Kate Middleton publicly revealed that she has cancer on Friday, March 22, prompting a flood of well-wishes and support from royal admirers. Middleton’s health has been a matter of public speculation since mid-January when she underwent a “planned abdominal surgery” that took her out of the public eye for months. Now, many pundits are looking back on all the commentary about Middleton more critically and wondering how to be more supportive.
Until this weekend, Middleton’s most recent public appearance had been Christmas Day in 2023. On Jan. 17, Kensington Palace announced that she had undergone a successful surgery but that she would be canceling or postponing all of her public engagements until at least Easter so that she could recover. On Friday, Middleton released a video message to the public explaining that cancer had been detected during the procedure, and that she is now undergoing chemotherapy. Details such as the type of cancer Middleton has will not be released, according to palace officials.
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This answers many questions raised in the news and on social media over the last few weeks, as commenters questioned Middleton’s prolonged absence from the public eye. Many had joked about the princess’ time off, suggesting that she was recovering from cosmetic surgery or that she simply wanted a break. Some earnest conspiracy theories even got around, targeting the rest of the royal family.
Those kinds of posts have not aged well, and now social media is preoccupied with wishing Middleton a speedy recovery. Here’s a look at some of the top commentary from this weekend.
PR Fiasco
After seeing Middleton’s video and learning about her condition, fans felt sympathy not only for her condition but for all the external pressure she has been dealing with. That includes the speculation from pundits and the mixed signals concocted by palace PR professionals.
Get Well Soon
The comments under most news stories about Middleton filled with well-wishes and prayers for the princess. Many commenters also said that they would respect Middleton’s boundaries and privacy, as she had asked.
Middleton Family
While Middleton is best known as a member of the British royal family these days, many fans spared some thoughts and prayers for her parents and the rest of the Middleton family itself.
Humanizing
While Middleton is a global figure now, commenters remembered the small details that made them feel close to her – such as her enthusiasm for sports.
No More Conspiracy Theories
Commenters proclaimed that they would no longer entertain conspiracy theories about Middleton – even in jest – and they condemned those that are still sharing them online.
Authenticity
As the news about Middleton made its way through the information pipeline, many were concerned to see doubts about its authenticity continue. They noted that, by keeping the cancer diagnosis private, palace officials had made it easier to believe that they were hiding something at any given time.
Regrets
Finally, the only “jokes” going over well this weekend were self-effacing ones about how quickly conspiracy theories about Middleton had spread and how people regretted them now.
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