- author, Daniela Ruff
- roll, BBC News Royal Correspondent
The health problems of King Charles III and Princess of Wales Kate Middleton have raised questions about what Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace want the public to know.
Counselors are trying to deal with the thirst for information, speculation on social media and the need to protect two sick people.
All this proves to be a huge dilemma.
The spotlight has shifted more to the royal family in recent days, after Prince William, Kate's husband, cancelled at the last minute his participation in a religious service in Windsor, in memory of his godfather, King Constantine of Greece. He was due to read, and his name was in the service programme.
But less than an hour before the event began, a message arrived from Kensington Palace.
“Unfortunately, The Prince of Wales will be unable to attend this morning's service due to personal concerns,” the statement said.
Here's why it's so weird. Prince William lives at Windsor. He had a role in the ceremony. His godfather was honored.
Rumours immediately began to circulate – was this a bad sign for Kate? The message from the prince’s team was that there was no need to panic.
But that wasn't enough to quell the speculation.
Rare information
The messages you received via WhatsApp probably reflect what many people were wondering.
“What’s wrong with Kate?” “Why don’t they say?” “Is that why William didn’t come?”
If you delve into social media and online searches, you'll find increasingly wild rumors about the princess's condition.
The lack of detailed information and the sudden cancellation of Prince William's participation in the ceremony led to speculation.
We still don't know why the prince skipped the service – but it's worth noting that he attended an event on Thursday (29/02) as planned.
The Princes of Wales' aides are well aware of online gossip – they read it, they talk about it, they know its narratives well.
But they insist that nothing has changed.
A spokesperson for Kate has downplayed the speculation on social media.
“Kensington Palace set out the timeline for the princess’s recovery in January. We said we would only provide significant updates. That guidance remains in place.”
Back to public life
There is, of course, the issue of privacy.
For Prince William, protecting his wife while she recovers is of utmost importance.
Kensington Palace simply doesn't want to share details about his health – and his aides don't feel the need to say anything more about it.
But when Kate returns to her public engagements, the scrutiny will be intense.
All eyes will be on her.
How is she? Does she look different?
Your team is well aware of the attention that will be there at this time, so protecting them now takes on added importance.
They will choose when and how we see her again in public very carefully.
King's health
The situation at Buckingham Palace is different when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of King Charles III's cancer.
There, the court feels there is a need to see the king at work, performing some of his functions.
That's why we see pictures of the King with the Prime Minister, going to church and reading greeting cards.
This is a king, his health is at risk at the moment, but he is still able to do part of his usual work, and the palace wants to make that clear to us.
There is not the same pressure on Kate to make herself known. She is not the monarch, and does not need to reassure people in the same way.
Yes, there is a scramble for information, but the mood seems to be “patience, it will be this way.”
It's about a princess who wants to keep her privacy.
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