NY Post: Princess Kate’s rep insists that ‘we’d only be providing significant updates’

Real talk: I think a lot of people would have accepted the Princess of Wales’s recovery timeline as “post-Easter” if Kensington Palace provided clear and regular briefings as to her condition. That’s all it would take. The weirdness around Kate’s “planned abdominal surgery” has been compounded by KP’s severely inadequate communications strategy. They’ve never said Kate expects to make a full recovery; they’ve never said if Kate returned to Adelaide from Norfolk; they won’t even make a simple statement of gratitude for “the outpouring of support” in the weeks after Kate was allegedly released from the London Clinic. The fact that Kate has been missing for 60-plus days AND the palace refuses to talk about her recovery is what has caused the rumor mill to churn and churn. That and William’s behavior just seems… off. Anyway, KP has been getting a lot of calls this week and those reporters have been begging them to say something, anything, to push back on all of the rumors. Instead, what they got was this terse reply:

Kate Middleton’s team is speaking out in light of the conspiracy theories swirling about the Princess of Wales’ whereabouts following her abdominal surgery in January.

“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” her rep tells Page Six exclusively. “That guidance stands.”

The flak reiterates that Middleton, 42, is “doing well.”

While Middleton continues to recover, Prince William has resumed his public duties but sparked concern once again when he bailed on a royal engagement Tuesday for undisclosed “personal reasons.” The palace, however, reiterated at the time that the princess was “doing well.”

At the time of her surgery, Kensington Palace confirmed that the mom of three would remain hospitalized for up to two weeks and wouldn’t resume public duties until around Easter. But a source told us that Middleton’s closest advisers didn’t even know she had planned to go under the knife.

[From Page Six]

“Her rep” like she’s an actress with a CAA agent. They spoke to the KP comms person who is probably weeping in a closet somewhere. All along, I have wondered how much of this is just stubbornness on William and Kate’s part, combined with their incompetence and the incompetence of their staff. “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates.” Reporters are truly begging for proof of life and you’ve got Muffy Von Snooty the posh comms intern say no, we’re still going radio silent over here, thankyouverymuch.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

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276 Responses to “NY Post: Princess Kate’s rep insists that ‘we’d only be providing significant updates’”

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  1. Molly says:

    Missing Kate, missing kids, missing Middletons. Something “impulsive” happened…and Momma bear took those babies and ran to Buckleberry. #mytwocents

    • Pinkosaurus says:

      Strangest things:
      Missing Ma Middleton, and no embiggening articles about how she is the keenest, most motherly lynchpin for Kate’s kids.
      No Kate embiggening articles during her absence, including her bday which is always a big one.
      No “thank you for the kind wishes” social media post from Kate, with or without pictures, which KC3 did so well.
      Not actually spotted coming or going to London Clinic.
      Only one visitor once (William) actually spotted going to London Clinic, and no Middletons.
      Impaired William barely seen and canceling commitments left and right, with no visible support or backing from BP.

      Yeah, it’s not just the lack of updates.

      • Lulu says:

        Missing KEEN, Kate is always KEEN to something, something, something.

      • ecsmom says:

        Perfectly summed up Pinkasauros

      • ML says:

        I like your comment, Pinkosaurus. Personally, IMHO she has a right to privacy about her condition. If she doesn’t want to share her medical information, so be it.
        Now that said, her lack of a birthday was odd. Then announcing her surgery at the same hospital as KC—that’s fine until No One visited other than perhaps W once. She and/ or KP did not publicly thank the medical staff for taking good care of her. Her parents are AWOL. Abdominal surgery usually is less hairy than the amount of care she seems to need. W looks worse for wear and he’s acting strange. Concha Calleja said she is/ was in a coma and after she said she had faith in her sources, this story disappeared. It’s seriously odd!

      • Underhill says:

        All kinds of dogs that aren’t barking.

      • Megan says:

        This family needs a wellness check.

      • Christina says:

        Pinkosaurus and Molly are onto something.

        William may have attacked her. It may have been so bad that she told Charles and asked for refuge and Charles granted it for her, the kids, and the Middeltons. Cheating is one thing. Beating your wife badly is another animal altogether. And it explains why Camilla looks like the cat that ate the canary because William has always been arrogant and is floundering. It also explains why her siblings are carefree, because they know she is safe.

        If I were Kate, I’d let him fly in the wind, too, as long as I had the Kings protection. And I’d use the time to negotiate my family’s safety and financial security.

      • SarahLee says:

        I thought today’s article was an embiggening piece. Kate’s absence being more keenly felt than Charles or William – William being dull without the bright shine of Kate.

      • Esquire says:

        Charles will never go against his son and heir. The monarchy will literally end if it can’t perpetuate according to the line of succession. Kate doesn’t have that power. She married-in, like Diana before her. Diana was an aristocrat of the highest blue-blooded ancestral family. Kate is not that popular or respected by Charles, no matter what fiction he spins in speeches to make himself look good. I recall reading that Kate alleged Charles was the reason William broke up with her in 2007: “it was all his Daddy’s fault” was the quote. Camilla is a snob and would look down at the Middletons, though I can’t blame her.

      • Molly says:

        Yes, Christina. They aren’t posting photos of her bc she’s not playing. William hasn’t appeared with any member of the family because they’re shunning him. BP is keeping her/kids/Ma M away from him…and the press. William has been cut loose and looks it. And yes, Camilla looks particularly pleased with the way it’s all panned out. Not saying he necessarily beat the cr*p out of her, but did something that made her pull those kids out of there. She probably has a pretty high tolerance for her own well-being in peril, but not for the kids…

        And there aren’t that many places on the planet that she/they could be and not be seen/reported by *someone* …

      • Lucy says:

        I remember thinking the lack of birthday fluff was a little surprising. Like there’s usually a week or two of stories, but there was just one and it basically said she stayed home and did nothing. Then there wasn’t the weeks pumping up how she was going to be keen. I think think this is the first year in several there hasn’t been some ridiculous early years social media trailer about an early years push. Those usually start in December or early January. I think the 28th was when something happened, and the fact there’s been no better pr or cover stories at this late of a date point to something pretty dark happening. I guess I’ll be forced to wait. It will eventually come out.

