Finally, Princess Kate has finally appeared!
Since her last appearance in public during last Christmas, Kate has not been seen for more than three months, plus she was once hospitalized for surgery, and there are endless speculations about her being "hidden in the snow" and "disappeared".
This time, Kate finally refuted the rumors in front of the camera herself, and also explained the reason why she didn't appear for so long-
She has cancer and is being treated.......
(Kate's video is shown on TV)
[Kate posted a video revealing the truth about the disappearance: I have cancer!]
On March 22, Kate, 42, released a video via the BBC about what she had experienced during her disappearance.
In the video, she is dressed in casual clothes, her hair is still meticulously groomed, although she seems to be thinner, but her mental state is not bad.
She sat on an outdoor bench with flowers and plants in the background, and the whole scene was very pleasant.
(Kate releases video)
But what Kate has to say next is not so easy.
She said that she had undergone abdominal surgery in January, and that she had not been diagnosed with cancer before the operation, and that she had found out that she had cancer during a pathology examination after the surgery.
The medical team recommended that she receive preventive chemotherapy (a treatment that reduces the chance of cancer recurrence), and she is now in the early stages of treatment.
Kate admits she went through "extremely difficult months" and found that having cancer was a "huge blow".
However, she feels that the first priority is to reassure everyone, and has been sending a positive message through videos: "I'm good and I'm getting stronger every day. ”
She did not disclose the specifics of her condition, stressing that they "need some time, space and privacy."
"For the sake of our young family, William and I have been doing everything we can to handle and manage this matter privately. ”
"We took some time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that suited them and assured them that I would be fine. ”
In the video, Kate also gave some encouragement to cancer patients.
"For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, do not lose faith or hope. ”
"You're not alone. ”
(related reports)
The only mystery that has not been made public this time is what kind of cancer Kate has, and a spokesman for Kensington Palace stressed that they will not share further private medical information, and that Kate has the same right to medical privacy as everyone else.
(Kate in the video)
[Charles is "proud of her", Harry and Meghan sent condolences, and the people are very distressed]
After Kate announced the news of her cancer, everyone finally understood why William canceled his attendance at the memorial service of his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, at the last minute on February 27, which turned out to be Kate's health reasons.
In the face of this problem, the royal family is still quite united at present.
After Kate released the video, Buckingham Palace shared Charles's attitude,
"His Majesty is very proud of Catherine for having the courage to say these words. ”
While Kate was hospitalized for surgery in a private hospital in London, Charles was also admitted to the hospital for treatment for an enlarged prostate.
Buckingham Palace said that while both were hospitalised, Charles had "been in closest contact with his daughter-in-law for the past few weeks".
(Charles & Kate)
Harry and Meghan, who have been at odds with the royal family for the past two years, also softened their attitude this time and took the initiative to care about Kate.
They sent a brief statement wishing Kate and her family good health.
(Meghan & Harry)
It is said that last night, the two of them had "private contact" with William and Kate.
It is reported that Harry and Meghan also learned about her sister-in-law's condition after Kate posted the video.
Harry used to have a very good relationship with Kate, and he once said that Kate was "like a sister I never had" when his brother and sister-in-law got engaged.
But after marrying Meghan, there was a rift in their relationship, and the last time they saw each other was after the death of the queen in September 2022, and the four brothers and concubines appeared together in Windsor.
This time Kate is sick, Harry and Meghan condolences, it is a good opportunity to repair the relationship, I don't know if Harry and Meghan can seize it.
(The last time the four were in the same frame was in 2022)
Yesterday evening, British Prime Minister Sunak issued a statement saying that Kate has been loved and supported by the people of the whole country, and hopes that she can recover soon.
"Kate showed tremendous courage. She has been closely watched in recent weeks and has been treated unfairly by certain media and social media around the world. When it comes to health issues, like everyone else, she needs privacy in order to focus on treatment and be with her loved ones. ”
(Screenshot from Sunak's X account)
Even U.S. President Joe Biden posted a message expressing concern for Kate.
"Princess Kate, Jill and I join millions of people around the world in praying for your full recovery. ”
(Screenshot from Biden's X account)
The royal family and heads of government will be more official and reserved even if they show concern, while Kate's mother's family does not have to hold it, they show their determination to share weal and woe.
