Palace sources push back on the speculation that Princess Kate was in a coma

It’s more than likely that the Princess of Wales’s medical mystery turns out to be incredibly serious, when we eventually learn what exactly happened. It’s also more than likely that it’s been amateur hour from Kensington Palace this whole time. Both things can be true at once: Kate’s situation is serious AND KP completely bungled the release of information, which led to weeks of speculation and ham-fisted damage control from staffers who can’t manage their way out of a paper bag. Last weekend, the Spanish media was widely reporting on Kate’s surgery and medical situation, and one Spanish royal expert claimed she heard, from sources, that Kate’s condition was dire, to the point where Kate had been in a medically-induced coma. The next day, Kate was suddenly discharged from the London Clinic and the British and American media suddenly has a vested interest in minimizing Kate’s situation and making Kate’s situation sound like it was no big deal. Five days after the Spanish media was widely reporting the “coma” story, “palace sources” have finally come out to try to rebut that speculation:

Palace officials are said to have been left furious after a Spanish news show’s ‘made up’ claims that Kate was in a ‘coma’ and in ‘great danger’ following abdominal surgery.

Overseas journalist Concha Calleja claimed doctors had to act quickly as they were ‘saving her life’ in a broadcast the day before she was released from hospital The writer, 59, who has appeared on Spanish TV as a royal expert, said the medical team’s ‘drastic’ actions included intubating the 42-year-old Princess of Wales and putting her in an induced coma.

She claimed: ‘There were serious complications that they didn’t expect because the operation went well, but the post-operative period didn’t go so well.’

She continued that Kate’s recovery was ‘possibly going to require a bit of assistance, and I’m not just referring to her family’ – as she said ‘practically an entire hospital’ was being set up to support her at their Windsor home. But the Spaniard’s claims – made on news channel Fiesta – have been rubbished by the palace.

‘It’s total nonsense,’ a source told The Telegraph. ‘No attempt was made by that journalist to fact-check anything that she said with anyone in the household. It’s fundamentally totally made up, and I’ll use polite English here: it’s absolutely not the case.’

The most-watched channel in Spain for 13 years, Fiesta is known for its gossip shows and was founded by an Italian media company formerly owned by Silvio Berlusconi. The claims about the Princess of Wales quickly went viral – and was even taken up by the country’s more serious sites including El Confidencial, La Vanguardia and La Razon.

Calleja claimed to have gained the insight from an aid in the royal household ‘in a completely confidential manner’ – something the Palace has completely refuted. They also strenuously denied her assertions that Kate had been taken to hospital for the first time on December 28, where she stayed for several days, as she said she ‘began to feel unwell, not for the first time.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Not only did it take “the palace” nearly a week to pushback on the coma story, it’s taken them three weeks to push back on the “Kate was rushed to the hospital on December 28” rumor, which spread like wildfire on social media, and I even half-believe it too. Whatever Kate is going through, I’d be willing to bet it’s been an issue for many weeks, if not months. As for the palace finally doing some pushback on the coma story… I don’t know what to believe anymore. KP is definitely being way too furtive, but some of these conspiracies feel so wide off the mark. As I’ve said before, wherever Kate is and whatever her condition, I hope she’s receiving quality care and I hope she’s doing okay.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Backgrid.

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210 Responses to “Palace sources push back on the speculation that Princess Kate was in a coma”

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  1. Chloe says:

    The same aides that were left in the dark about this surgery in the first place?

    To be fair i don’t think a spanish journalist has an in at KP. And i didn’t really believe this story anyway

    • Michelle says:

      “Never Explain”
      oh wait, ok explain NOW.

      • They started with lies and now they are covering with lies. This is Peg in a nutshell.

      • Snaggletooth says:

        I’m surprised they even bothered acknowledging that story. Hmmm.

      • Slush says:

        @susan Collin’s- yep exactly and that’s the trouble.

        Even if they are just lying to protect Kate’s privacy (ex: they originally lied about when she came and went from the hospital), unfortunately, it’s still a lie and you have to keep it up with more lies. Which can make it seem like something more nefarious is happening.

        They were better off just being forthright (like they seemed to have been with Charles)

      • J says:

        @Michelle Considering how much pride Britons take in that stiff upper lip, I am always perplexed at all the Royals and their staff complaining someone (falsely) made them cry. Any self-respecting Briton would self-exile before admitting they cried, especially outside of a funeral.

      • Sheila Senescall says:

        At this point I need proof of life.
        William is throwing stones and hiding hands. IMHO This whole thing about Kate not being seen until Easter gives me Stepford wives impressions.

    • Nic919 says:

      KP is not the English palace that might have provided the information. It is likely BP, especially if you recall that Charles is close with the Spanish royals and visited them with Diana and William and Harry as kids. The chances that someone in the BP circle knows the most prominent Spanish royal reporter is not an impossible situation. Could Camilla have put in a word? Possible.

    • roooth says:

      Bottom line: If they could have shown her face by now, they would have. Even a pic of Kate smiling bravely from her bed. Willy holding her hand. Something. But this continued nothing speaks louder than all the conspiracies.

      Where is Kate?
      Where is her mother and family?
      Where is Willy?

      None of them are seen? Only Cowmilla with her inappropriately gleeful grin?

      Somethin ain’t right

  2. Amy Bee says:

    It’s bit rich for KP to be complaining about made up stories. Anyway, their initial statement about Kate’s surgery fueled the speculation. They should be angry at their poor communication skills rather than the Spanish journalist.

    • Carmen says:

      I can’t believe that Concha Calleja would invent such a story out of the whole cloths, knowing it would blow up in her face if it turned out not to be true. Her reputation would be destroyed. Knowing how the British tabloids lie, I’d give more credence to Sra. Calleja than I’d give to Camilla Tominey or Angela Levin.

      • Megan says:

        Royal reports make up stories all the time and their reputations are never destroyed. Angela Levin, Dan Wooten, Katie Nicholl, Camilla Tominey, Ingrid Seward … the list goes on and on.

      • Lulu says:

        Kate hasn’t been sen since Dec 25, I’m not convinced of anything.

      • Dee(2) says:

        @Megan exactly. These are the same papers that report uncritically insider knowledge on Netflix production deals, and the going ons at WMG (and coincidentally never have any tea on anyone else working for either entity) in relation to Harry and Meghan but we’re supposed to tut at someone else’s media for journalistic standards. I believe this journalist would be punished more than any of them

      • Lemons says:

        The thing is…nothing that has happened so far refutes her story. She doesn’t need to have an in with the household to get the scoop. She can speak to anyone involved in Kate’s medical care….I’m not saying she’s telling the truth, but KP’s rebuttal does nothing to rebuke her version of events.

        They are such amateurs.

    • Where'sMyTiara says:

      So the official KP/Fail narrative now is: “Their palace sources are rubbish; our palace sources are impeccable”?

      Amateur hour doesn’t even begin to describe this nonsense.

      I just saw this being reported on by Gala in France. Apparently BP is raaaaaging that KP let this get away from them. Which would explain Camilla’s hat trick of visits to the London Clinic.

