In January 2024, Princess Kate Middleton of Wales underwent major abdominal surgery. The Royal Family announced that she would need about 10 to 14 days of recovery and would take an absence from her duties until around Easter time. After two weeks, Kensington Palace announced that Princess Kate had been discharged and she would continue her recovery at their family home, Adelaide Cottage.
Weeks passed without any updates on Kate, and social media was flooded with speculation about her whereabouts and the status of her health and marriage. Later in February, William canceled an appearance at a memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine II of Greece, which only reinforced the concern over Kate’s status.
On March 4, 2024, paparazzi captured a photograph of Princess Kate out with her mother, Carole Middleton, which left people wondering when the first official Royal Family photo would be posted since Kate’s surgery. On March 10, a picture of Kate and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, was posted to celebrate British Mother’s Day. The image, which appears to be warped, is contested across social media until Kate herself squashes any new conspiracies. Her response to the photograph was:
“Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally experiment with editing,” she says. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”
It wasn’t until just last Friday, though, when Kate announced she had been diagnosed with Cancer, that all of the pieces began to fit together. Many believe that although Kate and her family deserve privacy during this difficult time, they did not handle this situation in the best way possible.
They set a timeline and boundaries initially, but more was needed to satisfy the public, and the noise grew louder. In a crisis, there is no “set and forget.” Then, instead of addressing the public’s concern, the Royal Family went silent. Finally, breaking her silence, Kate released a video message addressing a plethora of issues, ranging from her health to her marriage.
Of course, the most important part of this situation is that Kate is healthy. However, the Royal Family may need to work on their crisis plan in the future. Instead of making promises they cannot keep or sharing misleading photographs, the Royal Family and the Palace should focus on practical, honest communication with the public.
Victoria Griffiths, Account Associate
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