      • B says:

        PINK- you forgot to add that Nanny Maria dipped

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        Excellent post @Pinkosaurus. A minor correction. Might be wrong. William wasn’t actually seen going into the London Clinic-maybe missed something. He was seen riding/driving in car with boys somewhere, maybe nearby the LC.

        Rebecca English seems to be the only one to make claims of visitors to Kate at the London Clinic. Coincidentally! She was there when Charles made a visit! What a coincidence indeed. Coincidentally, Rebecca English is also the RR that tweeted/claimed Harry & Meghan didn’t do the walkabout for the passing of QE2.

        That tweet has since been deleted due to lying liars that lie proven by people that follow the truth and have receipts.

    • lanne says:

      But Buckleberry is a place where they could be seen if they were truly there, right? Someone would be seen. My guess is that the kids, and maybe even Carole, are at Balmoral. Kate might be there too.

      • molly says:

        True … but wherever they are I think they are far from him. It’s the only scenario that explains the total and abrupt absence of the whole lot. Why he’s all out of sorts. No one is mentioning the kids are MIA too – they don’t get seen a lot, but they *are* seen.

        They announced in December a planned trip to Italy in January. They wouldn’t have done that if she had a “planned” surgery.

        They were last seen Christmas. Dec 28 ambulance shows up – never covered beyond a mention.

        Ma Middleton would only keep her mouth shut this tight to protect.

      • Blithe says:

        Which is interesting. If they’re at Balmoral, wouldn’t that have to mean that Charles , amidst his own serious health issues, thought that Kate needed a refuge, and felt strongly enough about that: that he allowed Carole to camp there too, and possibly supported removing the kids from school.

        I kind of hope that the kids are still in their school — if only because anything else seems like it would be incredibly disruptive for them.

      • Megan says:

        I think Carole is laying low because vendors she stiffed are suing her and she doesn’t want it in the media. Or William paid her a big chunk of hush money because he doesn’t want whatever is going on with him in the media.

      • molly says:

        @Blithe, indeed. He’d have to know what’s going on whatever it is. He wouldn’t want it out there so yes – take in Kate and kids, keep it all under wraps. Would also explain why, despite the bickering BP and KP households, BP has effectively supported and contributed to the silence. It’s damage control – and puts her out of KP and Bulliam’s impulsive reach.

        The more you look at it, the more it all fits…

      • Where'sMyTiara says:

        @molly agree with the logic re: how Chuck is operating here – with a few, off-piste clearly leaked by Will himself exceptions, it seems like BP has grabbed the reins of KP’s comms on Chuck’s behalf.

        That said, I don’t think they’re ensconced at Balmoral. They would have been seen making the journey. Also if she’s so ill she needs bedrest, they wouldn’t put her on a plane for that long.

        She was last seen Dec. 25th at Sandringham, Norfolk. KP said she was here, there, everywhere, and then a strangely worded piece which smelled of BP comms came out and said “it’s the school holiday so the Waleses are going to spend time with grandpa at Sandringham”. I believe that story was put out, at the time it was, to bring the “London Clinic/Adelaide” nonsense narrative KP was putting out back to Sandringham, because she’d had a medical crisis and Chuck was trying to get everyone’s stories straight.

        KP has not officially said she’s ever left Sandringham estate. Neither has BP.
        I think she’s been there since December, apart from one trip to an emergency dept in an ambulance.

        I think that’s why Chuck was in a hurry to zip back to Sandringham after meeting with Harry during that “week of crisis” when C&C, Harry, and the UK media were all wearing Royal Funeral Protocol black clothing (and Will was conspicuously absent). He was trying to keep an eye on the situation and making arrangements in case they needed to suddenly announce a funeral.

        Of note: Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, where Fergie was stashed during the holidays (Phillip didn’t allow her into the Big House after the divorce); where Phillip himself spent his last years, was equipped for round-the-clock care of someone frail/grievously ill. Updating it with a respirator wouldn’t be hard for this family to pull off.

    • yupyup says:

      Do you really believe Kate would have that much self respect? She sooo close to that fancy hat she sacrificed her life for. She would never leave. William would gladly drag her through the press and public if she ever tried. He wants to decide if and when it would be over. I still feel William is not acting like everything is fine. He is unraveling before our very eyes and Charles is doing nothing to protect him. William would wheel out Kate like “weekend at Bernie’s” if it would call off the BM dogs that are clearly hungry. I don’t think he can and everyone wants to know why. She did not leave but she isn’t where they are saying she is. If we get to 4-5 months and Will becoming more and more of a public train wreck that woman is not alive.

      • molly says:

        I dunno. There’s a bottom to be hit – and protecting kids would certainly do it for me. The longer she stays quiet the more trouble he gets, and leverage she has. I don’t think they’re *not* posting photos or messages from her – I think she’s refusing to play.

      • Agnes says:

        @molly William has had no trouble in the past making up statements by Harry or Kate. He’s already using Kate’s name again for his agenda as of today. I wonder if we’ll ever find out what’s really going on.

      • Molly says:

        True enough. But he can’t get a photo of her if she doesn’t want to… or he can’t get to her.

      • MrsH says:

        For all her desires for the ultimate prize and all her faults I 100% think that she would put her children’s safety and health above all that and I think Carole would too.

      • CassieO says:

        Is it possible that Kate sees H and M being successful and realizes that perhaps the gilded cage she schemed so hard for isn’t all it’s cracked up to be? Coupled with the suspiciousness of her being missing and the Spidey Senses that say Will did something unforgivable like putting hands on her or the children, maybe she’s agreed to stay out of sight until Charles’ health outlook is clearer and is going to bounce like the Easter Bunny? It must be lonely to realize that you chose a monster and have no one who will help you because they’re all beholden to the same monsters. It isn’t only that they could’ve had H and M’s star power and drive, she helped drive away likely the only two people who would have been truly supportive in a real, genuine way. They’d honestly likely still help her if she were able to reach out. You know, with her recovery from “abdominal surgery”.