      The three biggest problems KP has right now: 1) basic honestly with the public, 2) courtiers split in two between W and K’s households, each set providing conflicting narratives to the press, 3) complete inability to pick a damn lane. Is she in a coma? Is she WFH? Is she Resting at Anmer? KP? Wood Farm? Adelaide? Ma & Pa Middleton’s shack in Bucklebury? And who’s really doing the school run, because parents of kids at the Wales kids’ school have been quoted in a number of papers saying they haven’t seen hide nor hair of Workshy since this all kicked off?

      Five years from now you realize they’re gonna call this Kategate, right?

      • Underhill says:

        or she could be in a sanitarium in Switzerland, by now.

      • Gabby says:

        If she is anywhere other than AC, it was dangerous for KP to put that lie out there, especially since there was no obligation to announce where she would be. The kids can spill the beans at school, and it will spread like a grease fire.

        “Are you happy your mom is home with you now?”
        “She’s not”

      • Feeshalori says:

        So that begs the question if the kids are actually at school because they can certainly let it slip to their classmates about their mom’s condition and her whereabouts. So if Willie hasn’t been seen for the school runs, is that because the children aren’t there due to the precaution for secrecy? Maybe they’re being homeschooled now. I’m just throwing this out there as another wild speculation.

      • Teagirl says:

        kategate – love it!

      • Just me says:

        And five years hence this may have a similar aura of mystery as the disappearance of Agatha Christie.

    • ML says:

      Actually I just remembered that the RR was doing the most when the Spanish media started publishing stories and photos about the then crown prince of Denmark having an affair. The BM ran huge amounts of stories about Frederik as well.

      They tend to be less happy when the Spanish report on the BRF—then all of a sudden their accuracy is called into question. Think about how the Kate being verbally and emotionally abused by William (story from April 2023) got pushback. And now this.

  3. equality says:

    “‘It’s total nonsense,’ a source told The Telegraph. ‘No attempt was made by that journalist to fact-check anything that she said with anyone in the household. It’s fundamentally totally made up.” They are describing what goes on in the Brit media daily. Funny that they never get “furious” when this sort of thing is done in their own country.

    • Amyb says:

      Oh no one attempted to fact check with the palaces? They have lied about this before when they claimed no one contacted them around H & M’s Netflix show. You would think they learned a lesson. I am shocked the palace has not yet issued a heavily photoshopped image of Kate and her kids smiling bravely as Mommy recovers which would be on the cover of every new outlet. The fact they haven’t yet is very concerning or suspicious.

      • seaflower says:

        But it’s all about PWT now, and that’s reflected in the PR photos/blurbs etc. K is finding out she has served her purpose and she go hide in the corner now unless W needs a glamour distraction. He only needs her as a handy excuse now, nothing else.

    • Tursitops says:

      So this is a nothingburger, she’s going to be fine, and that’s how they had time to confer with every possible source which allows them to confidently declare that this story is bunk. Perhaps it *is* serious, and they are hiding that, in which case it would foolhardy and a dereliction of duty to spend time addressing spurious rumours when the situation is so dire.

      Which is it KP? These tools are so incompetent and short-sighted that they can’t see the immediate consequences of their actions, let alone the long-term ones. They must be terrible at chess. Or checkers.

  4. Becks1 says:

    KP really lost control of the narrative here almost immediately. Again, lets look at Charles and Camilla. Yes, there were some rumors there – that he actually had cancer, that it was worse than they were reporting – but Camilla was recorded going to visit him looking fairly chipper, charles was videoed leaving the hospital looking none the worse for wear, really, Camilla is out and about every day, and those rumors pretty much died down, never having gained any real steam anyway.

    with KP…no one has seen Kate in over a month, we didnt even get a new pic for her bday, or a church stroll, etc, which lends credence to the December 28th idea (even if there isn’t an iota of truth there), William only visited her once, no one else went to the clinic, KP is being super shady about her surgery and expected recovery time, WILLIAM also needs months to recover – all of those things are going to raise a lot of questions and KP’s response has been to push back way too late on anything.

    Like the coma story…..that started floating around what, a week ago? 10 days ago? And they’re just now pushing back? Well its too late because its gained steam and also, weirdly, it makes sense – no one was going to visit Kate because she was in a coma. Same with the kids not visiting – it took them two weeks to put out a story about Facetime and the kids making her cards? Why wasn’t that put out almost immediately??

    KP can’t seem to decide whether they want to downplay this or play it up, and it tells me they are both incompetent and lacking a cohesive message right now.

    • inge says:

      You can very much visit people in a coma though, I think i’ts even encouraged.

      • Becks1 says:

        Oh of course you can! But I dont know if I can see William sitting there and reading or talking to her if she’s in a coma, you know? I can see him thinking “why bother?” as cold as that sounds (I mean he’s a cold person so I guess it fits.) So it gave more credibility to that rumor.

      • SussexWatcher says:

        Becks – I agree with Pegs not going to sit by her bedside, but the fact that her parents and siblings – who never miss an opportunity to play as royal-adjacent – never visited the hospital makes no sense. And even thinking about the coma angle, who better than MaMidds to rush to her side to read from her favorite childhood book, give updates of the children, or whatever. Whether it was a coma or recovery, the fact the no one else visited except the once is just nonsensical.

      • Normades says:

        Adults yes. Will, Carole etc. But not kids. When I was in the hospital for a very serious issue I absolutely did not want my young daughter to see me in that condition. I didn’t believe the the kids didn’t visit because « it was no big deal » story.

      • Lisa says:

        1. Might be disturbing for the kids to see mom like that
        2. Why would William bother, he is cold, you are right
        3. presumably as spouse, he can prevent other family members from having access to her

    • ML says:

      “The royal racist” story began after the Oprah interview, which was refuted (due to differing recollections) (very much not a racist family) days later. Years later, due to a foreign -edition version of a manuscript snafu, we learned that not only was it true, but there were 2 active racists.
      Taking this long to refute the coma story, and waiting until after it became a huge story, is essentially lending credibility to it.
      I’m also curious as to why William needs all this time off.

    • L84Tea says:

      All of this, @Becks1!!

    • Miranda says:

      Even the original, relatively mild “planned surgery with a long recovery” version suggested a condition that was far more serious than they were letting on. Every update they’ve made since has been downplaying or trivializing her condition while simultaneously pushing back the date of her eventual return to public life. Whatever’s actually going on, this is an extremely callous way to treat someone, and I think it speaks to just how ready both her husband and her in-laws are to be rid of her. They can’t even pretend to give enough of a damn to build a plausible lie for the sake of her three young children?!

      • BeanieBean says:

        It is despicable; rather than ‘protecting her privacy’, they’ve made Kate a mockery. Not once, not ONCE, have they expressed any real concern or emotion for what she’s currently going through.

      • Christine says:

        I agree, so much. There has never been a single note of “she’s expected to make a full recovery”, it’s just more ducking and weaving.

        This has all been about protecting a prince, who is AWOL. He could shut this down with one succinct tweet, but he hasn’t. They have pushed back her “return to work” until JUNE. Random comments by someone who completely refuses to be named is not remotely enough at this point.

    • Nic919 says:

      The coma story also kept going when suddenly Kate was announced to be at home but she didn’t show her face in the car on the way out. Even a brief sighting would have shut down a lot. Instead there is a shot of twigs in the front seat.

      The constant games about things like that keeps wilder speculation going.

