For the last couple of months, much of the internet was obsessing over any and everything to do with the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, while, unbeknownst to the public, she was undergoing chemotherapy after a cancer diagnosis.
It all started in December 2023 when Kensington Palace announced that Kate would undergo abdominal surgery. According to People, she underwent her surgery in January, and it was very successful.
Shortly after her surgery, she disappeared for a little bit, which caused concern for many fans, who started using the hashtag #whereiskate on social media to “bring awareness” to the princess’ whereabouts and stir up drama.
The worst part of it all was some of the conspiracy theories that came from Kate’s “disappearance.” They included the possibility that the princess died, her and Prince William’s marriage was falling apart or someone else in the royal family was dying.
All of these theories were utterly ridiculous, because even if they were true, people should’ve just waited for a statement. We don’t need to make outlandish theories about the lives of other people just to get views or spread rumors that may or may not be true.
However, that was only the beginning of the conspiracy theorizing.
What made matters worse was a botched photo of Kate and her family posted on March 10. Even at a glance, there was something glaringly off about the photos.
For starters, Kate’s hands didn’t appear to be her own. On her left hand, she wasn’t wearing her engagement ring or wedding band. This, of course, stirred the rumors about Kate and William’s marriage to an unprecedented degree.
Not only that, Kate’s hair looked sloppier than usual, and her son Prince Louis’ hand looked rather strange.
And the strangest thing about the whole situation was that Kate herself edited the photo; she said in a statement on social media after the oddities were noticed. You would’ve thought that someone looked twice at that photo before publishing it, considering the already existing publicity heat that comes with being a royal.
Nevertheless, no matter how people analyzed the photo, it was rather strange. And the most disturbing thing was the fans’ responses. Not only did the previously mentioned rumors spread like wildfire, but people became even more concerned about the princess and whether something would be announced about the family soon.
Unfortunately, those people eventually got their wish when Kate announced her cancer diagnosis shortly after King Charles announced his. The type of cancer Middleton has is currently unknown.
In light of that announcement, anyone who made up and spread rumors about the princess should absolutely feel like crap. I’m sorry to say it, but the way people obsessed about the whole situation was horrible.
Kate had already begun her battle against cancer when heinous rumors were flying around, so, yeah, I have no sympathy for any of the people who started immature rumors about the princess and the rest of the Royal Family.
I truly hope that this whole issue has made people realize that they shouldn’t overly obsess about the Royal Family during times of crisis. Yes, I get it, you want to stay on top of the trends, but there’s a fine line between reporting news and being a jerk about people’s personal matters.
Believe it or not, Kate and the rest of the Royal Family are people. They have feelings, secrets and lives. They don’t deserve to have all of that uprooted by people who can’t entertain themselves. Though they may be public figures, they still deserve some level of privacy.
So instead of spreading obscene rumors, let’s hope that Charles and Kate remain healthy and alive during these great times of uncertainty.
Taylor Hamilton is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from Tallahassee, Florida.