      • Mrs.Krabapple says:

        @MrsH, do you remember Kate carrying her newborn baby down the metal stairs of an airplane? She was wearing stiletto heels and didn’t even bother to hold onto the railing. NOTHING is more important to that woman than her image, not even her baby’s safety.

    • HillaryIsAlwaysRight says:

      Or it just takes a while for plastic surgery to settle.

      • Nic919 says:

        That doesn’t stop her from issuing a thank you statement for getting cards and well wishes.

      • Where'sMyTiara says:

        @Nic919 especially as she apparently has a new secretary on deck that is specifically tasked with handling press releases like that for her.

      • yupyup says:

        @Hillary I can see it all now. Kate asking the surgeon to make the white Meghan and showed him her Meg look book. Results may vary. Now William doesn’t know how to explain this to anyone.

    • Just Jade says:

      That impulsive thing might have something to do with Willy’ behaviors as of late.

      • Underhill says:

        Looks like it was more than a dog bowl that got broken, this time.

      • molly says:

        Exactly…

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        @Underhill, it’s scary. The BM, in 2023 had many articles about Kate giving it good as she gets with her and William’s relationship. Things thrown and whatnot. Don’t believe most of what the BM writes. Kate & William do not look like a couple that supports the other. At all. Will seems to cringe when Kate speaks. Kate does the smiling forced face when William speaks. Both are not wrong. They are just not in unison. (or like each other at his point)

        It’s been a “supposed” six weeks now from Kate’s surgery. NO significant updates to share! Like Kate’s recovery progress is going well. I’m still spooked about when last month someone from the BM wrote that they/William/BRF wanted it to make it normal for the children not seeing their mom. WAF

        I don’t have trouble visualizing the Wank’s having arguments. Kate saying something like, “Why can’t you be as good of husband to me like Harry is to Meghan?”. That would send off the Incandescent rager.

    • NikkiK says:

      This is getting absolutely ridiculous and are the people around Will and Kate this stupid?

      I mean jeez, if it’s nothing major put some make up on her and do a recorded video message from Kate about how much she appreciates peoples thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and she hopes for a speedy recovery so she can get back to her duties for the people of The UK and the Commonwealth.

      I mean she could have gotten so much sympathy from this and thus bought herself a few more years or decades to do nothing.

      Do a weekly or bi-weekly release about her progress and how hard she’s working to recover for her kids and the people.

      It’s a friggin goldmine. Something definitely isn’t right or normal about any of this mess.

      • The Hench says:

        What makes it more ridiculous is that at the start they said she would be working on her Aarly Years project from her recovery bed. Now not even a flunky is posting on social media on her behalf? Either she is literally incapable of dictating a social media post update (Concha is correct) OR – and I think more likely by this point and given siblings on holiday – she herself is imposing the radio silence because she is NOT playing the game any more for some reason.

      • Jais says:

        @hench, if Kate is imposing the radio silence, what’s to stop William from putting out a fake statement from or about her, like he did with Harry? I’m open to all theories at this point and have no allegiance to any of them. I’m just in my “I have no idea at this point” phase 🤷‍♀️

      • Becks1 says:

        Charles is RIGHT THERE showing her what she should be doing – videos of him opening cards, walks to church, meeting with Sunak in a carefully managed appearance. now, Kate doesn’t have a constitutional role so we can scratch anything like the third for her. But a video opening cards? being driven to church to meet Charles (at what I’m sure is a private service)?

        He’s giving her a blueprint and KP is just like NOT GONNA, YOU CANT MAKE US.

      • Berkeleyfarm says:

        A lot of the KP staff really are that stupid, or close to it.

    • Just Jade says:

      Something fishy is going on and they may not be able to fully cover it.

    • ales says:

      Everyone is assuming that William has done something. A very manipulative predatory stalker who claims that theirs is a very romantic love story, is not innocent. What if her demands were not met and she went crazy with herself and the children.

      • CassieO says:

        Will isn’t a passive person and Kate’s brand is manipulation rather than outright demands, so that seem to doesn’t track – BUT I think that a mental health crisis could be an option. I don’t think it has to be a movie of the week kind of thing – or that being a social climber makes you a “predatory stalker”. Kate may be a wholly terrible person, but you also know what the BRF does to the women in that family who aren’t blood. You know that Will has a truly mean streak and resorts to violence and manipulation. What would be more realistic in that lane is that she had a mental health crisis due to persistent abuse. My mother’s first marriage was abusive and she was young with young children and in crisis, and she made a thankfully unsuccessful attempt at leaving this world. In the aftermath, she needed time to heal physically AND she needed time to heal mentally. Not at the same time – they both required their own timeframe. If anything like *that* is going on here, you know how the BRF would be reacting to a mental health crisis – she’d be sequestered. If Kate had just had a tantrum and did something dramatic, the BRF would totally sell her out. Especially with Camilla essentially running the show at the moment.

      • Where'sMyTiara says:

        If that were true they’d put all the Middletons, Kate included on blast, and William would be painted as the long-suffering victim.

        That clearly hasn’t happened.

      • ales says:

        Her predatory behavior is very obvious when it comes to Meghan. The intent with which she chased William was relentless, he was targeted. None of this is/was casual or excusable behavior, anyone who is believed to be competition is relentlessly destroyed and removed. I have experienced a few of these women during my life, they will charm many people and play the victim, but their victims will reel from the attacks and the never ending hate. They count on the fact that most people will form opinions based on their own experiences and believe their deception, there are many female monsters living amongst us. People make exuses and do not want to believe that men can be victims of very cunning women. Lots of people social climb but most of them are not destructive predators.

    • LK says:

      @molly Your comment made it all click! My theory:
      – Will did something bad enough and Kate has evidence
      – Kate took the kids and off to Mama Middleton
      – Pippa and James are out singing “lalala all is well nothing to see here”
      – the negotiations continue?…with wishful thinking that this will be resolved and swept under the rug “around Easter” – welp, negotiations not going well “maybe the jubilee!”

  2. Snuffles says:

    “But a source told us that Middleton’s closest advisers didn’t even know she had planned to go under the knife.”

    This. I don’t think their comms people really know what is going on with her. They just know what they have been told to say. And if Easter comes and goes and still no sign of Kate. What then?