    • ArtHistorian says:

      “KP can’t seem to decide whether they want to downplay this or play it up, and it tells me they are both incompetent and lacking a cohesive message right now.”

      I think there’s the possibility that KP’s staff can’t get in contact with William regularly – and that’s one of the reasons why they don’t act decisively – because he has such an explosive and unreliable temper they can’t just go ahead and do their job without his OK but he’s basically AWOL so they don’t know what to do.

      • Snideysense says:

        I think you hit the nail on the head, @arthistorian.

        Also, where the heck IS William?! It doesn’t make any sense that he’s disappeared too and also won’t be working. I know the public story is that he’s “taking care of Kate and the kids,” but what is the real story? Where is he and what the heck happened?

      • BeanieBean says:

        I’ve been thinking about this ever since they said their staff are at odds with both their principals out of action. I mean, in any other regular job, does the entire company go on vacation when the boss does? Nobody can think of anything to do without Kate or William there? Absolutely zero work if there’s no stupid little photo ops to organize? Plane trips to plan? Really? This more than anything illustrates their utter lack of vision & basic competence.

      • ArtFossil says:

        The infamous Rebecca English says in today’s Daily Mail (way down on the front page) that “I think we could see him [William] doing some public engagements towards the end of next week I have to say. I think he’ll start to go back to work once she’s [Kate] settled.”

        So basically just more fan fiction.

        I have such contempt for William I like to think that he’s pissed all over his future kingship and that’s why we’re not seeing him.

      • Becks1 says:

        That repeated line about “once she’s settled” – what does that mean?!?! Settled into her separation house? Are they moving her into a new house and trying to do it in secret? She was at the hospital for two weeks, now she’s home, with staff and her mother and William – what “settling” is there to do? they talk about her like they’re settling down a baby for a nap or settling down a spooked horse.

      • Nic919 says:

        It makes no sense even according to their own version of events which pretends she was moved on Monday and it’s going to take two weeks to get settled? He has got tons of staff and they aren’t on wait lists to get home care. You can bet private nurses were ready to go right away.

      • Magdalena says:

        I think it could be as simple as William is on holiday with his current side piece and things may have become far too serious for his wife’s liking.

    • Underhill says:

      You can’t visit them if they aren’t there. IMO, she might have been at the London Clinic briefly in December, but got shipped off to a facility, perhaps, say, a sanitoriium in Switzerland, or similar. No visits, no sightings. Leaving the Royal Rota to cover up, by piffling on about the children bringing her snacks. Where’s Willy? That’s interesting.

    • Emily says:

      KP is only pushing back on the coma story now that Kate isn’t in a coma anymore.

  5. Avonan says:

    I don’t know what to believe. But I’m more likely to pay heed to what Concha Calleja reports than to the lies and obfuscation from Kensington Palace or its lapdogs in the British Media.

  6. SussexWatcher says:

    So, after a month of complete silence and a disappeared husband, unnamed palace sources suddenly want to convince us that some other unnamed palace source is lying? Why should we believe the denial over the assertion? Why doesn’t anyone come out and put their name to some concrete information? Why should we believe palaces sources who have lied and lied and lied from everything about hairpieces to who made who cry at Meghan’s wedding to the Wailses marriage is steady as a rock.

    Palace sources are lying liars who lie so 🤷🏽‍♀️

    Also, I notice in the current unnamed palace source’s comments, no where do they specifically deny the coma. They could be parsing words and be denying some other part of the report like the whole hospital being set up at Kkkeen’s separation cottage (or MaMidds’s house).

    • May says:

      💯💯💯

    • Jais says:

      Love this @ sussex watcher. Exactly right. Unnamed palace sources are telling us other unnamed places sources are lying. The sheer gall.

    • WiththeAmerican says:

      All of this. There’s no denial of the coma. It’s from an unnamed source. It makes vague claims that it was made up coupled with veiled accusations about the reporter. Typical sleazy politician move.

      I’ll maybe consider it if it comes from the palace officially.

    • Tara says:

      Plus – no legal action as in diffamation suit?

      • BeanieBean says:

        That was my thinking. If it were blatantly false, wouldn’t they sue? It is a pretty egregious thing to claim, if not true. They sued over Kate’s topless photos, they sued over her playing tennis for heaven’s sake, but this? No lawsuit? Huh.

    • Christine says:

      100%

      They won’t even let Cam say something benign on her jolly ol’ saint queen engagements. I don’t believe there is any morsel of truth coming from KP, and I won’t’ until someone is allowed to say something and attach their name to it.

    • BlueNailsBetty says:

      One thing I’ve noticed is that no one is saying she has returned to Adelaide Cottage. I keep seeing references to her returning to her “Windsor home”.

      It makes me wonder if she has been set up in a suite at Windsor Castle which could accommodate a large nursing/care staff during her recovery.

  7. Mslove says:

    KP might have an easier time squashing near death rumors if Peg would quit hiding and make a simple statement.

    • SussexWatcher says:

      He has GOT to be in some sort of institution or hospital because where is Pegs?! If he’s caring for the children and doing the school runs he would have been seen at some point by some pap or tourist with a cell phone. He seems to have literally fallen off the face of the earth.

      • BQM says:

        No paps can get there. It’s set back in the woods and there’s one road. Which I imagine has security.

      • SussexWatcher says:

        If paps could get photos of them naked on the French balcony when they were supposed to be working, I’m sure some telephoto lens could get his car and clear views of the kids inside somewhere along the route of Windsor and the school. The entire route can’t be in the woods.

      • WiththeAmerican says:

        BQM ever heard of drones? Long lenses? Helicopters? They’ve all been deployed against the Sussexes.

      • Steph says:

        @bqm Is he the only one allowed to use that road? Bc I can’t believe that every single staffer, student, or family is so loyal to them that no one has anonymously run to the press to say they’ve seen him. Especially, I think it’s crazy that they wouldn’t be encouraged to share that bc it would be good press for him.

        And this part also refers to the hospital. Both the school and the hospital can have private entrances. But these people run with a whole entourage. They have to use public roads at some point yet still no one has seen them. That’s super fishy to me.

      • Becks1 says:

        apparently its being reported that some parents are saying they have not seen him doing the school run at all – I think some european outlets have that.

      • Megan says:

        @Steph have you ever seen photos of the kids arriving at or leaving school that weren’t officially released by KP? They go to that school because it is discreet. No staff or parents are going the leak anything.

      • equality says:

        @Megan Quite likely no one on staff would risk their jobs since the children are pictured so often no big money would be on offer for pix. 100% compliance from parents though? That would be quite an accomplishment. Unless, of course, the rich people there are unimpressed and give W&K no thought.

      • TigerMcQueen says:

        Kate’s been papped doing the school run (remember the day QE died?). Will could be papped doing the same. If he chose to do that.

      • Nic919 says:

        She was papped wearing the pearls because the paps were told where to take the picture.

        No one is giving them permission for that right now.

      • Christine says:

        Damn, excellent point about the “I’m so sadz, can’t you tell by all my jewelry?” school run jaunt.

        Can I just say, karma has been INCREDIBLY specific.

