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- By Joshua Cheetham
- bbc news
The couple are “extremely touched” by the public support following Catherine’s cancer diagnosis.
People should give the Prince and Princess of Wales “time to heal” after Catherine’s cancer diagnosis, a former royal spokesman has said.
Paddy Harverson, who previously worked for the couple, defended Kensington Palace’s handling of the announcement.
“This is not just an institution, it is a family… you also have to remember that they are human beings,” he told the BBC.
Catherine revealed on Friday that she had started treatment, after weeks of speculation about her condition.
He said cancer was discovered after he underwent abdominal surgery.
Meanwhile, the king’s nephew Peter Philips told Sky News Australia that Charles is in “good spirits” but “frustrated” that medical treatment is preventing him from returning to royal duties.
The two were briefly treated at the same time at the London Clinic private hospital.
“I guess I’m biased, some of them are friends of mine, but I think it’s very difficult when you’re in that situation,” Harverson told BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
“You have to give them the space so that, although there may be communications… you also have to remember that they are human beings and you have to follow their example to a certain extent,” he added.
Former royal spokesperson Paddy Harverson criticized the “permanent death loop” of social media speculation about Kate’s health.
The couple have faced intense public speculation about Catherine’s health since her operation in January for an undisclosed condition.
Catherine, 42, has not attended any official events since Christmas.
A photograph of her and her children, posted on Mother’s Day, was met with a frenzy on social media due to inconsistencies in the image.
In a statement, Catherine later apologized for “any confusion” caused by the photo and said that “like many amateur photographers, I experiment with editing from time to time.”
Sun editor Victoria Newton told the BBC that Catherine decided two weeks ago to time her cancer announcement for the last day of her children’s school term.
“Her priority was to protect her three children. She didn’t want them to be asked more than they were already going to school,” Newton explained to Laura Kuenssberg.
The Times, citing a “close friend” of Catherine’s, reports that the princess decided to record a video message rather than release a statement, and that she wrote “every word” without the involvement of her advisers.
Harverson said he had “no problem” with the way the Royal Family had dealt with the announcement of Catherine’s diagnosis and criticized the “permanent death loop” of speculation on social media.
“I’m sure she wanted the picture to be as good as possible and apologized for it, so everyone should have moved on,” he said. “I really think we should give them time and space.”
Harverson disputed the suggestion that the Royal Family was more fragile due to recent illnesses.
“We simply have to accept the new reality: there is less,” he said.
“They will get over it,” he added. “I am very confident that the King, who I know well, is incredibly strong, very resilient and a great spiritual person.”
The Sun has called on “social media trolls, idiotic conspiracy theorists and media critics” to “fire Kate”, days after publishing a video of Kate and William in a farm shop in Windsor.
Watch: The full video message from the Princess of Wales
Newton defended his decision to release that video.
“It was very important to change the narrative,” Newton told the BBC. “A lot of the rest of the media started saying ‘Back off Kate.'”
He said that before publication he had been in contact with Kensington Palace and was assured that there was “no problem with us publishing those images”.
Meanwhile, Imran Ahmed, who also appeared on Laura Kuenssberg’s show on Sunday, spoke out about the viral claims made on social media about Catherine in recent weeks and warned of the dangers of the platforms.
Ahmed, executive director of the Center to Counter Digital Hate, noted that social media is “designed to take the most controversial information and…bring it to the forefront,” making certain topics and viewpoints appear more popular than they really are. are.
“Social media is not the vox populi, nor is it a safe and intelligent place to obtain information. It can be deeply distorting as a lens on the world,” Ahmed said.
He stated that social media companies have the means to address the spread of harmful conspiracy theories on their platform, “but they choose not to.”
Separately, a Kensington Palace spokesperson said the Prince and Princess of Wales were “hugely moved by the kind messages” they received and were “grateful for their understanding of their request for privacy at this time.”
The couple have already said they will not attend this year’s Easter Sunday service. It is unclear whether King Charles will take his family to church.
Buckingham Palace says it is “hopeful” he will be able to join the family next weekend.
The King has said he is “very proud” of his “dear daughter-in-law” and that he and Camilla are in “close contact” with her.
The BBC understands that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have become closer to William and Catherine since their diagnosis.
Can watch a BBC News special about how the Princess of Wales revealed her cancer diagnosis in a video message to the nation, ‘Kate’s Cancer Diagnosis’, on BBC iPlayer, now.