    • Jenny says:

      Their comms people have no clue, and have lost control of the narrative. It’s now out in stories on Cosmo and T&C and Buzzfeed, not just controllable BM. Those are not high end journalism, but it’s a start of people outside their bubble asking questions, who are used to getting real answers.

      • Matthew says:

        I just saw it on The Cut (New York Magazine). Not exactly high end journalism but the NYC media definitely sees that

      • D says:

        There was an article on the NYTime’s website about all of this last night.

      • The Hench says:

        Twitter has gone nuts and the craziest theories are out there. The comms people are definitely not in Kansas any more…

      • BeanieBean says:

        Saw it mentioned on Good Morning America this morning. The GMA reporter in London talked about how people are talking & especially contrasting this with how Charles handled his health issue–with openness & updates.

      • Charley says:

        It’s made it to BBC now too

        Analysis: A royal dilemma as public curiosity over Kate grows https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68440735

        If the BBC are even mentioning it the pressure is on

      • Eurydice says:

        NBC posted an article about Where’s Kate. My favorite supposition is that she’s a contestant on The Masked Singer

    • Beach Dreams says:

      They’ll play around with the wording of their initial briefings and point to the vague “AFTER Easter” line, then point to the Trooping as the “real” expected return. But I don’t think they can afford to wait another three months without the conspiracies going into overdrive…

    • ales says:

      What if K returns with feminine curves. Surgically creating a waist and hips etc takes many months of recovery.

    • Where'sMyTiara says:

      They’re seriously out here acting like Kate is gonna rise from her bed at Easter like some dang Wiglet Jesus and go out and start waving at people from the balcony at BP.

      These people working at KP need to stop the field trips to Kew Gardens to pick their recreational drugs frfr…

      • zinjazin says:

        The staff at Kp is in desperate of a reality check and to get a grip.
        They cant keep this bs up.
        At this point they have created to much pressure on her “return” like what will it even look like at this point?
        Complete silence for months while conspiracies grows and serious journalists starts asking questions, the what, tadaaa here she is waving smiling?
        This is 2024 fgs that is not how things are done anymore.

  3. Mslove says:

    I think it’s stubbornness and incompetence because the Wails are arrogant & lazy.

    • Lulu says:

      Agree 100 % but I’m also in the many things can be true camp.

    • Kit says:

      Stubbornness, arrogance, laziness, and incompetence do not exclude shady going -ons in the House of Windsor. More likely, the Windsors breed these traits and harbor bad actions. E.g. accepting shopping bags full of cash, pedophilia ring, soliciting bribery, etc.

      Harry is one of the few who got away and living his own life. Sarah Chatto is another.

  4. Eurydice says:

    Maybe they don’t have significant updates because Kate herself isn’t significant. And they didn’t specify which Easter – Orthodox Easter is May 5th.

    • BeanieBean says:

      Day in, day out, are there any significant changes for a person in a coma?

      • CC730 says:

        No but doing well is the go to for family when a loved one is in hospital (even coma). It means it’s not worse…..

    • gigi23 says:

      If KP try to claim they meant Greek Orthodox Easter then we’re firmly in farce territory. Charles is the head of the Church of England.

    • Agreatreckoning says:

      It’s also a leap year. The BM/KP are skipping Easter this year?

  5. Beverley says:

    Something is terribly wrong here.

    • Nic919 says:

      William is why this is a mess. He has stated before that he thinks he is good at everything except when it explodes and then he blames his staff (see Caribbean flop tour). This stubborn response is clearly coming from William despite the fact that it is his flakiness and cancelling things last minute that have placed a stronger focus on Kate’s whereabouts.

      She was out of public view much longer when she dealing with HG, but even then she was seen at the hospital if briefly so there wasn’t this rampant speculation.

      • Eurydice says:

        William is why many things are a mess and why they will continue to be a mess. People have known about his flaws, but I don’t know that any expected he’d be literally incapable of anything.

  6. pyritedigger says:

    No one will convince me this isn’t plastic surgery recovery (or recovery from botched plastic surgery) and the continued attention on where Kate is super embarrassing for the royals. I think it’s the only reasonable explanation for the secrecy.

    • Normades says:

      I’m sorta thinking this myself given the lack of any pictures and her just not giving any news at all is a way of yanking Wills chain and showing how much he ‘needs’ her.

    • Sunday says:

      I don’t think the press would protect her in this way for this long if it were as simple as bad botox. At the very least Tatler would have published a pointed, snarky “10 times Kate was all smiles!” or other digs.

    • Jenny says:

      That would have seemed plausible if there had at least been some kind of statements released from her. It’s also a really long time for successful plastic surgery recovery—I had to have some pretty dramatic facial work done as a result of skin cancer, and by six weeks it wasn’t notable from 10 feet away. Certainly easily totally photoshopped for a low-res Insta “thank you” photo.
      Now if there were serious complications, not just from the plastics part but from anathesia….that might be a totally different problem.

      • Arbaz says:

        One thing worth noting is that in response to conchas allegations, the palace source replied, ” thats absolutely not the case”
        Here they are not going all out and saying that she isn’t in a coma but are doing wordplay as to negating the statement in its entirety.
        This itself is sus because the first answer to such an allegation would be to use the word coma in the answer as well.
        Instead they have skirted around it and avoided saying the actual words ” she is not in a coma”

      • Where'sMyTiara says:

        @Arbaz yeah, the palaces dropped contesting the coma story when Concha Calleja fired back at them saying “my sources are solid” and basically daring them to sue her in court. Which they won’t do, because of discovery, which goes on record – they’re terrified of anyone knowing what’s really going on.

        They don’t want the truth out there so they’re just not contesting the coma story from the Spanish press directly anymore, pretending to “never complain, never explain” their way out of it.

        But by getting butthurt about the story to start with, the horse is already out of the barn, so to speak…

        Like Kaiser and so many others have said: How are the Palaces so freaking bad at basic Public Relations? It’s literally their only g-d job.

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        Important things to note @Arbaz. The palaces sued about Kate’s teets being photographed while on vacation. Yet, over the years, Kate couldn’t find her underwear drawer during official engagement/trips. Silence from legal.

