William says past year “probably hardest in my life”

[PrettyFlyforaMaiTai]

William has opened up about how difficult the past year has been with the cancer diagnosis of both his wife and father.

It’s nice to see some light being shed on the perspective of the loved ones of cancer sufferers. I hope that this might inspire a new patronage to help those in a similar position, especially knowing how privileged his family are in terms of comfort, wealth and access to top medical specialist.

news.sky.com/story/prince-william-says-past-year-probably-the-hardest-in-my-life-after-king-and-kate-diagnosed-with-cancer-13250126

TwigTheWonderKid · Yesterday 18:25

I have terminal cancer, and my husband has to look after me and our children whist continuing to work full time to keep our heads above water financially.
This incredibly hard for him. Whilst I have every sympathy for the Prince of Wales, he is not facing a fraction of the practical and financial pressures that so many families in their position have to deal with, which makes everything so much harder, and that needs to be acknowledged.

Sending love, Twig. So , so sorry.

Tell that to someone who has just had a diagnosis!

I have cancer and I have always known mine isn't one of the worst ones.

Wow, so everyone else gets to decide what year William should feel was the worst for him.

I agree that no one should be commenting on anyone’s medical diagnosis. It is crass and uncalled for.

BUT it goes both ways. Meghan had PND and was torn to shreds on here about how no one asked if she was okay and the reporter being the first to ask her. Harry and Meghan have been ridiculed about their mental health struggles. It can’t be one rule for one….

was torn to shreds on here about how no one asked if she was okay

The criticism, and rightfully so, was about her looking very self absorbed making that comment to a world wide audience from a shanty town in S. Africa, with some of the poorest people on the planet, and with little kids running around barefoot.

By the way, Meghan has never said she was diagnosed with PND, some people have speculated she did suffer from it, but she had never said she did.

.

Completely and utterly different situations.

How is it different? No one should be questions anyone about their health. Why is it okay for one and not the other?

The thread is about Prince William. Start a new thread if you want a different discussion.

Oh if it’s about just William let’s discuss how work shy he is.

He couldn’t attend the olympics due to his wife being poorly and the risk of covid - his words - but he managed to attend numerous football games and a Taylor Swift concert. The children have Nannie’s and everything will be done for him but he also hardly worked last year. Why does he get so much money if he doesn’t work?

if he is going to slim down the monarchy then we will no longer have to pay for him surely?

Totally agree!!

@Mistletoeandwinegums @justonedrink

Absolutely this. It's obviously sad about the cancer diagnosis and treatment. But their situation is so totally out of touch to most other people experiencing the same thing, they can't possibly know how it is for them. Money worries, juggling work, no help in the house or with the children.
We are definitely not all in it together.

Maybe because they 'sold' their own privacy surrounding their mental health to the highest bidder.

Maybe because they 'sold' their mental health issues multiple times over many different channels. Maybe because they have lied about so many other things, maybe because most people question anything they say or claim, because they are known not to be honest. Maybe because they have not considered the mental health and reputations of others while they are 'selling' their own struggles.

It could be a multiple of reasons why it's 'different' for them, but I think those are some of the likely reasons.

The only difference is you like one and not the other. So until you can recognise this bias, don’t attempt to silence anyone that comments in a similar way to yourself, but who directs it towards someone you like.

Yet they have to face challenges that others don’t. Like lack of privacy, scrutiny over appearance, vile rumours on a global scale. I doubt the average cancer sufferer has to deal with rumours of domestic abuse, faking a diagnosis or husband having an affair when they tried to take some time off to recover. It’s not a race to the bottom. Yes they are privileged but they are just human at the end of the day. We all have our struggles to deal with, they are just different struggles.

Money worries, juggling work, no help in the house or with the children.

I didn't have to think of any of those things either when I was diagnosed with cancer, does that mean I didn't really suffer.

Such crap, minimising others experiences because they are deemed by some as 'unworthy'.

Catherine and William, tried but failed, to keep her illnesses private. They did not disclose it on Oprah or Netflix. There is no comparison, its irrelevant whether you like one of the couples or none of them.

The people criticising Catherine for her privilege in coping with her illness are probably the very ones who drove the 'where is Kate' campaign, forcing her to disclose her illness just as she was about to begin her treatments and would have been feeling very vulnerable and frightened. Not to mention probably still feeling unwell after having had major abdominal surgery.