Her younger brother, James Middleton, posted a photo on Instagram of the siblings participating in hiking as children, and he wrote,
"We've climbed a lot of mountains together over the years. As a family, we will also climb this mountain with you. ”
（截图来自詹姆斯的[email protected]）
James, who was plagued by depression, opened up about his sister Kate, sister Pippa, and their parents who had supported him in overcoming his psychological problems, and the family was very united.
This time it was Kate's turn to need help, and James's attitude moved netizens: "Catherine is very lucky to have such an excellent family to support her." ”
(Screenshot from James's [email protected] comment section)
Also expressing distress to Kate are the British people, seeing Kate is video, many people were shocked and worried at first, and then said they would support her.
(People outside Buckingham Palace see Kate's video)
Someone covered their mouths in surprise after seeing the news on their phones.
(People outside Buckingham Palace)
In the bar, when Kate's video was shown on TV, people were quiet for a while, and after listening, someone hugged and comforted each other.
(People in the bar watch Kate's video)
It can be seen that Kate is usually popular, and the British are really worried about her.
[Conspiracy theories refute rumors, and celebrities who rub off on the popularity are apologized by netizens]
During the days when Kate "disappeared", various conspiracy theories about her circulated on the Internet, and some people intentionally or unintentionally took advantage of the popularity and ridiculed her.
Now that the truth is revealed, these people immediately became the target of criticism from netizens.
For example, Kim Kardashian, 6 days ago, she took a photo next to the car, as if she was going out, with the caption: "I was about to go to Kate." ”
(Screenshot from Kim Kardashian's Ins@kimkardashian)
Jin may just be a joke, but netizens are urging her to apologize quickly.
"I think an apology is necessary!"
(Screenshot from Kim Kardashian's Ins@kimkardashian comment area)
"Kim, how far can you go like this? Make fun of your wife and mother, who are seriously ill? ”
(Screenshot from Kim Kardashian's Ins@kimkardashian comment area)
Another one who was harshly criticized was "Gossip Girl" Blake Lively (Blake Lively).
On March 16, she partnered with a beverage brand to launch a range of drinks.
As a result, in the advertising photo, the meme of "P picture dew" was deliberately played, Blake was given a very fake thumbs up by P, and the chair and pool were also P deformed.
She also wrote, "Now you know why I'm missing." ”
(Blake's advertising photo)
This attitude of ridiculing other people's health quickly aroused the disgust of netizens, and Kate posted a video yesterday, Blake already felt that the wind was not in the right direction, and decisively chose to apologize.
She posted on Instagram: "I'm sure no one cares today, but I feel like I have to admit my mistakes. ”
"My 'P-plot failed' post was so stupid, oh my god, this post made me feel ashamed today. I'm sorry. ”
"Give love and good wishes to everyone, as always. ”
(Blake's apology statement)
Kate's explanation was enough to explain the point, and the unwarranted speculation and excessive banter should stop now.
[Charles and Andrew's ex-wives are suffering from cancer, and the royal family is quite unhappy this year]
It's only been more than three months this year, but the British royal family is not doing well.
Because three members of the royal family, including Kate, have already made the news of cancer public.
The first is the 75-year-old King Charles, who announced his cancer in February this year.
Some time ago, like Kate, he underwent surgery for an enlarged prostate in a private clinic in London and was hospitalized for three days.
It was during this surgery that the doctor had Charles cancer, but not prostate cancer.
(Charles and Camilla)
At present, the specific type of cancer Charles has, the stage of cancer has not been disclosed, and the details of the treatment are also confidential.
From the current point of view, the information revealed is still relatively optimistic.
(related reports)
Another cancer patient is Prince Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who is a supernumerary member of the royal family, and although she is divorced from Andrew, she has always had a good relationship with the royal family, and she is often shown in the royal news.
(Andrew & Sarah)
In June last year, Sarah was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.
In January, her spokesperson revealed that she had been diagnosed with skin cancer, and that doctors had found malignant melanoma when she underwent breast reconstruction surgery, so she had surgery on the melanoma and lymphatic areas.
Fortunately, Sarah's condition was early and the cancer had not spread, so she only needed to have a follow-up check-up every 3 months.
(related reports)
[From not talking about being generous and public, Kate is breaking through the old laws of the royal family]
As soon as Kate's video came out yesterday, netizens from all over the world saw the truth, but royal experts saw a deeper meaning.
Kate directly recorded a video to explain her condition this time, which also shows that the new generation of British royal family has new considerations in terms of transparency of medical issues.
