BREAKING NEWS HRH Kate & William seen today

[DistinguishedSocialCommentator]

Now please stop the silly rumours

I wish HRH Kate a speedy recovery

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13183233/Kate-leaving-Windsor-Castle-Prince-William-Westminster-Abbey.html

Well like I say I haven't watched it.

Colbert is someone I admire though, he has no time for bullshit or powerful people trying to cover things up.

Well like I say I haven't watched it.

Colbert is someone I admire though, he has no time for bullshit or powerful people trying to cover things up.

Agree with that @Mirabai , Kate disappearing for a few months to recover would've been fine. There would've been speculation online but with a couple of bland thank you she's doing fines from William it wouldn't have hit the mainstream.

Not being more precise than "personal matters" when William skipped the memorial piqued interest. I sort of admire them for being honest but saying he had a vomiting bug would've been easier.

And then the photo is what really blew it up, so bloody stupid, and calls their integrity into question.

Terrible PR but then maybe it's not their PR advisers calling the shots.

Good old Brian Bilston, very clever 😂

Why would a couple who’ve tried to protect their kids through their mum’s illness (not releasing the exact info about surgery, William taking time off and doing the school run) then slam a divorce on them just when things were getting back to normal? I’m sorry it makes no sense.

@ColleenDonaghy"And then the photo is what really blew it up, so bloody stupid, and calls their integrity into question."

And really highlights that they take us for fools.

I'm sure the RF do influence the media, but social media bots are a real problem here.

https://www.anura.io/blog/how-can-social-media-bots-influence-public-opinion

After all, there is evidence that bots manipulated the US elections and contributed to Brexit. Then there are the people that have a rigid mentality and tend to position themselves as totally for something and totally against something else and who feel validated in their extreme views by these echo chamber bots.

I think they do influence the media but also that SM plays a key role

Not bots so much as sheer interest, speculation and time given to the discussion

The absence grows the demand and it’s all these threads, all across SM that mean the media want to pursue it for £

It’s us too, our interest and demands

What I’m seeing is a confluence of Russian bots, Sussex Squad and the burying of other news (Conservative party, Palestine etv6

Mn shows the demand well. The boards get multiple threads

Posters can choose other topics but they choose this one

It all feeds into £ for anyone who picks it up

The Colbert skit made fun of the whole situation and was pretty harmless. The response by commenters to yesterday's articles in the NY Times and the NY Post was that the whole thing was overblown and to leave the princess alone.

The polls in AIBU show that 80-90% of Mumsnetters think the coverage is ridiculous and that the media & trolls should leave Kate alone. Same has been reflected on the comments below news stories on all the major broadsheets and tabloids.

There may be a lot of rabid conspiracy stuff posted here on the RF page but it’s being posted by a small number (no more than 2-3 dozen at most) heavily invested posters, as opposed to the thousands who are ignoring the idiocy. These RF conspiracy threads in no way reflect how normal people feel or think. But those who spend all their time in the echo chambers probably don’t realise this.

Yes.

It doesn’t really matter re overall profit if people click and post it’s a nonsense or otherwise

It’s just numbers that drive media response

Are you implying that the princess of Wales' corps was propped up for her Mother's Day photo? And do you find the thought amusing?

I’d love to see the behind-the-scenes stats for Mumsnet – and everywhere, the Fail, etc – for searches on Kate and the uptick around the time Wills pulled out of the service, traffic since then, etc. The internet is still tricky to make money from but while monetisation is figured out, traffic is the goal, and this whole thing is such a boon. A quick google of Kate Middleton and every outlet has a version of the story, even if it’s cleverly couched in “leave her alone”, faux-sympathetic terms. Leave her alone but click on this story about her!

Any of these media storm type things are similar

It makes money for outlets and there’s a make hay while the sun shines vibe but it is our interest that drives it. Even if people post you’re all idiots for talking about this or talk about X instead

It’s just numbers and that’s £

They've not been in school since Christmas according to several sources so at least they won't have to run the gauntlet of their peers asking them about it

Sources? Which ones? Interesting how posters are jumping up and down with outrage at the alleged lies from the palace yet here they are, spreading misinformation.

@Gstaad "The polls in AIBU show that 80-90% of Mumsnetters think the coverage is ridiculous and that the media & trolls should leave Kate alone."

What does "leave alone" mean? No interest? No speculation? At all?? Have they met human beings?

I'm not outraged at alleged lies from the Palace? I've read the thing about the kids not being in school on Mumsnet, other gossip forums and Twitter :-)

If they have been pulled out, it's a smart move so they don't have to deal with speculation in the classroom and I bet they have access to tutors the brilliance of which you and I could only dream of.

Actually, I hope the children haven't been at school.

@mardylookingfrump trends.google.com will give you all the info you need

Agree with you. Have also worked in the media and the manipulation of the public from the Royals (and the media when it suits them) has gone on for decades. It reminds me of what is happening in politics at the moment. Trump/johnson/Farage/Sunak etc have all manipulated and lied to the public. The public are starting to wake up and have had enough. This is why whatever is going on with Kate, has caused so much angst. The public aren’t falling for it anymore.

🙄