    • Sunday says:

      I wonder if Will’s even around “helping with the children.” I’d fully believe that immediately after they got him to do the one photo shoot and it didn’t instantly solve everything, Will’s the type to be like “yup, f*ck this, not dealing with it” and instead of doing his duty or even helping his own children or wife he’s off in Mustique or dad-dancing at a private chalet somewhere.

      • Becks1 says:

        Now that Kate is supposedly at home, this is the time for there to be a carefully managed pap pic of William with the kids – picking up Kate’s favorite takeaway or something. or even william taking the kids for an ice cream or something to “comfort them” or whatever. nothing different from what they’ve done randomly in the past (having lunch at a Norfolk pub, etc).

        And again we’re still getting nothing.

  8. Em says:

    Tin foil theory completely unrelated to her illness, that sapphire ring she wears is a close dupe but that’s not Diana’s ring it appears so different especially in the picture of her wearing blue

    • Sarah says:

      I think it is just the lighting. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if the real one is in a vault and she wears a less expensive version.

    • Dee says:

      Puts on tinfoil hat. You all can sit with me. I thought it was a dupe as soon as I heard Will’s proposal story about carrying it in a backpack in Africa. That story was exactly like a buddy’s proposal story, so I think the story could be fake as well.

      Then Kate was wearing that ring like it was disposable, shoving it into dough on a Scout outing, wearing it ziplining in the jungle, yachting, etc. No one was concerned about her losing the ring that kept turning on her finger, it was so loose. No royal jeweler expressed concerns.

      My theory is a copy was made with similar stones and that is what Kate wears. She doesn’t know it was a copy and wears it like her life depends on it. Diana’s ring is still appreciating in value in a vault somewhere locked away.

      • lanne says:

        That might be why they seem so bizarrely invested in 2 tiny Diana diamonds in Meghan’s ring. If the future Queen doesn’t get to wear The Ring and sports a dupe, how outrageous it must be that Meghan has a couple of real Diana diamonds?

        Because with all the jewelry Diana left behind, to worry about 2 little stones is ridiculous.

      • Nic919 says:

        It has been since wiped, but kate said something about telling about her proposal to her parents when in Scotland. That proposal story was always a little fuzzy. Plus proposing at the estate or your friends with benefits Jecca Craig is always romantic. And that’s the official version.

      • Charlotte says:

        Most of the Very Rich Ladies I grew up with had copies made of their real jewels. They wore the copies for everyday, and occasionally went to the bank to get the real ones for something Very Fancy.
        So you may be right, and it might not be a big deal.

      • Inge says:

        Oh I remember her wearing it on an outing where she was putting sand into something and I was afraid of the ring scratching the tiled floor.

      • Harper says:

        Kate definitely said, when I got back from Scotland…er …Africa. It was when they were asking her if her parents knew about the engagement beforehand.

      • February pisces says:

        Willie definitely gave Kate the cubic zirconia version of that ring.

  9. Winnie Cooper’s Mom says:

    Is it easy to be skeptical of what the Spanish reporter stated? Yes. But why would a long-time career reporter risk her credibility and put her reputation on the line by intentionally falsely reporting something so huge? Surely the station wouldn’t have let her go rogue on such a big statement without her showing the producers some sort of verification or proof prior to running the story. Maybe I’m just naive, IDK.

    • WiththeAmerican says:

      Her report matches details already out there. It makes sense, which is more than KP can say of their own stories.

      Obviously we don’t know, but I’m quite sure someone in the palace told her this. She would lose her job if she made up a source, which we note doesn’t apply to British tabloid liars.

      • Winnie Cooper’s Mom says:

        “ She would lose her job if she made up a source…” Exactly my point. Thank you. She didn’t just make this up out of thin air for ratings or attention.

      • Laura D says:

        Exactly @WiththeAmerican @Winnie Cooper’s Mom – what’s noticeable is that she doesn’t say a “source” she says the information came from an aid within the royal household. She’s being very specific. This doesn’t sound like she’s made up the story from tittle tattle this sounds like it’s come from someone who she believes to be credible.

      • Feeshalori says:

        Hmmm, maybe from Nanny Maria herself? Just figured I’d throw in a wild speculation too.

      • Christine says:

        Yep, I’m completely with you.

    • Nic919 says:

      I think the story came from Camilla’s people which is why the Spanish reporter went public with it.

      • DK says:

        THIS 100%, @Nic919.
        Camilla has been on a tear with events, doing the most to show that even with the King himself in hospital, she can be out and about getting work done – purposely contrasting William’s “wifey is ill, so I can’t do anything.”

        My hunch is a lot of the mangling of all of this story is that we are in the midst of a full-blown media war between BP & KP, and BP is letting all the rumors fly.

      • Libra says:

        Tom Parker Bowles?

  10. OnThisDay says:

    Well, what could KP have said that would have made things better? Maybe she doesn’t want us to know. She has a right to privacy, after all. I’m not being snarky. I really would like to know what they could have said that would have been appropriate, short of telling us her medical business?
    But KP had no standing to complain about media lies.

    • Mslove says:

      KP could have sent Peg out to reassure the nation in a brief press conference. I don’t think two senior royals have been in hospital together before, it’s a bit odd.

      • JT says:

        Honestly, KP shouldn’t have said anything at all. No statements should have been made about Kate’s surgery, recovery time, or William’s “recovery time” either. Kate goes “missing” all the time for several months a year. They’re on vacation for 5 months. What ever is going on with Kate should have been between KP or whomever. The public would’ve been none the wiser. Kate or William wouldn’t have been missed. KP clearly couldn’t handle disclosing anything of this “magnitude”, so they should have done what they always do, which is nothing. Whatever happened, William panicked, KP made their stupid statement, and then they tried to spin it for sympathy, which backfired. Now they’re trying to walk it back. Fools.

    • Rapunzel says:

      Well for starter’s, they could’ve at least said she was expected to make a full recovery. That still hasn’t been said.

      However, imo, they didn’t actually have to say anything different. They simply had to act different, and what they said would not have sparked rumors. More visits from William or visits from her parents. Actual photos of her. A brief smile and wave and a “she’s doing good” from William while visiting would have done wonders. Or a shot of her in bed surrounded by pillows.

      The rumors weren’t really sparked by what they said. They were sparked by what they said in combination with their actions. No visits, no photos equals weird and shady. Combine with vague statement and it equals tin foil theories.

      • Anna says:

        Exactly, they still don’t say that she is getting better, good spirits, doctors are confident she’ll recover just needs some time. She is not in a comma says just this – it’s not a coma. Can be many different things as well.

      • Esquire says:

        There is NO way they would show a photo of Kate in bed, not even the inside of the lavish homes. The closest I can recall has been a photo of Charlotte as a baby sitting in an older chair at Anmer (that is probably antique and worth tens of thousands).

      • Underhill says:

        It was all those dogs that didn’t bark that made me suspicious too, that they were lying

    • Becks1 says:

      So I am of the current belief (may change my mind tomorrow) that KP has been lying this whole time and that IF she was ever at the london clinic, she had already been discharged (to home or elsewhere) by the time KP announced it. So as a threshold matter, something KP could have done to have made things better is…..not lie about where she’s getting treatment, or when, not stage one fake visit from her “loving” husband but then nothing else, nothing from her mother, etc.