Kate was not the first member of the British royal family to get cancer, but the royal family's attitude towards diseases, especially cancer, was far less open-minded.
It doesn't matter if you keep your mouth shut, or if you can hide it for a while, few people will take the initiative to disclose the news of cancer.
Royal historian Gareth Russell combed through some previous examples, from which it is not difficult to see the previous attitude of the royal family -
In the Middle Ages, news of the monarch's dying was usually suppressed for fear that foreign invaders would take advantage of the leaderless group to carry out a sneak attack.
For example, after the death of Henry VIII, some family members pretended that the king was still alive in the following days in order to prepare for the new king's accession to the throne and avoid a coup d'état.
(Henry VIII)
The 19th and early 20th centuries were an era of quiet and quiet attitudes, and the British attitude towards medical issues also influenced the royal family's attitude towards medical issues, and the royal family began to become silent on this issue.
On February 6, 1952, the Queen's father, King George VI, died at the age of 56, and the official cause of death was tubular artery thrombosis.
In fact, George VI, as an "old smoker", has many diseases caused by smoking, including lung cancer.
It's just that the doctor has been hiding his condition from him, and once said that it was because of the structural abnormality of his left lung when he removed his left lung, and did not mention cancer.
What is even more strange is that the doctor not only did not tell the patient himself, but also his wife, Queen Elizabeth, also hid it.
As for how much of the patient's condition is to be revealed, it is up to the council to discuss and decide.
It was later speculated that George VI's lung cancer may have spread, and that his mother, Queen Mary, and his brother Edward VIII, both died of lung cancer, which was also concealed for a long time.
In those days, it was common practice for doctors to hide cancer from patients.
This explains why George VI was seriously ill, and the queen, who was still the crown prince at the time, had to go on a trip to Kenya, and was unprepared to hear about his father's death, so he had to hurry back to England to take the throne.
(George VI)
Also practicing mysticism is George VI's wife, Queen Elizabeth, who died in 2002 at the age of 101.
It was revealed that she had had cancer twice, and both times her condition was hidden.
The first time was in 1966, when she had a tumor removed from her colon;
The second time was in 1984, when doctors removed a tumor from her breast.
Russell, a royal historian, said that even to this day, the details of her cancer remain unknown because she wanted to keep it a secret.
(Queen Elizabeth)
Then came Elizabeth II, who modernized the monarchy in many respects, but did not modernize it when it came to medical matters and remained a faithful executor of the "Silencers".
When she and Prince Philip fell ill and hospitalized in their later years, the statements issued by Buckingham Palace were concise and to the point, revealing few details.
After the Queen's death, the royal family announced that the cause of death was "at the end of life", without mentioning illness.
But in 2022, royal biographer Gyles Brandreth published the book "Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait" and revealed that the queen suffered from bone marrow cancer in the final stages of her life, and the disease caused her a lot of pain.
The Queen's approach is very much in line with the royal family's default norms of stoicism, dignity and silence, in other words, "never complain, never explain".
(Elizabeth II)
Non-core royals will be more open to medical issues than senior royals.
In 2002, for example, Princess Michael of Kent revealed that she had been treated for skin cancer.
In 2014, her husband, Prince Michael of Kent, was treated for prostate cancer.
This is also the case with Sarah, the ex-wife of Prince Andrew, who has had cancer twice in a row.
(Prince and Princess Michael of Kent)
Nowadays, the new generation of royals, represented by Princess Kate, is more open to medical issues, and there are two reasons for this.
The first is the invention of the Internet, especially the popularity of social media.
Now royal family members are photographed as soon as they appear on official business, and if a senior royal is absent from an event without any explanation, people are bound to care about the reason.
"Authenticity" is the key word in this day and age, and royals also have to follow the rules and be honest and candid about what is going on behind the scenes, even if it sometimes makes them feel like their privacy has been violated.
(Kate on official duty)
Another important reason is the rapid development of modern medical technology.
While being diagnosed with cancer is still devastating, cancer has now become much easier to treat, especially if detected in time.
This is the case for both Kate and Charles.
By speaking generously about the diagnosis, they are also reminding the public to be vigilant about cancer and urging people to get tested in time if they have suspicious conditions.
At the same time, this practice also emphasizes that there is no shame in having cancer, as Kate said to cancer patients in the video: "You are not alone. ”
(Kate releases public video)
As the Daily Mail said about this comment,
"Brave Kate's candor about cancer can help save many lives......"
(related reports)