Kate Middleton announces she has cancer: Living amid hype and intense media pressure | Kensington Palace | British Crown | Answers

What plot is that? The story begins in January, when it is announced that Kate will undergo stomach surgery and that as she recovers, she will return to her regular duties. EasterThat is at the end of March 2024.

Abdominal surgery? How is that? He is the first Kensington Palace It doesn't give more details about this surgical procedure and everyone just googles it. “Abdominal surgery is a common surgery”, “What are the risks compared to other surgeries” etc.

The story continues. After being discharged, unstoppable rumors point to Kate. “There is no photo of her leaving the hospital”, “The princess is definitely dead”. Social networks have not stopped and the hoax that Kate is seriously ill grows, while the British and world media continue to look for new and reliable information.

Badly edited photo, new pictures of Kate that everyone says is not Kate are taking over cyberspace and rumors seem to be getting out of control. Meanwhile, no report has clarified anything about it. Official sources did not comment.

At this point, the hashtags “#kategate or #whereiskathemiddleton” on social networks represent the news of the day.

Kate announces that she has cancer

In the midst of this whirlwind of information, just days before Easter, Kate's official return to the fold was a bit off, when the princess surprised the world by announcing she had cancer in a video statement.

The 42-year-old princess said: “In January I had major stomach surgery in London.

“The surgery was successful. But a post-surgery test revealed the presence of cancer. Therefore, my medical team recommended preventive chemotherapy treatment, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment. “William and I are doing everything we can to personally implement and manage this for our young family,” Kate says.

And he concludes: “As you can imagine, this took time. It took me time to recover from major surgery to begin my treatment. But most importantly, we took the time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a suitable way and reassure them that I was going to be okay.

In the ad, Kate doesn't reveal what type of cancer she has and asks for understanding, time, space and privacy as she completes treatment.

Seconds later, the networks explode and the media breaks the news. Now everyone seems to be taking the opposite stance they were, but there are those who doubt that the cat in the video is real.

Reading this far, this story could be a movie or a prequel to “The Crown” Season 7, but it is real life.

From the other side of the message

Many opinions continue to swirl around the topic. Kate Middleton After his surgery. Some have criticized the way the communication from Kensington was handled, calling it clumsy or inadequate, while royals expert and historian Amadeo Martin Ray prefers to take the whole situation with a grain of salt.

“I think there's been too much emphasis on it, it's been exaggerated and exaggerated,” he says. “Kate Middleton had major surgery and she herself said that she will recover until after Easter. This is certainly not said for happiness, but because the doctors recommended it. She fulfilled what was announced and will appear after Easter Sunday, but it seems that people are speculating, finding out and having a lot of free time.

Did Kate have an obligation to speak up?

As to whether Kate has a duty to disclose the illness she suffered, Amadeo clarifies that this is not the case. “No matter how much of a princess she is, she has no obligation to talk about what health problems she has. 'That she lives off the public treasury and as a government salary earner has a duty to tell us what is happening to her' is a lie! “Perhaps a postman, a police officer, a university professor, or any official, the princess has no obligation to tell what ails her,” he points out.

In the case of King Charles III, who publicly disclosed that he had cancer a few weeks ago, Amadeo makes it clear that the monarch does not have the same institutional situation as the Princess of Wales in this matter. “He is the head of the state, so what happens to him becomes a consequence for the state. If Kate dies, the consequence will be a sad picture for her husband and children,” he adds.

“Kate Middleton faces a disgruntled press”

If Gates' communications team had understood Amadeo's vision and been there to talk to the rumor mill from the start, it wouldn't have gotten this far. The historian tells us, “Certainly so, but what is happening is that the tabloids are not satisfied. They tell them one thing, and when they fill it up, they want more morbidity, and nothing seems good enough for them.

In that sense, Miguel Ángel López, president of Atrevia Comunicación Perú and expert in communication crises, said in an interview with El Comercio, “An event that was easily manipulated has become a real media hurricane… From a communication point of view, the lack of direct communication is interpreted as a lack of transparency, which is open to all kinds of speculation. It is important to understand and evaluate each situation; however, in situations like these, when public scrutiny is at its highest, it is critical to adopt a proactive and transparent communication strategy. The key is not to disclose unnecessary personal details, but to provide enough information to suppress any kind of speculation. Providing, thus creating a sense of normalcy for the public.

Amadeo adds at this point that the big problem with this whole media mess is the freedom of the media and the public to feel they have the right to invade other people's privacy. “His mother, Princess Diana, died for this reason.”

In the same way, López said, “Silence is not negative, especially when making statements makes the situation more complicated or when all the necessary information is not available. It is very important to properly evaluate each situation, because it is true that it can be a successful strategy in some contexts. In the case of public figures such as the royal family, a certain When transparency and public accountability are expected, prolonged silence can be harmful, as we have seen on this occasion.

What comes after the announcement?

With the revelation that Kate is suffering from cancer, the new season of this story is no longer aimed at doubting whether the princess is alive or not (some wonder) but at knowing what kind of cancer she has. She asked for understanding and respect for her privacy, which was foreign to Diana's mother-in-law from Wales and even ended her life. Can Kate do it? Now there are many voices in support of the princess. A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said King Charles III was: “Very proud of Kate for her bravery in speaking out as she did.”

For his part, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Kate had shown “tremendous bravery” with her statement and wished her a “speedy recovery”, British Labor leader Keir Starmer said. “His thoughts are with the royal family and he said he feels “encouraged” by Kate's “hopeful tone” and her message of faith and hope.