The
public has been stirred by the recent snapshot of Kate Middleton captured by
the American tabloid TMZ. Although the photo hasn't been shared by British
tabloids, it has made its way onto social media platforms. In the image, Kate
is depicted wearing sunglasses while seated in the passenger seat of a car.
After
her "planned" abdominal surgery, the palace cleared Kate's schedule
entirely. The public was delighted to learn that she would make a public
appearance earlier than anticipated when the Minister of Defense confirmed Kate
Middleton's attendance at the Trooping the Colour dress rehearsal ceremony on
June 8, preceding the main event scheduled for June 15.
However,
it was later revealed to be an error, and Kate's potential return to royal
duties was removed from an Army website. According to GB News, Kensington
Palace was "not consulted" regarding the Princess of Wales'
anticipated appearance.
Karwai
Tang/WireImage
This,
coupled with the photo of Kate published in the American media, fueled further
speculation about her precise health status.
The
Palace made every effort to safeguard the Princess' privacy. There were no
media present when she departed the hospital, nor when she traveled to the
Anmer Hall estate in Sandringham several weeks ago. Consequently, the leaked
photo has been regarded as a letdown and disappointment for the palace.
Newsweek's
chief royal correspondent, Jack Royston, attributes the blame for this entire
situation to the Palace.
"The
level of secrecy maintained by Kensington Palace in this situation has only
fueled feverish and unfounded speculation online. This creates a demand,
allowing TMZ to profit from publishing these pictures, as they know a vast
number of people will click on the story," Royston stated on Good Morning
Britain on Tuesday.
"And
this enables them to offer substantial sums of money to the photographer,
making it worthwhile for the photographer to take the risk of obtaining these
pictures."
Karwai
Tang/WireImage
He
asserted that the Palace could have managed the situation more effectively and
quelled the speculations much earlier.
"Kate
could have taken a picture herself. She could have snapped a selfie. Even
William could have taken one. It didn't need to be perfect or high-resolution.
Just a simple picture or a short video, similar to what Charles did," he
elaborated.
"What
effectively occurred is they allowed this to escalate into a significant issue,
and if they had addressed it sooner, they could have actually better protected
Kate," Jack Royston reiterated during his appearance on Good Morning
Britain.
"At
the time, it likely felt to them as though they were safeguarding her by
allowing her to recover undisturbed. However, in reality, this approach isn't
protecting Kate. Being photographed in Windsor, with speculation from the
[Daily] Mail suggesting she may have been on the school run, does not offer her
a sense of protection. She wouldn't have felt shielded in that moment," he
explained.
Other
experts believe the entire thing has been fishy from the start.
Ian
Vogler-WPA Pool/Getty Images
According
to Christopher Andersen, author of the book "The King," if the
Princess has indeed been feeling better, as the Palace claims, then she should
have made a public appearance and at least smiled for the photographers.
"Remember
that members of the royal family, in particular, are renowned for maintaining
appearances regardless of the circumstances," Andersen informed Fox News.
"Queen Elizabeth never took months to recover from an illness, and
throughout her 70-year reign, she faced numerous serious medical issues. Thus,
the mystery surrounding Kate's surgery and its purpose continues to
deepen."
While
she desires privacy, it "wouldn't have harmed" her to occasionally
make a public appearance.
"It's
possible that her medical issue, whatever it may be, has given her a fresh
perspective on what she considers truly important in life – spending time at
home with her children. Kate is incredibly skilled at managing the press and
public attention, so for her to stay out of sight like this truly raises
questions: What could possibly be happening?" he concluded.
Daniela
Elser believes that the TMZ photo hides a deeper story.
“With
these new images, it’s depressing that it looks a lot like Kate felt she had to
let her face be seen in public to stem the tide of delirium. There is something
just a bit screwy and upsetting and off-kilter about the internet rabble being
able to alter the plan for the 42-year-old’s recovery.”
LONDON,
ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 18: Prince William, Prince of Wales arrives at the 2024 EE
BAFTA Film Awards at The Royal Festival Hall on February 18, 2024 in London,
England. (Photo by Scott Garfitt/Getty Images for BAFTA)
She
also asserted that Prince William's cancellation of a royal duty due to a
personal matter last week further fueled the controversy. Since he played a
part in the situation, it's up to him to address it and not leave it solely to
his wife.
"So,
the prince contributed to the chaos – why isn't he assisting in resolving it?
Why has the responsibility fallen on Kate, who underwent surgery significant
enough to require two weeks in the hospital, to dispel the array of unfounded
theories about her whereabouts and well-being?" she continued.
Elser
questioned whether the photo depicts a woman prepared to return to the public
eye or one to be "put on display like a museum exhibit."
"I
suppose if there's one lesson to be gleaned from all this, it's that princesses
may have all the trinkets and jewels they desire, but true choice? Freedom?
Real independence? Perhaps there's no such thing as a free ten-bedroom Norfolk
estate after all. Everything comes with a price," Elser remarked.
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