      By announcing that she would have a two week hospital stay, and several months recovery at home (up to 5 months?) AND that william is also going to be sidelined for the duration?? that just raised more questions.

      • Rapunzel says:

        I think she definitely went in on the 28th. And I can buy that she was either never in the London clinic or gone when they released the statement. Then the question becomes, why lie? And why even release a statement?The answers to those questions point to a not good health scenario for Kate, imo.

      • Becks1 says:

        @Rapunzel one (admittedly tinfoil tiara) theory I’ve seen floating around on twitter is that an RR got the story of her being in the hospital, and was going to release it, and to ruin their scoop KP put out that statement about her being in the London Clinic.

        But that still leaves me with questions….wouldn’t that RR be angry at this point? wouldn’t they want to release their story if they know the truth? And the RRs just didn’t seem that mad when the KP statement came out, not like they were when QEII went into the hospital or William had COVID and they weren’t told.

      • Shawna says:

        If she wasn’t at the Clinic when they said she was, it makes Charles’s “visit” to her room even more interesting. Would be the second time he covered for her (the first being timing his health announcement to distract from Kate).

      • Rapunzel says:

        Becks- so my initial thoughts were she went to the hospital on the 28th, they did tests and scheduled surgery. Which makes sense if this was a serious but routine issue. And I assumed that they released a statement because some RR found out and was going to scoop them.

        However, the lack of visits/photos made it seem like she was gone by the time the statement was released. So why not just say that? Why not say she had routine but serious surgery, is home comfortable now and will need months of recovery? It’s simple. Clean.

        Tinfoil theory: Did the RRs make KP lie and say she was in hospital when she wasn’t? So they could have a “Pray for Kate in the hospital” story? That seems unlikely given there was surprisingly little coverage.

        Better tinfoil: whatever happened to Kate is bad and the RRs are covering for Will because they’ve got a guaranteed backing from him for a better story later… War of the Wales 2.

      • Becks1 says:

        @Rapunzel now that is an interesting theory. Whichever RR might have had the hospital story is fine sitting on it at this point because they’ve been promised the divorce story.

      • Christine says:

        Rapunzel, I like your theory, and I will add that the Spanish media reporting about Kate being in a coma came shortly after the story about Chuck visiting her before his procedure. My tinfoil hat theory is that Cam got really pissed that the king’s name had been inserted into the story, and she is the leak about Kitty being in a coma.

      • sparrow says:

        I was fully onboard with the 28th, but with the proviso she’d returned home earlier than they said, until someone on another thread pointed out the convoy was travelling in the wrong direction in London, and that it could well have been for a high ranking diplomat etc. There’s no way a diplomat is going to blow their cover by saying it was them, so the video goes un denied.

    • WiththeAmerican says:

      I can get why people who don’t manage PR for a living might wonder what else they could have done, but their first statement was so vague and left off dates and only named a hospital, from which we never saw her family visit and only one 15 minute visit from Will.

      If you don’t want to create a firestorm of speculation, any competent PR person would tell a public person to give dates (on Dec 28, Princess taken to hospital, on X date surgery, etc) , give reassurance, give a diagnosis or at least say expected to fully recover if true, do not say someone is somewhere that can’t be verified and won’t be confirmed with visits. Do not say husband will also be off for 5 months for vague reasons and then he is not seen visiting.

      • Gabby says:

        Exactly. KP’s announcement should never have named the hospital. They could have stated they were refraining from identifying it in order to protect the facility and the privacy of other patients.

    • Dee says:

      If the Princess needs complete privacy, then I have some questions. Why tell us the surgery was abdominal? Why talk about the London Clinic as if she was there? Why have Dickie Arbiter take down his statement and change it slightly from “her home” to “at home” when specific details are so few?

      Being vague while also being very specific about certain details is only fueling speculation. Someone wants their privacy cake and to eat it, too.

      • Esquire says:

        Younger royals, such as William (though he is not the only one) do want their cake and to eat it too. They want the unfettered life of luxury as royals, but they also want what ordinary folk have too: see William taking “paternity leave”. This, despite not working full days and having staff to do all other domestic chores. Add up all the time you take to do: housework, laundry, cook, maintenance around the house, run errands, pay bills, find parking, travel, wait to see a doctor, dentist or use a public service, assist friends or relatives in sickness or just to help out, and then think about how much free time this lot have because they don’t have to do any of that. And this is without considering that the kids have nannies. They want to marry for “love” and have all the basic niceties open to ordinary folk, without the inherent stress and grind that accompanies ordinary life.

    • Eurydice says:

      There is no “they.” It’s William. If the initial story is true, then William should have been out there making a bland statement about how the family is happy to have Kate home, she’s comfortable and everyone is looking forward to her speedy recovery. That’s it – no need for medical details, just reassurance that this was a normal happening to which most people can relate. Camilla did it in just a few words and everything calmed down.

    • OnThisDay says:

      Ok, then. I see how this could have been done differently. Thanks, everyone!

    • BeanieBean says:

      How about ‘the PoW has had surgery and is now resting at home, she thanks you for your best wishes.’ Or, ‘Kate has had surgery for ‘x’ condition, the surgery was successful and she is recuperating at home. The Princess encourages all to contact their doctors should they notice something different in x, y, z.’

    • SamuelWhiskers says:

      Kate has the same right to privacy as anyone, but KP can’t send out all these weird, conflicting statements and expect people not to ask questions. They didn’t need to send out a press release at all, since no one would have even missed her. Or they could have just said she was unwell. No need to name the body part and name the hospital.

  11. Inge says:

    ‘a source”

    I don’t believe sources. RR’s have a habit of inventing these.

  12. aquarius64 says:

    KP fumbled the PR bag full stop. Waiting 1- 3 weeks to refute internet speculation and a news story and they still don’t say what’s really going on with Kate. Too little too late. Because of the long history of putting out false narratives, particularly about the Sussexes, their credibility is gone. Someone is going to try to hack Kate’s medical records at this point.

  13. Thena says:

    Kensington Palace needs to stop with the unnamed sources and give us a picture of Kate holding up today’s newspaper if they want to stop the speculation.

    • Cessily says:

      I say it should be in video form or they will just photoshop her face onto someone else’s body like they did for that article when Chucky supposedly visited her before his procedure.

  14. Seraphina says:

    What’s unsettling to me is the silence from the Middleton Camp and the lack of seeing the kids go visit or anyone from the Middleton Family. There is a reason behind this. Not sure what that reason is but this behavior is atypical for this family AND that is what is concerning.
    And I believe the Spanish woman over anything the controlled palace mouthpieces or British media have to say,
    And lastly, I don’t mean to sound callous, but Kate is not a head of state. The country will not spiral if she was a death’s door or was in critical condition so I don’t understand the secrecy around all this.

    • May says:

      Great points, @seraphina

    • Cessily says:

      I couldn’t agree more 👏🏼

    • Nic919 says:

      James Middleton recently gave Richard Eden free dog food for a new puppy so at least one Middleton is working press angles.

    • Hmm says:

      The country would not spiral in a stability sense but there would be an extreme media frenzy that would be very destabilizing for her kids and relatives, as well as unnerving for her. If a terminal illness is the big mystery at the heart of all these lies and confusion, I think most people would be forgiving of the obfuscation or even outright lying that it’s not cancer when it was.

