Shock and sympathy over Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis: NPR

LONDON – The initial reaction was shock, then concern, soon followed by embarrassment.

When the Princess of Wales announced on Friday night, in a video published by Kensington Palacewho is receiving “preventive chemotherapy” for an unspecified form of cancer, generated sympathy but also soul-searching about how his fans, followers and the global media may have failed him.

Catherine had not appeared in public since Christmas. Rumors swirled and headlines appeared: Where is kate? Why was that Mother’s Day photo photoshopped? What was the palace hiding?

Comedian Stephen Colbert. speculated on television about whether Kate’s husband, Prince William, was having an affair. Virtually everyone with a cell phone was rushing to take a video of her at a farm store or in the car with her mom. It sells for more than $250,000..

It turns out that, while the public was going into a frenzy, the princess was privately going through something very serious: cancer.

“I hope everyone feels terrible now.“, now reads a magazine headline.

“I hope all the press feel guilty, because God help them! It’s really sad,” says Sheena Best, 35, at London’s Victoria station. “The press has gone after her. It’s really heartbreaking.”

In video, Kate describes why she has been out of the spotlight

In her video statement, Kate said she needed time to explain her diagnosis to her children. Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are 10, 8 and 5 years old respectively.

“This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing our best to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” the princess says, with a steely expression and a slight smile. .

She is dressed casually in a striped sweater, sitting on a garden bench with yellow flowers behind her, her loose, curly hair cascading over her shoulders.

“We hope you understand that as a family we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment,” Kate says, looking directly into the camera.

The palace says the video was secretly filmed on March 20 at the BBC studios in Windsor, where Kate and William live.

What we know (and don’t know) about Kate’s diagnosis

The princess was hospitalized for 13 days in January for abdominal surgery. The palace’s guidance then was that her condition was not cancerous. But Kate revealed on Friday that post-op tests confirmed she had cancer.

“Therefore, my medical team recommended that I undergo preventive chemotherapy treatment and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” he said.

A palace spokesperson says his treatment began at the end of February.

That was right around the time when William abruptly canceled a scheduled appearance at the last minute at his godfather’s funeral. The prince was scheduled to give a reading.

But their last-minute change of plans fueled tabloid speculation about Kate’s physical and mental health and about their marriage.

“I think the media, when it comes to celebrity culture, treats people like they’re not human. It’s really horrible,” says Hermione Berendt, who works in marketing in Brighton, south London. “I hope they feel like they should give people a little more space and privacy.”

A change of tone in the tabloids

Headlines in The Saturday editions of UK newspapers. They almost universally express love and support for the princess. “Kate, you are not alone.” reads one of them. “We’re all behind you, Kate.” reads another. The hashtags #WeLoveYouCatherine and #GetWellSoonCatherine are trending on X, formerly Twitter.

In a statement posted on social mediaBritish Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Kate had shown “tremendous bravery” despite being subjected to “intense scrutiny” and “unfair” treatment by the media.

Messages of sadness and support flood London this weekend, from the White House, 10 Downing Street and California. Kate’s brother-in-law, Prince Harry, and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, issued a statement saying they wish “health and healing for Kate and her family, and hope they can do so privately and peacefully.”

King Charles also has cancer.

As with Kate, palace officials have not revealed what type of cancer King Charles III has, what stage it is in, where he is receiving treatment, or how long that treatment is expected to last.

Buckingham Palace released a statement from the 75-year-old king on Friday night saying he is “very proud of Catherine for her bravery in speaking out as she did.”

Both the father and daughter-in-law had been hospitalized at the same London clinic in January.

It is unclear when any of them plan to return to royal duties. The palace had said Kate would resume work sometime after the March 31 Easter holiday. But that seems uncertain in light of Friday’s announcement.

Queen Camilla has taken on some of her husband’s duties in recent weeks. He BBC royal correspondent says that although William is still officially working, it is unlikely that he will travel far from home while both his father and his wife are unwell.

This is already a “thinned monarchy,” with the loss of Queen Elizabeth II about 18 months ago, and with Prince Harry, his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and the king’s brother Prince Andrew all stepping down from royal duties in recent years.

So the ceremonies, the ribbon cuttings (and possibly even the opening of a new parliament next fall) will fall on the shoulders of a shrinking group of working royals, at least for the next few months.

NPR producer Fatima Al-Kassab contributed to this report from London and Brighton, England.