        Kate’s been MIA for over two months and no ‘significant updates’ regarding a future Queen Consort, wife of a future king, birther of a future future King and who is also taxpayer funded. Wasn’t that the argument about H&M? IT’S OUR BUSINESS TO KNOW BECAUSE THEY’RE TAXPAYER FUNDED.

        Where is Kate? And why is there so much concern that Meghan dared to have lunch and dinner on the same day? WTH Who eats at least twice a day? With people? l/s hmmmm

    • Nic919 says:

      I don’t think even the British tabloids would protect Kate this long for plastic surgery. They certainly hinted at it when she was in France for it a few years ago. (It’s when the wonky eyebrows became more obvious).

    • JP says:

      That’s starting to be what I’m leaning towards as well. Otherwise, why wouldn’t they take the opportunity for a “candid” photo of her resting while cuddling with the kids, or whatever the equivalent is of reading her get well cards like Charles?

    • Beach Dreams says:

      Nah, they wouldn’t be acting like this if that were the case. Will alone has shown himself to be in varying states of inebriation and distress the few times he’s been out. He wouldn’t act like that about Kate if something serious hadn’t gone down.

      • pyritedigger says:

        Botched plastic surgery can be fatal. It’s possible it turned into something more serious while she was being operated on.

      • Beach Dreams says:

        Eh, between the Spanish media’s briefings and the British media’s numerous insinuations about her mental health, I’m still not buying plastic surgery as an option.

      • PC says:

        Scheduled plastic surgery still doesn’t explain the secretive hospital rush on 12/28. Nor why no Keening on her birthday 1/9. She supposedly had surgery on 1/16 but we haven’t seen her since Xmas. Too much time has passed without a word from her. Now this curt comms response that still tell us nothing. Something is rotten in the state of Windsor.

      • Jaded says:

        @pyritedigger — Kate would have the best plastic surgeons in the country looking after her if this were the case, it’s something else.

        @Beach Dreams — I’m not buying plastic surgery either. The more I ponder it the more I think it’s a combination of physical/mental health problems that Bulliam caused and she, Carol(E) and the kids are at Balmoral.

      • Brenda says:

        A) I hope Joan Rivers rests in peace.

        B) I tell patients who are talking about their fears about an upcoming surgery that it’s probably not the surgeon that determines whether they walk afterwards. It’s the anesthesiologist. He’s the guy that pushes you down and then brings you back up. No one ever thinks of that. Also, even with the best anesthesia job, things still happen. Clots form and lodge somewhere else, arrhythmias happen, etc.
        BTW- the moral of the story is, say hi to the anesthesiologist the morning of the surgery and make sure he looks ok 😉

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        If you’re a representative of the medical community @Brenda, you would not outright say that to a patient. Unless it was someone you knew personally and said it outside of a medical facility.imo/experience

        Through my minor surgery, my husband’s and our daughter’s(which was basic-myringotomy-though at the time it was major when she was 2 to me), the anesthesiologist provided more comfort than the surgeon. The anesthesiologist’s office made follow up phone calls faster than the surgeons. Fast forward/back to the future?

        Was in the same grade as the son of highly known surgeon in the ’80’s in my area/county. Emphasis on highly (he also walked in wealthy society). That Dr./surgeon was found out to be a major cokehead. He was fired. The best evidence against him came from the anesthesiologist. He kept meticulous notes and was well respected with people that worked with him. I could go into a story about another anesthesiologist that recently won a lawsuit against a hospital in Michigan that fired them. Major dollars. That anesthesiologist wouldn’t lie to protect the surgeon’s malpractice.

    • Jay says:

      Maybe – but why do it right now? It’s normal for us not to see the Wails during the summer at all. If she wanted to get some dramatic work done, surely the time to choose would be those 8-10 weeks where they aren’t expected to show up at all? And then any changes to her appearance in September would be put down to the fact that she finally “had a chance to unwind” and got a tan in Mustique.

      Her birthday usually kicks off her busy* period and includes big public events like the BAFTAs, St. David’s Day in Wales, the Irish guards event, Easter, and Trooping the Colour. These are occasions where she would certainly be photographed, so having fresh work seems risky.

      *By her standards

    • Robert Phillips says:

      I would have said plastic surgery also. Except for the fact. The kids haven’t been trotted out to cover. No one has seen or talked to the Middletons. And the fact William is spiraling. If it were just plastic surgery then William wouldn’t be anywhere as out of control as right now. And he would be trotting the kids out for photos showing what a great father he is. The Middletons and kids are in lockdown. So they won’t spill what is actually going on. My opinion. William announced the divorce around Christmas. They came to actual physical blows. And William lost his incandescent temper and really hurt her. The ambulance going but no one knowing who’s in it. At first they thought she would pull through. That’s why in the very beginning they were saying two weeks. Around the time it takes for bruises to get to where you can cover them with makeup. She didn’t get better. Maybe internal bleeding. And she did go into a coma. And is still in one or did die. Royals don’t have open caskets do they. So they could bury her now somewhere. And not even announce it until the press gets to the point of no return. Which will be in the next month.

      • The Duchess says:

        I don’t think she’s dead. They couldn’t keep the Queen dead for long before leaks started flying out of every palace in the land. The plastic surgery theories make no sense, considering she usually gets most of her work done during the two months she takes off every summer. I agree with you that some sort of altercation occurred over Christmas and the subjected involved divorce. Keen couldn’t handle what she was hearing, knowing her life-long mission has been flushed. Either she’s been injured, or she’s on permanent strike until Baldy changes his mind or she can get a better settlement. Keen will do anything to stay in the monarchy because she is nothing without it. No friends, no connections, no appeal, nothing. This is the most she has ever been talked about and hardly any of it is out of concern. People are laughing at her more than they are sympathising. What a mess.

