Commentary: Don’t blame the public for failing Kate Middleton. Blame the palace
After weeks of often wild speculation about the nature of her planned abdominal surgery and subsequent monthslong absence from the public eye, Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced Friday that she is in the early stages of treatment for cancer found during post-operative tests.
“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” Kate, 42, said in a video filmed Wednesday at Windsor by BBC Studios. “As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.”
The nature of the cancer was not disclosed but Kate began chemotherapy in late February and says she is “well and feeling stronger every day.”
She has found comfort in having Prince William by her side, she said, and “it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.”
“For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope,” she said. “You are not alone.”
But she added, her family does need “some time, space and privacy.”
In light of this news, senior writer Meredith Blake and about the mania surrounding the princess’ absence from public view and Kensington Palace’s handling of the media scrutiny.
