Kate has cancer

[Doseofreality]

Breaking news.

Sort-of-RF, Sarah Ferguson has done so today.

But I think she is coming from a very different position, given her two diagnoses, and her message is all about love and support

Unusual though it may be for me to come to their defence, I think the Sussexes were in a no win situation.

Stay silent publicly and be accused of being heartless.
Make a statement and be accused of hypocrisy.

Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

I appreciate they're the architects of their own downfall, but I thought it was worth acknowledging the fact that this was a no-win situation for them, no matter how they responded they were going to be criticised.

I think they probably picked the best option, a very brief public statement.

Probably for the opportunity to refer to her as Kate - either to pretend that they are still in the gang, or to publicly belittle her higher status, or both.

Can you imagine if Meghan and Harry had not sent a public message to Kate? They be pilloried in the press for that too.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with their message.

If think it is more about the message than whether there was one. The choice to call her Kate was extremely odd when every other family member refers to her as Catherine. They must know it is her preferred name.

So the question is why they chose to use Kate. I suspect because they looked for what would pop up most easily to search engines- most US outlets call her Kate and therefore it fits their US brands and US audience.

Which does make the message seem more about them and their PR than actually sending a considerate message to the POW. Everyone else has either used her title (world governments) or her name, Catherine.

They are so bad at this. Why not try for once not to do something half-arsed and self involved.

sending a considerate message to the POW.

This just made me visualise slipping a note to the haggard prisoner of war behind bars lol

This is a good point, same as @Hughs said just above.

I'm trying not to jump to conclusions but there does seem to be a concerted and sustained effort by the Sussexes at calling her Kate which by all accounts isn't her preferred moniker.

Apparently Harry used to call her "Cath", a derivative of Catherine, rather than Kate. But now it's Kate? In Oprah, in Spare, and in all public comms. Why the change?

As you say, is it for the search engine hits or is it a sly dig? Or are they just completely unaware? Is it because Kate slides off the tongue more easily with an American dialect?

It would be similar to the Royal Family referring to Meghan as Rachel. Rachel is Meghan's actual first name, but she prefers to use Meghan and so they respect that.

Agree they are in a no win situation however their message relating to hope she gets privacy is a bit shit considering they have insinuated and gossiped about her for ages and on TV. If I were Kate I would be thinking " well they can stuff that up their arses sideways" . When you are ill you realise who means most to you and it is those who bring positivity to the scene. You don't want to waste your precious time.

@SecretSoul The Google search optimisation is for Kate or Kate Middleton, which is what the US tabloids insist on calling her. So if you are looking for your statement to be most visible to US audiences or to appear in more search results then you’ll use Kate.

But that would mean that the point of the statement was being seen to make a statement and not actual well wishes.

Who writes a get well message to a family member with cancer and decides not to use her actual name and title, just so they can get more clicks out of it? I really hope that's not why they did it but it does ring horribly true, awful 🤮

@Hughs who writes a get well message to a family member and put it out in public ? Only those who have sold their souls to the devil. 👿

I agree @musthorse
People say they had to but I don't think they did. If they hadn't I would have assumed they had done it privately. If anyone asked or a pile on started they could either say that their interactions with the family were private, or confirm that they had sent a message. Absolutely no need to reveal what was in it, or to call her Kate.

I really question their need to put out statements at all. After all, they are no longer working members of the RF, so they should STFU!

They are very keen to retain the association - it's all they have.

It's all a vicious circle isn't it? "Oh what do we do? We've slagged her off in public but if we don't say anything they will say we're heartless! What do you think Megz?" " oh H we need to sell jam to pay the bills so let's just put out a sweet little note Casual Californian style ! Then they will see we really are against bullying and we don't just say it!"

Harry that person when they’ve split with their ex they’ve slagged them off to anyone who’ll listen but then wants to get back together but can’t because he’s slagged them off. Harry is stuck, and can’t control the narrative, any healing he wants is against a background of hate, on many sides.

It would really be a one upping nightmare if Meghan announced some kind of health crisis now/soon

If a op for polyps or fibroids in womb it would be normal for these to be routinely checked for cancer afterwards.

Prepare for an exclusive interview from Scooby Doo about how she strained her fingers/broke a fingernail tightening jam jars any day soon!

Joking aside, I really hope Kate’s treatment is successful and she’s back in good health, as the exemplary state figure doing her job well that a lot of people want to see (not a royalist but it’s true) she always has been, in the near future.

This health crisis will make her popularity soar though when she’s back, both here and across the pond as people will want to see her. IME narcissists absolutely hate that, especially the attention other people get when they’re very ill. I dread to think what the kind of vindictive, petty woman who tried to publicly shame a future Queen for not really wanting to share her lipgloss (although she did IIRC) will come up with to mitigate that!

Maybe she’ll agree to meet the father she cast off so he can meet his grandkids before he dies because she’ll suddenly realise that reconciling with family is important, especially when they have a major health crisis (bit late for that though). That’ll get her in the news for a bit and probably another podcast and Netflix doc too!

Do you believe that Kate was one upping the king then?

So nothing was learnt from the Kate debacle, then? We’ve just moved on to bitching about another woman we don’t know or have any facts about? Goodo.

It's not really about Meghan, love, but the public especially you guys (who are uber invested in royal celebrities).

Historically, the public turns and fawns based on tragedy. Princess Di wasn't even that popular before her death, and then the tide of sentiment turned overnight. (I do realise I'm on the royal boards so you were already fawning but nonetheless! Also, you'd all soon change your tune about Meghan if she got very ill.)

Meghan and Harry have objectively been in a mudslinging competition (even if they're the only participants with Kate & Harry) for years. Even on this board, people sniped at their announcement while you might see I gave it/them the benefit of the doubt!

Meghan can never win against a tragic victim who actually has cancer, even though I doubt if you actually had cancer (like Kate) you would have such a juvenile perspective. Anyway, absolutely the only way Meghan is going to win this competition of her own making is to be even more tragic and ill.

Given how far M&H have stooped, it would be interesting to see if they'd go that far. I literally said "it would be a one-upping nightmare" if they would, not that I think she def would. (Fwiw I don't believe H&K behaved as above-board privately as you probably believed either by the way, being human.)

Also, please don't group me with all of you in the "Kate debacle" lol – I didn't care where she went, never posted once. I'm really not a "royal" or celebrity worshipper in any sense. Just find this Harry / in-law rivalry thing interesting

Yes, because I completely lack critical thinking to compare nuances, the ability to objectively evaluate how truthful a source is, etc.

Did you believe all Meghan's massive, life-changing allegations over the past few years? I love how this means that you, a royal fan/worshipper/what have you, evidently believes this means Meghan is just as trustworthy as your sacred Kate lol.

Btw, if Meghan really announced some mystery illness now/soon, I'd prob merely find it interesting and leave it at that, but it's the royal sycophants who would be most vicious towards her.

Yes, the sycophants would, and I assumed from your post that you were one. I'm a bit confused otherwise why you said that.

I don't know why you think I'm a royal worshipper 😂