    • gigi23 says:

      If it was that Kate could still be posting messages on social media to thank the public for their support etc. She’s been radio silent for 2+ months

    • Mrs.Krabapple says:

      I still think it’s related to an eating disorder. She could have required surgery of her intestines, stomach, etc., as a result. But the unknown timeline of exactly when she’ll “recover” makes me think the root cause is something mental. Because recovery time for that cannot be predicted, unlike recovery from surgery. And recovery is an on-going thing so there are no “significant updates” to report, it’s just a continuum. And the refusal to say what it is makes me think eating disorder. Sure, plastic surgery is embarrassing, but William and Kate clearly believe any mental issues are the MOST shameful of all. There were some reports (could be lies, but you never know) that William thinks rumors of an eating disorder are “disgusting.” To which I ask, “Really? Why?” Why are rumors of an eating disorder more disgusting than, say rumors of plastic surgery, or rumors of cancer? The answer is probably (1) because it’s true; and (2) because William find it particularly shameful.

  7. VilleRose says:

    Well they are certainly sticking to the “never explain” portion of the royal motto, never thought I’d see the day given how much the former Cambridges love bashing the Sussexes and blaming them for every single perceived slight. If the online conspiracy theories keep up though, they are going to have to change tactics. If she doesn’t surface by Easter which is a month away, they are going to have to do something else. Kate Kountdown begins now. They have exactly 31 days to produce proof of life.

    • Jais says:

      Well, @mary pester said, Easter is coming😂, which is really just about it being a type of deadline. I have no idea what’s gonna happen. I will laugh if she just pops up for the Easter walk fr. But either way, KP will have to make a new statement if she is not back by then. Something will have to happen. She’ll appear or she won’t. And then KP will have to respond. International press will start asking more questions. Feels like everyone is sitting back saying, okay then you’ve got till Easter. Tik tok.

      • Nic919 says:

        If she just randomly appears at Easter like nothing happened that will blow up on them. Disappearing for four months implies something serious.
        And with Charles being far more visible while he’s getting chemo treatments, really makes it look worse.

      • Harper says:

        Easter is roughly 90 days post the Dec 28th incident. I don’t know if that’s medically significant as far as healing or progress is concerned if one were actually in a coma? Like if Kate reaches that date without specific recovery milestones occurring then chances of a full recovery drop from 50 percent to 10 percent (just spitballing here). Those in the know just have to bide their time and act as normal as possible until then and us peasants have to likewise sit still and stop clamoring for an update. That might be the “not in a crisis yet” timeline.

      • The Hench says:

        Mary Pester also said that her source had relayed they were recruiting new staff for Balmoral for an incoming visitor. My money is that Kate has bolted to Balmoral under KC’s protection along with Ma Middleton and is sitting tight and refusing to play any media games to help William. Her KP comms staff are back in London, are under William’s command and literally don’t know what’s happening with her because they are hundreds of miles away.

        And therefore here we are. I think Kate is both recovering and negotiating.

    • snappyfish says:

      As I have said before ab surgery is a beast. The time frame works close to what I experienced in mine. I have no idea what kind of surgery she had but some ab surgeries require temporary ileostomies. I had a Hemicolectomy. It was a 6 weeks before I could stand up straight. I’m not defending her but I think a lot of this narrative is mean spirited as most here don’t care for her. She will reappear when she is good & ready. I’m of the opinion no one wants to take attention away from what the King is going through. Charles has always been a jealous baby who doesn’t want to be upstaged.

      • Beenie says:

        Agreed.

      • VilleRose says:

        I do think Kate is entitled to her privacy for recovery and entitled to keep her medical information private. But there wasn’t this level of secrecy even when Princess Charlene was grounded in South Africa due to her sinus issues. We got semi regular updates and pictures about how Charlene was doing. When it was clear that Charlene wasn’t doing well when she returned to Monaco, they were forthcoming that she would spend time recovering in a location outside Monaco. There definitely were conspiracy theories about the state of Albert and Charlene’s marriage at the time but it wasn’t complete radio silence and lack of pictures for months on end.

        Even just a handwritten or typed note from Kate thanking her fans for their support would go a long way. The video of Charles reading get well cards was a master stroke by Buckingham Palace. They really are outplaying KP and doing it well.

      • Jay says:

        I appreciate that so many people on here have shared their experiences with abdominal surgery of different kinds, and yes, it wouldn’t be surprising if she was still feeling the effects of such a surgery. I also agree that she has a right to recover in peace and not appear in public if or until she is ready.

        My comments are for how badly KP has dropped the ball with how they have handled both the announcement and the aftermath. They have done their principal (Kate) no favours at all. They were vague about the type of surgery, but then immediately gave details about where she would stay and how long! Not something that would be helpful to her recovery, I think.

        Then there were the clumsily staged pap shots and then a shell game about where, exactly, the princess was. First, she was at Adelaide working from her bed, then she was in Norfolk or maybe her parents? Yet, no reassurances or expressions of thanks on her behalf, which would have been super easy to do. Not even a post from William thanking people for the outpouring of good wishes and thanking the public for respecting his family’s privacy. Finally, by releasing so-called “deadlines” for her recovery around public events, KP is putting on needless pressure. Best case scenario, she recovers well and looks like herself by Easter. Great. But we all know recuperating is not always linear, so I think promising her appearance by a certain date is unfair.

        Yes, it’s astoundingly bad comms work, but more importantly KP has created controversy and speculation where it need not be. If Kate really is recovering from surgery and/or is receiving long-term treatment, by their actions ( or inactions) her team is really letting her down and making her recovery harder, not easier.

      • Robert Phillips says:

        Doesn’t stop them from putting out get well card photos. Or the kids sending a get well video. Or the Middletons going in and out of wherever. Pretending to be taking care of her. They could do a lot of things that don’t actually have to show her. But they don’t. Because if they do that and then it comes out she was worse off. Or even dead. And they get caught saying she was okay when she wasn’t. Their done with. So they aren’t saying anything. Which does lead a lot of people to believe she is not in good shape. Or possibly dead already. Stop trying to pretend their a normal family. Their entire job is doing publicity. And being seen. So they can’t just go quiet like this.

