The Prince and Princess of Wales expressed their gratitude to the public for the overwhelming support for Kate, Duchess of Wales, and reiterated their appeal for privacy during her cancer treatment.
The message from Kensington Palace over the weekend comes amid a series of apologies from several celebrities who have sparked growing calls for the princess to be left alone and intense speculation about her whereabouts.
“There were so many conspiracy theories. I'll put my hand up,” said Kelly Katona, a British reality TV star and former singer with the band Atomic Kitten. Mr Katona told The Sun: “You think everyone knows you're a real person, but we're all going down this rabbit hole and I feel like I've been sucked in. .”
American actress Blake Lively also said on Instagram that she felt terrible mocking the princess's absence from public life. Lively tweeted on Saturday that she ” capitalized on her 'Photoshop Fails' craze and made a stupid post. Man, that post made me feel so bad today.” Told.
The princess' condition has been a constant topic of discussion on social media for weeks, after royal officials announced in January that she had been admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery. The palace did not provide further details and sought to quell the swirling rumors by releasing photos of Kate and her three children.
The photo was taken by the Prince of Wales, but sparked a backlash after some of the world's biggest news agencies recalled it amid suspicions it had been manipulated. Duchess Kate later admitted that she had altered the image.
Many critics ran away from Duchess Kate's video message on Friday. In a poignant statement filmed by the BBC, she announced that the princess was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer and that her abdominal surgery was to remove what doctors thought was not cancer. .
“Of course this was a huge shock. William and I have done everything we can to handle and manage this privately for our young family,” she said. According to palace officials, chemotherapy treatment began in late February.
Princess of Wales' abdominal surgery, photo controversy and cancer treatment timeline
The revelations were met with an outpouring of public sympathy, prompting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and others to condemn those who spread the rumors. Sunak said the princess was being treated “unfairly in certain sections of the media and on social media around the world” and called on the public to stand aside.
MPs from all parties also criticized independent MP George Galloway, who recently won a by-election. Mr Galloway posted several conspiracies online and once suggested that Kate, Duchess Kate, may have died.
Senior Tory MP Priti Patel, a former cabinet minister, criticized the comments as “extremely insensitive and unkind”, while Labor MP Margaret Hodge called Mr Galloway's comments “abhorrent”. “Perpetuating such vile conspiracy theories is shameful,” Hodge added. “Their Royal Highnesses have the right to privacy at this tragic time.”
Linda Yaccarino, CEO of Company X, expressed a similar view. In a post on the social media platform, Yaccarino called the princess brave and said, “Her request for privacy to protect her children and allow her to move forward (avoiding endless speculation) must be respected.” “It seems like a reasonable request,” he added.
Her comments sparked a flurry of criticism from people suggesting that X was a platform for much abuse and speculation.
Other celebrities expressed similar opinions. Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis issued a scathing rebuke to speculators on Friday, imploring her Instagram followers to end conspiracy theories.
“This is a human being with a young child and obviously some kind of health issue,” Curtis said hours before Katherine's video was released.
American author Quinn Cummings, who posted several theories on the thread about the princess's whereabouts, also apologized for her comments. “I was wrong,” she told The Washington Post. “I took the data that was out there and said there are two theories. I'm a comedy writer, so both are inherently absurd.”
Psychiatrists also warn of the emotional pressures young women like Catherine, 42, experience after a cancer diagnosis.
“The impact of cancer on young women is much greater than it appears,” says Nazanin Derakshan, professor of experimental psychopathology at the University of Reading.
“Many young women are worried about having to leave behind their young children if their cancer progresses,” Dr. Derakshan says. “They are concerned about their ability to return to work after cancer treatment. They may experience severe menopausal symptoms due to cancer treatment.”
Duchess Kate and Prince William will leave London for their rural home in Norfolk, where they will spend the Easter school holidays with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. King Charles, who is also undergoing treatment for cancer, had been staying at the royal estates in nearby Sandringham after being diagnosed with cancer.