      • Seraphina says:

        This will sound very insensitive, but the fact that she is a public figure living off the public dime (or pound) trumps everything. Her family went full throttle to get into this life and live in a gilded cage – these are repercussions that come along with that; so I don’t have much sympathy for Ma Middleton.
        And her children can be shielded until things calm down. So for me, I don’t understand all the secrecy. As far as destabilizing, what could be more destabilizing for the three kids then their pedophile great uncle or daddy’s wandering willy (just to pick two off the top of my head) so that card is off the table.
        And, as others have stated, had this been handled with better communication and PR savvy, then all the conspiracy theories and tin foil hat theories would have not started.

      • BeanieBean says:

        Nope. For the simple reason media frenzy around Meghan’s every breath. If there’s no grace for Meghan, there’s none for Kate.

      • Seraphina says:

        @BeanieBean, Correct the list goes on and on.

      • May says:

        @beaniebean, you remind me of that phrase that one of the odious Rota members came up with after Archie was born (I think it was Camilla Tominey): we pay, you pose.

        The tabloids were not only intrusive with the Sussexes but they expected them to jump and pose at their whim because they were taxpayer funded (I would quibble with that). Where are those same tabloids now?

    • ecsmom says:

      All I can think of is if she is seriously ill or near death that would truly garner some sympathy, even by Sussex fans, then to announce a divorce would seem cruel and callous. So maybe KP is playing it down in hopes to announce divorce soon after she is back in health. Otherwise I am with you, there is not state/good of the country reason to hide it and there seems to be lots of value to share it. Distraction, sympathy, compassion for the RF, the list goes on and on.

      • Seraphina says:

        Right and as much as we know the bulk of the people who comment here do not like Kate, the bulk of the comments here have been about Kate’s safety and a safe recovery – just like when the stories and speculations dominated Princess Charlene’s MIA.

      • Proud Mary says:

        “that would truly garner some sympathy, even by Sussex fans.” Sussex fan here: you do not speak for me. Thank you.

    • TigerMcQueen says:

      I really am curious about the lack of visibility by CarolE.

      I know she’s mostly hidden since everything about their finances came out, but in this instance, I’d think she’d want to make a public appearance. In addition to wanting to see her sick daughter (what mother wouldn’t?), publicly being seen visiting the hospital or driving toward Adelaide with a bunch of ballons or whatnot, something along those lines would garner a lot of support for her despite the financial mess.

      She fought so hard to become the grandmother of the future king, and she loves being promoted as royal adjacent. If K’s illness is indeed something she’ll recover from, why isn’t CarolE using the situation for a little image rehabilitation?

      • JanetDR says:

        @TigerMcQueen That’s the thing that is very puzzling. Either it’s so bad they don’t care about being seen or been told to shut up or ??

      • Christine says:

        I think they are refusing to play ball with William because it’s bad, and they aren’t going to cosign this utter shit show of a PR disaster because they actually love her.

      • Seraphina says:

        exactly!

  15. Brassy Rebel says:

    This is all just bonkers. All of it. Whatever is going on with Kate, whatever is going on with William, and the way we have been informed (or not informed). How much privacy is she entitled to if she is seriously ill or almost died? Because this seems to be less about her privacy than protecting someone (who knows who?) from major embarrassment. I just hope the kids are okay and well taken care of. I have a feeling that nanny Maria has more than earned her pay the last few months.

  16. Steph says:

    Can someone help me with the timeline? Did KP release the statement the day of the surgery, the day before, or the day after?

    • BeanieBean says:

      We don’t actually know, because they’ve lied about everything, cover up a lot & are squirrel-y about what do say.

    • LynnInTX says:

      If I remember correctly, it was (supposedly) the day OF the surgery. With that said, BeanieBean is right – they’ve lied so much it’s hard to believe anything now.

  17. sparrow says:

    Does anyone else think William could be no-showing out of concern that people will ask him face to face what is really going on with Kate? Or just pure laziness. If I have duplicated this question somehow, apols _ i am rubbish at posting and often delete my own comment or reply to myself.

    • First comment says:

      Nobody from the Rota would dare ask him, especially if particular orders have been given. And he could easily respond saying something like, thank you for your wishes and concern, Catherine and I are both grateful for your support, she’s doing well etc. And this will occur only the first time he shows up…

      • BeanieBean says:

        It’s really not a hard question to answer. He’s just lousy at this & gets all prickly when anyone questions him about anything.

      • Proud Mary says:

        I think the situation would garner greater public skepticism if he shows up and says nothing, whether or not he’s asked. At this point, if he plans to make a public appearance, he’s better off arranging with some media toady to throw him some softball, pre-arrange questions. He could apologize, saying mistakes were made, but Kate values her privacy highly. “I and the kids missed her terribly and are so happy to see her well on the way to making a full recovery.” But this will not happen either because she won’t fully recover, or William wants a divorce, or they are just simply inept.

    • Lucy says:

      I’m positive he doesn’t want to answer any questions, but literally all he had to do was get photographed visiting every day. Just drive up, wave as he goes in, come out an hour later. Doing that even 3-4 times would make it way less weird and like they are hiding something.
      Now that she’s “home”, wherever that actually is, he’s not appearing because he doesn’t want to answer any questions, because he can’t do small talk without someone mentioning Kate and sending well wishes. I don’t know if it’s guilty conscience, or lack of concern on his part, but he will leak something off if Kate is brought up.

      • sparrow says:

        Hi Lucy. This is starting to be my feeling, hence the question. I think journalists would stay in line, as first comment says. But meeting and greeting the public could mean overwhelming fawnment re his wife, tell her best wishes and so on, or questions as to what exactly is wrong. He wouldn’t like the questions. Perhaps who can blame him. But it could end up with shooting his mouth off, as you say, or getting angry. I think he’s staying home to prevent this interaction, as well as a means to enjoy not working at all.

    • Cinder says:

      I personally think this is it. It does show an unwillingness to speak to the public, most of whom will only ask questions out of concern for Kate.

      See it’s one thing to lie via your tabloid mouthpieces like Rebecca English (“it is understood” that she is doing well and getting settled). It’s a whole different thing for William to lie with his own face.

      I’m hoping he comes out of his hidey hole soon though. It might help put to rest some of the more horrible theories we’ve got about this whole thing.

      • sparrow says:

        Thanks, Cinder. It only hit me when I was working, and thinking, can you imagine the luxury of just signing off work in an emergency that isn’t directly yours. The man has staff! And then I thought : why? Yes, he’s lazy to the core. But then, is he trying to slip under the radar of crowds that perhaps will be questioning, getting info out of him he doesn’t want to give, or possibly with the ability to rile him. Because otherwise this is absolutely his time to shine, to get out and be seen to be a capable future king. And also what the hell is she doing? She should be kicking him out the door. She’s got all the help in the world. It doesn’t say much for her if she needs him there 24/7.

  18. MerlinsMom1018 says:

    So not for nothing, but the header picture, with her hand on her stomach?
    Just wondering if that maybe gives an idea of her health issue?
    (I gotta stop watching conspiracy theory shows 😎)

    • Chaine says:

      I don’t think you are wrong. When those photos first came out, it was notable to me that she was holding her stomach. At the time I thought, it sucks to be in the international spotlight on a day of bad cramps, but maybe it was more than that.