I don't know why some people are determined to dismiss or minimise the experience of PW. My dh was diagnosed with colon cancer when he was 40 and our dcs were similar ages to the Wales dcs. His prognosis was good and we are very lucky to have private healthcare through his work so there was no worries about waiting lists etc. However I was fucking terrified. I was so upset that a relatively young man who looked after his health was facing cancer. No matter what you are told by the consultants or what the tests say, you worry that it will come back with a vengeance. I was so worried my dcs would lose their dad. It took years to lose that fear. Last year he had his ten year colonoscopy, MRI and CT. Before he went, I was steeling myself for potentially bad news. Fortunately it was good news. We are very blessed. I totally understand why PW said what he did. You want to protect your loved ones and cancer makes you feel powerless.

A single parent with your condition would probably consider you more fortunate than them, because you have a husband.

A single parent, who is homeless would probably consider the single parent more fortunate than them because they have a home.

What you’re going through is horrific.

Meghan has never revealed a PND diagnosis, so you are making that up. If she had, and had made it public, she would have received sympathy - in the same way in which her claims of suicidal ideation were accepted and respected (at first).

But she never revealed such a diagnosis - apparently she never actually sought help, so how would she?

Meghan has never stated if she was diagnosed with PND. It’s frowned upon to arm chair diagnose others. It makes light of those who are suffering from PND and it makes light of those who were struggling with feelings of suicide (like Meghan). There was a lot more to her feeling suicidal than just hormones and problems bonding with her baby!

Ever heard of Maslow's hierarchy of needs OP? I'm pretty sure people would take rumours, lack of privacy etc if it meant being able to focus on recovery in peace. Without worrying about how to feed the kids, or pay the mortgage. Especially if they had massive PR teams to deal with it.

@Thedom I don't think anybody is criticising Kate for privilege. Just the sycophants like OP applauding them for 'shedding a light' on things.
Their experience is so far removed from that if the general public, unless it's accompanied by a big wad of cash or concrete action. It's meaningless.

William and Kate have done the right and graceful thing in keeping quiet unless asked, it's ridiculous the way they've been hounded by the press but also, I guess when you use the media to your advantage, they are going to want something in return... So that's a hard one.

“Ever heard of Maslow's hierarchy of needs OP? I'm pretty sure people would take rumours, lack of privacy etc if it meant being able to focus on recovery in peace.”

Can you honestly not see the irony in what you’ve written? How can she be able to recover in peace when she’s been subject to a nasty online attack. Certain members of the public were happily baying for her blood, demanding to see her and then casting rumours on her relationship. Rumours that their children most likely heard and read. People were so desperate to “find Kate” they took covert photos of her in private and then analysed the hell out of them to see if she was sick enough or not. They even said it wasn’t Kate and they William had killed her. It’s not a race to the bottom. Everyone with cancer has their own individual struggles to face that are personal to them. Yes, they are privileged, it doesn’t mean you have to lack empathy and kindness when they are going through something so devastating.

Also, thanks for the name calling. It says more about you than it does about me.

You're looking at this like a layperson. Kate is a royal, the media have been saying all sorts of things about her for years. I don't agree with people's ridiculous theories (if they're even real, a lot of supposed hate comments etc are bots). How much of it is actually people with an agenda, as opposed to ordinary folk with a personal vendetta. Kate is too smart to give credence to any of this.

But equally, this entire thread comes down to our initial reactions upon seeing the speech.
You : Oh it's nice to see some light being shed , inspiration blah blah.
Me :oh dear how sad but unlike insert my personal experiences here's they're not going to die like flies. So sad healthcare in the UK has come to this. I wish my loved once had even half of this level a care they'd still be here.

Also I have no idea what you mean by showing 'empathy and kindness'. They don't know me, will never read anything I write. So why exactly do I need to express any sympathy? They have people to do that for them anyway. Like you know. Their actual family. And staff presumably.

Not lil ol' me.

So you don’t feel empathy for the people who have suffered in Israel and Palestine, because you don’t know them and they have family and neighbours to do that for them? Same for anyone else who is suffering in the world? If that’s the case then I feel sorry for you. It’s a very self centred view to have and I imagine it’s a sad life to only feel empathy and kindness for those you personally know.