Deep rifts
Harry and Meghan were not informed
The news of Princess Kate's cancer has caused worldwide consternation. Prince Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan Markle, who according to insider sources only found out about Kate's battle through the media, responded with a poor, unsympathetic statement.
Following the announcement of the illness, Harry and Meghan immediately came forward with a public message, apparently to show their support. "We wish Kate and the family health and healing and hope that they can do so privately and in peace," the statement read.
One sentence, no more. And actually completely meaningless. For comparison: American First Lady Jill Biden wrote to Kate on Twitter: "You are brave and we love you".
It is also unclear whether the couple made personal contact with Prince William and Duchess Kate or simply sent their message publicly. The palace has remained silent on the matter.
Left in the dark
While the British Crown Prince and Princess informed the King, who is "proud of his daughter-in-law", Queen Camilla and of course Kate's family - her brother James wrote on Instagram that they had already climbed so many mountains together that they would manage this one too - Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan were left in the dark.
Like the rest of the world, they only found out the bad news on Friday evening from the media and the video that the princess published on her social media channels.
"Irreparable damage"
This explosive detail clearly shows that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are no longer part of the royal family's circle of trust and that there were apparently fears that they would make the information public before Kate herself felt able to speak about it.
"This shows the irreparable damage they have done," an insider told the New York Post. "Trust has been destroyed and the royal family has no problem distancing themselves from them."
British media believe that Kate and Prince William must have learned of the diagnosis on February 27, around a month and a half after their operation in mid-January, after which cancer was initially ruled out. William canceled his attendance at the funeral service for the late King Constantine at Windsor Castle at very short notice that day in order to be with his wife and their children.
Unprecedented video message
The fact that Princess Kate announced her cancer diagnosis in a video message on Friday evening is considered unprecedented in the history of the royal family.
The diagnosis was "of course a huge shock", said Kate, who sits on a bench in a garden in the video message. Wearing a striped sweater and jeans.
First the children had to understand
Husband heir to the throne Prince William and she had done everything they could to process and cope with this with their family. "It took some time for me to recover from the serious operation before I could start treatment."
Above all, however, they needed time to inform their three children Prince George (10), Princess Charlotte (8) and Prince Louis (5) and to "explain and reassure them in an appropriate way that I will be fine."
The family will skip the royal Easter celebrations. Kate did not give an exact diagnosis.
Kate's video message in full:
'I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you personally for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding while I've been recovering from surgery. It has been an incredibly tough few months for our whole family, but I had a fantastic medical team who took excellent care of me, for which I am very grateful.
In January, I had to undergo extensive abdominal surgery in London. At the time, it was not thought to be cancer. The operation itself was successful. However, the follow-up examinations revealed that cancer cells were present. My medical team therefore recommended preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of this treatment.
This news was of course a huge shock, and William and I have done everything we can to process and cope with this privately, for the sake of our young family.
As you can imagine, this took time. I had to recover from the serious operation to be able to start treatment. However, the most important thing for us was to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way they could understand and to reassure them that I would be fine.
I told them: I'm fine and I'm getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that help me heal - mentally, physically and emotionally.
Having William by my side is a great comfort and a source of confidence. Equally meaningful is the love, support and kindness shown to me by so many of you. This means an incredible amount to both of us.
We hope you will understand that as a family we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always given me great pleasure and I look forward to returning as soon as I am able. But now I need to focus fully on my recovery.
During this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. To all those who are facing this disease in whatever form: Please don't lose faith or hope. You are not alone.
"Preventive chemotherapy"
This is the second serious announcement from Kensington Palace about the future Queen's health this year. First, in mid-January, it was announced that Kate had undergone a planned abdominal operation. After 13 days in the private London Clinic, she was discharged home and has been recovering there ever since. Again, no exact diagnosis is known. However, it was emphasized at the time that it was not cancer.
That was not wrong, Kate now emphasized. "However, examinations after the operation showed that it was cancer. My medical team therefore advised me to undergo preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of this treatment."
Preventive chemotherapy is the use of chemotherapy drugs in people who do not yet have cancer but are at increased risk of developing it. The aim is to prevent or delay the development of cancer.
"Never complain, never explain" over?
For the Royal Family, Kate's public statement marks the end of a long phase in which she had lost control of the narrative. The speculation has recently been increasingly debated in the otherwise palace-friendly tabloid media and has even reached the serious BBC. The fact that Kensington Palace published a photo of Kate and her children allegedly taken by William for Mother's Day, which was immediately withdrawn by international news agencies due to manipulation, was the negative climax. Some subsequently expressed doubts about the palace as a credible source.
With the cancer announcement, the princess is now trying to regain control of her own destiny through reporting. She also wanted to encourage others affected, she said in the video.
For a long time, showing personal feelings was alien to the royals; the motto was: "Never complain, never explain". This tactic is apparently now finally over. In the age of social media, the royals also have to adapt their transparency.
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