      • Sarah says:

        @snappyfish I can only imagine how tough the recovery is! And I understand how people who have been through similar experiences would feel as if people are being critical of the recovery time. But the difference between her and everyone here is that she’s a public figure. She’s still entitled to personal privacy, sure; it would be wrong for her medical records to be spread around and she doesn’t have to be seen out at public events until she’s healthy. However she also has people who could post on socials for her, release statements thanking medical staff and well-wishers for her, fix her up and airbrush photos for her, etc. These are just basic PR things. Instead, there’s no explanation for the complete silence from her or her people. The only thing left is that she can’t or won’t speak, which is what’s driving the speculation about why that could be.

      • Julianna says:

        @Snappyfish Her remaining completely radio silent towards the public has caused more people to talk about her and even trends on Twitter with all kinds of conspiracies. People that dont normally royal watch are chiming in asking the question of “Where is Kate?”. So, how is that helping not taking the “limelight” away from Charles? She has never had a problem in the past stealing the limelight from Chuck ie: Chelsea Flower show etc. If it was just abdominal surgery she would still be capable of releasing a personal statement thanking nurses, caretakers and well wishers. That is,,,, if she wasn’t incapacitated somehow.

    • Agnes says:

      @Harper, patients can stay in an ICU for months and months. It just depends on what’s going on. And they’re not going to kick a princess into a stepdown unit before she’s good and ready. Unless she’s in a persistent vegetative state and there’s nothing they can do for her but provide comfort care.

  8. Muffy Von Snooty is lying. Something more than what they have said is going on and Muffy can be as indignant as she wants people aren’t buying what they are selling.

    • LisaN says:

      This!

      We are talking about a woman who literally hours after pushing 3 babies out of her biscuit, was polished, had a blowout, and full makeup for a press call.

      I call BS

  9. Lulu says:

    Melania is regularly missing when renegotiating her pre-post nup. Just sayin.

    • Normades says:

      Exactly who this makes me think of.

    • Jaded says:

      Melania better have that money in the bank already, Trump’s going to be forced to have a fire sale to post bond, he’s going broke fast.

    • Robert Phillips says:

      But how is Kate not being seen getting her anything better in a divorce. Yes it might show William she is more in demand from the press. But if he goes through with the divorce her being in the tabloids all the time. That’s not going to work for him. So that’s not a good thing for her.

      • Jaded says:

        I’d like to think she has some serious Kompromat on William that she’s holding over his head like the sword of Damocles to get a handsome settlement. You can see it all over William’s ugly face.

      • Where'sMyTiara says:

        @Jaded kompromat? I would believe she has some.

        Everyone speaks of his gardening skills, but few consider his interest in the …geology of Norfolk, iykwim.
        Someone in that same rose garden received a promotion at the start of Chuck’s reign…

        And there’s also the curious issue of why he teamed up with their father to exile Harry, take his security detail, and leak H&M’s location to the press, over Harry’s plans to mention a certain C. Jones in his media lawsuits. Protecting a palace lackey they could easily have blamed as being a “wrong ‘un that went rogue”, over a blood prince of the realm? Make that make sense.

  10. Becks1 says:

    It’s not that we need updates every morning on her condition – no one is demanding, expecting or asking for that.

    this has just been weird from the start and more and more people are noticing it. (I mean Sheryl Crow brought it up on her social media!) and it seems KP has just been lying the whole time.

    Did she undergo surgery when they said, or was it weeks prior? Was she there at all when Charles was there? Why did William only visit her once with no visits from her parents? What was with the twigs in the front seat of the car that one day? is she at Anmer or Adelaide? Is william with her? are the kids?* Why, even now, when people are floating conspiracy theories ranging from BBL to william assaulting her, hasn’t KP put out something more than “we’re not telling you anything?”

    Again I say – we aren’t seeing her because they can’t produce a picture of her, however staged – either for physical or mental reasons (i.e. she’s refusing.)

    *these questions are only relevant in so much as william has said he can’t work bc of the “school run, and seeing Kate settled” – which leads a reasonable person to believe he is with her at Adelaide with the children. But is he?

    • Ginger says:

      Yeah, their terse reply is only adding to the speculation and conspiracy theories. They have been so cagey about this. No one is questioning what is going on with the King because he gave more info but is still able to keep some things private. KP are such amateurs.

    • Nic919 says:

      This response is William stomping his feet. And it is not going to work.

      Also why haven’t there been legal threats against the Spanish reporter. If what she has reported is false, it’s a big lawsuit and yes they have sued people in the EU before and no Brexit does not change that.

      • Agnes says:

        It does sound very stompy toddler. “When Kate wakes up from her coma, we’ll be sure to let you know, mkay?” What arrogant pricks. If I were British I’d be calling for an Act of Parliament to provide proof of life.

      • Jais says:

        Did willaim give any of the royal reporters this pouty update? I know page 6 is a Murdoch production but will the rota not be annoyed he’s giving statements to American outlets rather than them?

      • Arbaz says:

        One thing worth noting is that in response to conchas allegations, the palace source replied, ” thats absolutely not the case”
        Here they are not going all out and saying that she isn’t in a coma but are doing wordplay as to negating the statement in its entirety.
        This itself is sus because the first answer to such an allegation would be to use the word coma in the answer as well.
        Instead they have skirted around it and avoided saying the actual words ” she is not in a coma”
        They said ,’this is absolutely not the case” which could be interpreted as ” the coma was not in any post op period but due to some other cause”

      • gigi23 says:

        The Royals famously don’t sue (except Harry I guess) because if they did they would have to hand over loads of information to the defendant’s legal team during discovery. And they’ve got more to lose from that then they’ll gain from suing.

      • Where'sMyTiara says:

        Legal threats were made by the palaces when Calleja first broke the coma story, or a couple days after it started gaining traction in English-speaking media.

        Calleja came out and made a statement in response, doubling down and basically telling them “I trust my source, my source is solid, sue to your heart’s content, I’ll see you in court”.

        After that, all threats from the palaces regarding a lawsuit evaporated instantly, and the radio silence resumed. It must have spawned apoplectic fits in the palaces.

        It’s curious no one else has been threatened with legal action over the wild speculations; …and I reason this is because they absolutely cannot afford any part of what’s really going on to come out in public, on the record, in a court of law.