  19. MaryContrary says:

    Wow-that must really suck to have weird conspiracy theories and lies reported as fact by legitimate journalists. Karma, maybe?

  20. Mrs. Smith says:

    Let’s say K had bowel surgery and the damage from her condition was worse than expected. Don’t they have to intubate for surgery anyway? It makes sense the drs would want her to stay sedated for a day or so to begin healing? Calling it a coma seems to make it more dramatic annd is the palace’s excuse to say it’s made up? Anyway, what’s interesting about KP’s denial of fact checking is they’ve made it clear by their continued silence that they are ignoring media inquiries. I bet the Spanish journalist contacted the palace and was ignored.

    • BeanieBean says:

      No, they don’t intubate for surgery as a routine course of action. Anesthesia is administered through the mask, as I recall, and/or through IV? Thinking of my last surgery, 20 years ago. Medical professionals can speak up here. Intubation is where the oxygen tube is inserted through your nose or mouth down into the airways. That ain’t routine.

      • SSF says:

        Intubation is routine for almost all surgery requiring general anesthesia. I’m not sure where you’re getting that information. I have been intubated several times. You might not realize this because it’s done after the patient is knocked out as is the extubation. Sometimes you can tell because your throat is a little raspy or your palate might have been bumped.

      • BeanieBean says:

        Hey, @SSF, I really don’t know! As you say, I was knocked out!

      • Jaded says:

        Anesthesia is done through IV.

    • Jaded says:

      I’ve been intubated during many surgeries. They give you medication to lower your blood pressure so you don’t bleed out, but then intubate you with an oxygen tube to keep you breathing. This really is such a mess, I cannot believe how poorly BP and KP have handled this, their lies are utterly transparent and it speaks of something much more sinister being kept secret. Where’s William?

      • Renae says:

        RN here: unless surgery is going to be super short ( tending more towards “procedure”), patients are routinely intubated not for delivery of anesthesia but to Protect the Airway.
        If Kate had anything more than ingrown toenails, she was most likely intubated. ” Procedures” are more likely to be done under what is known as ‘Conscious Sedation’ which is usually done via IV drip.

  21. BQM says:

    So much of this likely boils down to Williams well documented obsession with privacy. They changed the hedges at KP for more privacy. Amber Hall is secluded and we’ve seen the video of him yelling at the guy he thought was a pap there. He’s sued publications over invasion of privacy. We never know where or when they’re vacationing until the Xmas card pops up with a vacay photo. We don’t know how they get there except that they’re not getting busted using commercial flights. The sent out a letter after Charlotte’s birth specifically asking for privacy. William wouldn’t even give out the name of their old dog Lupo.

    He digs in because of that insistence on not sharing *anything*. It was a huge issue off and on until Meghan came on the scene and they had a junior princess to kick around. But the press was M.A.D. When he *does* share its on his terms. He shares what he wants and won’t be dictated to. And that often means being clumsy and slow to change course.

    • First comment says:

      So true…I can partly understand his need for privacy considering what his mother went through but he’s a public figure and he has to make concessions…this kind of obsession for secrecy implies that he has something to hide..

      • equality says:

        It would be easier to respect their need for privacy if any of them had respected H&M’s privacy.

      • MsIam says:

        Weren’t there stories about how William was furious about Harry and Meghan wanting privacy around Archie’s birth and christening? Wasnt Kate saying there was a duty to share with the public? Now that the shoe is on the other foot its all “private”.

      • Christine says:

        He’s putting his kids in an awful position, because their school buddies are surely hearing conversations about this at home. It’s only a matter of time before someone asks one of them something extremely insensitive.

        But at least his ass is (really badly) covered.

    • ArtHistorian says:

      That is what I think as well. He has always been squirrely and secretive – and he doesn’t like to be told that he is wrong. Before Jason Knauf was hired, there were articles out about how difficult William was during the hiring process because he basically wanted a yes-man. Which means that his staff can’t do their best with the PR if he insists on almost total secrecy, hence the suspicious vagueness.

      This is really not good, and just think about how he’ll be as king. If he wants total secrecy and won’t take good advice? It is going to be a mess.

      • lanne says:

        I see it as a mess too–he’ll likely be overly secretive and overly clumsy at the same time. He’ll try to control every narrative about his life and his movements, and he totally careless with the red boxes, leaving them around for any staffer or guest to paw through.

        I don’t really understand why the rota ratchets have given him such fealty above everyone else in the royal family. What are they protecting by protecting them? How do they benefit from it? The promise of lots of Sussex drama has fallen through, so what’s to gain from continuing to enable him?

      • ArtHistorian says:

        “I don’t really understand why the rota ratchets have given him such fealty above everyone else in the royal family. What are they protecting by protecting them? How do they benefit from it? The promise of lots of Sussex drama has fallen through, so what’s to gain from continuing to enable him?”

        I think they do so because they are told to. It is not them who decides what stories are actually published. For better or worse, William is the future of the British monarchy and there are many people who are invested in its continued existence. Charles’ reputation is already in the toilet but he is old and unlikely to sit the throne for a long time. They all know William is the future but if he falters, the institution may falter as well because William’s heir is a young child. He’s protected because powerful people want the monarchy to remain. I bet there are a lot of important people in the know who are exasperated by him but he’s what they got. That is the danger of a hereditary monarchy: you are screwed if the heir is incompetent, or has other severe character flaws.

        Things might change for William when George becomes an adult. The he might no longer get this kind of grace from the media if they feel there’s a new young hope.

    • Esquire says:

      Privacy or secrecy?

  22. Lulu says:

    Nothing is adding up. Why is KP furious about the coma report? If it’s wrong why not just say so, why be furious? The British media sure do believe the Spanish media when it comes to king Fredrick of Denmark possible affair last year. In fact they mention it in every single article about Mary, Fredrick, Margarethe or their kids.

  23. Just Jade says:

    If it was Meghan all the sources would have had names attached to them and they all would be very happy to plaster their faces on TV and online with contentment. Had anyone seen any of her relatives since KP made the announcement almost a month ago? May be her situation was worse than what they wanted people to believe and that might be why the paper reported the lie that Charles went to visit her before his surgery.

  24. Blithe says:

    So: My first full-on laugh of the day: “No attempt was made by that journalist to fact-check anything that she said with anyone in the household. ” Sooooo, in the midst of weeks of ham-handed obfuscation, all it would take to gain a bit of clarity would have been for a journalist to simply make a call, and someone in the household would have provided an accurate explanation? That’s wild. And, of course, the source who supposedly made that statement provided zero information to clarify the situation. This is truly bizarre. I wonder what people who actually know the BRF are thinking about this mess.

    • BeanieBean says:

      😁 Right! Have you, Mr/Ms/Mx Journalist, called KP to ask what’s really going on with Kate? What was the response?

  25. Bethany says:

    If Kate’s condition is truly so dire that she requires a ton of “at home” hospital equipment and personnel, wouldn’t someone have seen it being delivered and people coming and going?

    • Becks1 says:

      not necessarily bc of Adelaide being on the Windsor estate. Of course, there’s also the chance that Kate is in a medical suite at Windsor or somewhere else (Wood Farm, even BP) because I’m sure at least Windsor and Wood Farm had almost-hospital level suites set up for the late queen and Philip.

