It
has been a strange season indeed for the Royal Family. Not only is King Charles
recovering in a hospital bed, but now his daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, the
Princess of Wales, is convalescing in the very same London clinic. With both
the King and the future Queen consort under the same roof, royal watchers are
witnessing an unprecedented moment of illness within the Crown—a situation not
seen since the great lobster debacle of ’92 when half the palace was laid up
after a banquet gone wrong.
But
this time, there’s a curious and glaring absence that has set royal fans abuzz.
It has been nearly two weeks since Kate’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte,
and Prince Louis, last saw their mother. Why, everyone wonders, are the young
Waleses absent during such a critical moment for their mother?
Since
her admission 12 days ago for abdominal surgery, the Princess’s children have
been notably absent from any hospital visits. Their father, Prince William, has
made his rounds, seen leaving through the Clinic’s back entrance daily in his
sleek, $268,000 electric Audi. British tabloids have carefully tracked each one
of his visits, as if hoping to spot a rare smile or sign of worry etched on the
prince’s face. But with each quiet departure, the lingering question only
grows: where are the children?
For
a family that has become renowned for their ‘hands-on’ parenting, the absence
of Kate’s children is puzzling. These are the same kids who have their lives
crafted around school breaks and family traditions, like donning matching
wellies for muddy forest walks or playing rounds of Pooh sticks with their
parents. The family has built its reputation on the closeness of the Wales
household, prioritizing family time so much so that William and Kate are known
to take an impressive 19 weeks off annually for school holidays.
The
Royal Routine: A Family First, Job Second Policy
The
Prince and Princess of Wales have long claimed to be “100 percent family
first,” and until recently, that motto has played out before the public with
cheerful predictability. But as news of Kate’s surgery broke, palace insiders
were quick to emphasize how “the entire focus” of the Waleses had turned to
supporting their family.
So,
how does the “family first” motto reconcile with the decision to keep Kate’s
children away? Rebecca English, royal editor for the Daily Mail, reported that
“the media have agreed not to have photographers [outside the hospital]… to
respect [Kate’s] privacy.” There are no photographers poised at the gates; no
reporters camped out for a blurry glimpse.
One
theory suggests that the absence of the children is deliberate, a choice
William and Kate made to maintain a sense of normalcy in their children’s
lives, even amidst a family crisis. Monday through Friday, that argument might
hold weight, with William attempting to shield his children from the hospital
environment.
But
what about the weekends?
Escaping
to the Grandparents’ Cozy Bucklebury
According
to The Sun, while Kate rests, her children have been spending time at the
Middleton’s family home in Bucklebury, a $7 million sanctuary where sticky buns
and ice cream flow like rivers. And yet, one has to wonder: can any amount of
indulgence and doting from Grandma Carole and Grandpa Michael Middleton replace
the comfort of a hug from Mum? Surely a quick drive to the hospital—Adelaide
Cottage is only a short 45-minute trip away—wouldn’t be that much of a
logistical challenge, especially with press restrictions in place.
Kate’s
own bond with her family is famously strong, and this absence doesn’t stop with
her children. Her parents, Carole and Michael, are also yet to make an
appearance, and her siblings, Pippa Matthews and James Middleton, have not been
spotted visiting their sister, either. This feels particularly unusual,
considering the closeness between Kate and James, who has openly spoken about
how she supported him through some of his darkest times with severe depression.
Kate has always been the one to “come to therapy sessions” with him, to be his
steady support when he needed it most.
But
here we have a royal twist. If her parents and siblings, too, are keeping their
distance, is there more to the story than anyone has let on?
Old
Rules Meet New Realities: Breaking with Royal Tradition
Historically,
royals have kept a certain decorum around hospital visits. “Royals don’t tend
to visit each other in hospital,” English explains. The late Queen Elizabeth II
maintained an air of stoic detachment around illness within the family, setting
an austere tone for hospital stays, but King Charles’s generation is,
apparently, different. In fact, King Charles’s first order of business upon
entering the London Clinic was reportedly to make a beeline to his
daughter-in-law’s room.
Meanwhile,
Queen Camilla has been dutifully visiting her husband multiple times in just a
single day. Suddenly, the old rulebook has been tossed aside, making it all the
more unusual for Kate’s own children to be absent.
The
Royal Family Veers Off Course
This
break in tradition could signify more than a desire for privacy. It hints at
the possibility that William and Kate are adjusting to something deeper,
perhaps a strain of illness that requires a kind of quiet resilience, a deeper
patience, and a gentler handling of their children. But whatever the
motivation, the absence of the young Waleses from their mother’s side marks a
striking departure from the typical family image.
One
can’t help but speculate if the pressure of this moment—two central figures in
the monarchy out of action—has put a dark cloud over Buckingham Palace. In
times as strange as these, when the royal order feels off-kilter, a bit of
superstition wouldn’t go amiss. Perhaps, as some palace insiders have joked,
it’s time for Queen Camilla to bring in a shaman, a few crystals, and a sage
bundle to clear out whatever mysterious energy has taken up residence at the
Palace.
Moving
Forward: An Unanswered Question Lingers
For
now, the question remains: will the young Waleses get a chance to visit their
mother soon? Will they see her bright smile and know that she’s on the mend? Or
is there some delicate reason behind this puzzling choice that only time will
reveal? Until then, the absence of the Wales children, their grandmother’s
vacant hospital room, and the strained air surrounding their family is only
stirring more curiosity and concern.
With
the royal family facing what seems to be an unusual chain of challenges, the
public is left with more questions than answers. But one thing is clear: times
are changing in Buckingham Palace. This crisis, like so many before, has the
potential to reshape how the monarchy approaches family, privacy, and duty in a
modern world.
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