mean, the thread has a topic so please stick to it. Otherwise it’s just diversions and tangents. Yes, freedom of speech but just not on this thread. There should be a ‘talk topic’ labelled ‘Mumsnetters who want to criticise the thread & each other’.

I thought it interesting that for a school drop off, there appeared to be no security detail in the car or following. At least not from what I could view in photos.

This