Where's Kate Middleton? Her rep brushes off speculation

[marsdiamonds]

Various conspiracy theories have been circulating online since Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, underwent surgery and took time off from her royal duties. Kensington Palace said in January that Kate is recovering from planned abdominal surgery. However, people think she may have had cosmetic surgery, is dealing with serious health issues or

Comments

[laydownhere]

In looking at royalty we are always looking at what is archaic, what is mysterious by its nature, and my feeling is that it will only ever half-reveal itself. This poses a challenge to historians and to those of us who work imaginatively with the past. Royal persons are both gods and beasts. They are persons but they are supra-personal, carriers of a blood line: at the most basic, they are breeding stock, collections of organs.

I think this Hilary Mantel quote from Royal Bodies in the LRB sort of gets to the point - of course people won't be satisfied, of course people feel entitled to know what is happening. It is part and parcel of the system where Kate isn't a person, where she has to a degree chosen to become more/less than a human.

[sarahvma]

Which isn't technically incorrect. She signed up to be a symbolic figurehead for the rest of her life. And I know it's all very "tiny violins" but it does feel fair to say we can still respect her as a person.

A lot of people are comparing it to the way Meghan was treated during her mental health episode, which I think is fair -- ie. the palace did nothing to distract from nasty speculation and also did nothing to help Meghan.

[fauxkaren]

We didn't know about Meghan's mental health issues until she told us though. There wasn't massive speculation in the press about it. So she was able to have that privacy for her mental health and Kate wants privacy for her physical health. I think they both should be allowed that.

[sarahvma]

No, but the palace did. And I think it's fair to say that they knew she was going through something and did nothing to distract from the horrible press she was regularly getting.

Also there was a TON of speculation around why she wasn't announcing the baby's due date or didn't parade out with the baby after delivery, which was tied ultimately to her mental health.

[syvlie0o0]

Except people like Valentine Low have admitted that the British press knew she was having extreme mental health problems, yet did absolutely nothing about stopping their hate campaign.

[fauxkaren]

They didn't invade her privacy by printing stories about her mental health though, was my point. So like both Meghan and Kate wanted to deal with their health issues privately but the press is trying to not let Kate do so via publishing all this wild speculation as if there's any merit to it.

[sarahvma]

Knowing that someone's mental health is suffering and choosing to say they're murdering kids by eating avocados is a choice.

[syvlie0o0]

Don't you get it? It only matters that they didn't write about her mental health. It doesn't matter they wrote all sorts of other unhinged shit about her every single day without any intervention.

[lovebum4life]

I feel like you’re always waving away the racism and UK media terrorizing Megan but always seem to have a soft spot for Kate and Will 🤔

[fauxkaren]

ok

[lovebum4life]

Your username tracks Karen 😂

[mspopstar]

Yes it's always uncomfortable to read this user's comments about the royals. They are very critical of M&H (for good reason sometimes?) calling them grifters and dumb, but never seem to acknowledge the part racism has played in Megan's treatment by the press. Oof.

[lovebum4life]

Always she’s the typical white woman tbh it’s very apparent

[slaughtermatic]

lol truly

[galactoze]

Yeah, its always the same pattern.

[vanhrh]

They do.