  26. Serena says:

    The more stubbornly silent about Kate’s condition they are, the more people are gonna speculate and the whole situation seems sketchy.

  27. Lau says:

    It’s sounds like the plot of the movie The Death of Stalin in which nobody is allowed to say anything about the fact that Stalin just died.

    • BeanieBean says:

      I vaguely recall squirrely news from the Soviet Union about Brezhnev (I think?) and Spain about Franco, the latter of which got so ridiculous over time it eventually led to a hilarious bit on SNL’s Weekend Update with Chevy Chase repeatedly checking in to tell us that, ‘Generalissimo Franco is still dead.’

    • ArtHistorian says:

      That movie is just so hilarious! Jason Isaacs is just comedy gold in it.

      • Lady Esther says:

        Ikr? He stole the entire movie… I rewatched it recently, still holds up

      • Lau says:

        I need to rewatch ! I remember the scene where he’s introduced, takes off his coat and his entire army jacket is covered in medals. It’s giving british royals attending official ceremonies !

  28. QuiteContrary says:

    To borrow a phrase from my English husband, KP couldn’t organize a piss-up at a brewery.

    All of this could have been avoided if William had the sense to consult a real communications expert. Instead, he has the Keystone Comms working for him.

  29. Irv says:

    The fact that Kate’s mother hasn’t made a sympathetic appearance is off-brand.

    • Trix says:

      As I said in a comment that didn’t get published, the Missing Middletons is the major clue that this is something much different than what they’re telling us.

      • Christine says:

        Agreed. Right before whatever this is happened, James Middleton, in particular, had been making very public outings and talking about his upcoming business ventures. He was talking about writing a book, showing off his new baby (or the very expensive buggy that presumably had a baby in it) etc. and now every single Middleton has disappeared off the face of the earth. It’s insanely telling.

  30. BanjoVino says:

    If this is true, then it honestly sounds like complications from chron’s disease or something similar. A friend of mine had serious abdominal problems and no doctor could seem to figure it out. She ended up in an induced coma with such a serious case of chron’s that she almost died. She was formerly very curvy and became so thin, it looked painful. She was in the hospital for weeks and recovery took almost a year. Not to be an armchair physician! What I don’t understand is why the royal family would feel the need to keep that a secret if it were the case?

    • May says:

      I don’t really understand it either but some posters here have commented that if Kate didn’t want Meghan even alluding to her hormones (“baby brain”) then she would be mortified having people discuss her poopy tract.

      • TigerMcQueen says:

        Honestly, if this is the case, she needs to be told “tough.” She’s the FQ and certain things come with the territory. One being basic factual information is given when things happen such as she undergoes serious surgery that will leave her unable to “work” for months. It’s part of the job, a job she chased and willingly took on. Otherwise, things happen like people will still speculate about her poopy tract but they’ll also speculate about worse stuff.

      • Esquire says:

        FQC = Future Queen Consort.

      • TigerMcQueen says:

        @Esquire, thank you, absolutely, FQC.

  31. Blujfly says:

    I suspect that the problem is not the comms team but their principals – if the wales refuse to release information, have kept their staff in the dark, have rejected any other statements or advice, or “made it known” they won’t hear such advice, than this is the result. This reeks of Kate and William asserting themselves on the media again, and seeing how far they can push them. Prior to Meghan joining the family the wales hid everything from ski trips to the name of their dog from the press.

    • BlueNailsBetty says:

      True. Their comms team is incompetent but the problem with this situation is William is refusing to play the doting husband and the Middletons, who actually care about Kate, aren’t putting on a show to match the official message.

      Actions speak louder than words and the actions of William and the Middletons are literally screaming cover up.

  32. Berkeleyfarm says:

    A Spanish royal-watcher in one of my other groups definitely thinks the “Kate’s in a coma” journalist is a sensationalist hack who is not credible. That person is a close colleague of the very powerful journalist (former boss at “Hola”) who is a close buddy of Juan Carlos and hates Letizia, and who platformed the delusional person claiming to have had an affair with Letizia.

    But the idea that it’s kind of taken this long for KP to get busy really does show how incompetent they are. (Ya shouldn’t hire people you fancy, Will.)

  33. Jaded says:

    William’s in this up to his clenched jaw. All he’d have to say to the media is “We appreciate your concern. Kate is doing well after a medical issue requiring surgery and we both ask for privacy at this time as she recovers” but he’s scuttled away like a scared cockroach. He’s left the KP keystone cops to figure things out on their own and they’re tripping all over themselves trying to come up with a plausible story that doesn’t put William in a bad light. I know, I know, that’s hard to do, but the more he stays in the shadows the worse he looks.

    • Where'sMyTiara says:

      It’s very much giving the impression that William has been ordered to stand down and stay out of the headlines.

  34. Slippers4life says:

    I think it’s incompetence of the comms people, but I also think it’s secret warring separate royal courts that they are really bad at.
    When the Successes (wait my autocorrect corrected Sussexes to the Successes…ill allow it. Fair nickname)separated from the Kensington Palace court and two separate courts were established, this is when the leaks and the lies really became so obvious.
    I don’t doubt that this “mess” is just yet again, caused by the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing and the left hand hates the right hand, or in this case, they both hate each other.
    If they were not secretly separated, this shit would be far easier to contain. My bet is on two secret royal courts having fighting and competing and the toxicity is spilling out to the public.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Slippers4life, I agree. Take the sheer incompetence of the competing PR and add in the Wails not wanting to give an inch with their privacy and you have this mess.

      It’s quite possible that KHate had a hysterectomy and she doesn’t want to tell people. It could be that basic. I also doubt that she had anything to do with the December 28th motorcade. Someone here has already identified where that was located, and it wasn’t on a way to a hospital.

      I suspect that she’s been with Ma Mids. Could she be at Adelaide Cottage? Sure. After the articles about her birthday that the Mids were pampering her, that’s where I think she’s been. They can claim privacy all they want, but they’re going to be forced to give more information than they have in order to calm the waters. They need to be very clear, too, why KHate needs such a LONG recouperation period.

      To the ‘royal sources’ and the bm all that I can say is that you reap what you sow.

    • QuiteContrary says:

      I love “Successes” for the Sussexes.

  35. Nadia says:

    They give vague details so they open the doors up for speculation.

  36. Beverley says:

    I sooner believe the Spanish press before I accepted anything either of the palaces or press says.

  37. justwastingtime says:

    It’s odd. I can’t help but feel like the press could get information on at least Kate’s current location, if they wanted to. After all, from prior years we know that they are not above hacking phones and paying off the police.

    Which leads me to believe that their employers wouldn’t publish that info. Do we think that there is a formal embargo similar to what William reportedly obtained around the time of the rumors of his affair?

  38. JaneS says:

    Why not take a photo of Kate? Post it on their official site with a Thanks for the well wishes?
    proof that she is on the mend.
    I really think if they try to keep Kate under cover completely until after Easter, the tabs are gonna just go over the top with a new lie every day.

  39. AC says:

    They seem to only push back when they have literally completely lost control of their own narratives ESP what it looks like to the rest of the world. And they looked Bad.