        Thing is, few causes would lead to all this fear and secrecy surrounding Kate having surgery. But “violating the wife of the heir” by any sort of attack is High Treason still.

    • Arbaz says:

      She is most likely in some hospice care at farm wood cottage Balmoral ehich is a full fledged medical facility.
      Wht concha said must have been true

      • Jaded says:

        Wood Cottage is at Sandringham, not Balmoral, but I still think that due to the new staff and preparations going on at Balmoral, Kate, the kids and Carole are safely ensconced there.

      • lanne says:

        I just had an awful thought. What if Carole and the kids are at Balmoral, and the kids have no idea any of this is going on at all?

        Surely the royals can’t be that crass and cruel, but I have to wonder. If they are willing to sacrifice William’s mother and his brother, they are sure as hell willing to sacrifice the kids if it means protecting William. And while George is the more important one, they could explain it to him as “blah blah duty of the heir.” (By sacrifice the kids I mean sacrifice their peace, well-being, and happiness, not their lives. I have no doubt that they would off the Sussexes if they could, and I’m seriously second-guessing what happened to Diana. At best, they got lucky with the car accident. At worst, they arranged it).

      • Shawna says:

        @Lanne – I actually do think the kids are at Balmoral with Carole while Kate is elsewhere. These poor kids. Even if the darkest speculations are off-base, this has got to be hard for them.

        History seems to be repeating itself (William and Harry being at Balmoral when their mother died). Did Charles think of taking them to Balmoral because of this train of associations, consciously or not? He showed up for Meghan in one crisis (walking her down the aisle), so this could be him showing up for his other daughter-in-law for once. Not that Kate should have had his support earlier, but that it would track that Charles shows up for his DIL sometimes.

    • Kit says:

      It’s the cover up. Just like Watergate.

      You know Nixon was paranoid and his flunkies were too or ready to indulge Trickie Dickie in all his dirty, criminal deeds.

      Willie is the same but worse. Indulged by all. He has generational inbreeding and is annointed by god. So Salty Isle is stuck with this mean doofus as their FK.

  11. Where'sMyTiara says:

    “Muffy Von Snooty the posh comms intern” I CHOKED LAUGHING

    And now all I can think of is Muffy Vanderbear running comms at KP.

  12. Jaded says:

    They’ve dug themselves into a hole so deep they’ll never get out of it.

    • Agnes says:

      One can only surmise the situation is so bad they’re afraid to say anything specific whatsoever, no matter how innocuous. “She’s improving” could mean anything at all — her heart rate is down from 110 to 80, she no longer needs vasopressors to keep her blood pressure up into the realm of the living, etc. I can’t shake the feeling she’s still in a hospital bed somewhere on life support.

    • BlueNailsBetty says:

      I thought the hole they dug when Diana died was bad but Kategate makes that situation look down right quaint.

  13. Jilly says:

    I’m jumping on the botched plastic surgery wagon. Otherwise she could do snaps in bed reading her get well cards.

    • Rnot says:

      Nah. There are too many ways to show her without showing her. Black and white, blurry, at an angle, artful use of shadows and draped hair, propped up in bed, even just her hand holding a child’s hand while wearing big blue. (I’m expecting that one for Mother’s Day.) There are so many easy and obvious ways to cover up issues with her face. These people are dumb, but it’s been too long and these things are too obvious.

  14. Peanut Butter says:

    This is becoming as strange as the Charlene and Albert mysteries of past years.

    • Snuffles says:

      But we got regular proof of life photos of Charlene even if she did look like shit. We’re not even getting that for Kate.

    • Honeybee says:

      It is more like king Mohammad and lalla salma of morroco. She diappeared suddenly and the king announced the divorce later.

      • Berkeleyfarm says:

        It was a while before we saw Salma again. It does help her that her son is quite fond of his mother.

  15. Beach Dreams says:

    Even with the past lack of gratitude Kaiser mentioned in the article, the fact that they refused to slip in a brief “Catherine appreciates the concern and well wishes” into this snippy little statement says a LOT imo.

    1) They’re beyond pissed off by the attention this story is getting (which is exactly why squaddies kept pressing on it to begin with, huge kudos to them).

    2) *Something* is really bad behind the scenes. Forget about Pippa and James cavorting around on vacation; they have their own families to focus on, AND I do think some are making the mistake of comparing these aristo-wannabes’ behavior to what normal people would do. The fact that Will and KP are being so incredibly cagey about the situation, combined with Carole’s (and Gary’s) atypical radio silence…it makes me think Kate is clearly in some kind of poor state, be it physically, mentally, or both.

    3) Whatever happened to Kate, the consequences have an unpredictability factor. Their prevarication about when she’ll supposedly return, the flood of contradictory messaging about her recovery and how well it’s supposedly going (“She’ll be bedridden for a while and not able to do much…no wait, she’s working from bed!…she has two nurses caring for her around the clock…she’s traveling between Windsor and Norfolk just fine…) They’re not giving a clear timeline or updates like Charles and BP because they *can’t*. There’s a level of uncertainty with Kate/Kate’s condition that they cannot account for.

    • SueBarbri33 says:

      Yes! Uncle Gary is missing too! Wasn’t he supposed to be on a tv program or something? What happened to that???!

      • Crystal says:

        Didn’t he sign for a reality show lol hes in the dark for filming lol or in on the showdown

      • Lucky Charm says:

        That’s right, the show where he was going to spill all the beans about Harry and Meghan, lol!

    • Princessk says:

      Exactly. Very strange that Kate has not issued a thank you to well wishers. This is either because she is still very ill or that there is a breakdown in communication and Kate and her family are having nothing to do with the Palace communication teams.

  16. Schrodinger's Kate says:

    Petulant.

    W&K’s people perfectly match in tone and attitude the petulance and arrogance of their bosses, particularly William.

    A little kindness and graciousness would go a long way in this case. Simply say “The Prince and Princess/Royal Family deeply appreciate the outpouring of concern and support for the Princess. Rest assured she is doing well and her recovery is proceeding according to the anticipated timeline announced in January.”

    I’m sure someone with better PR skills than I possess could polish that up. I’ll certainly never be paid for my writing skills. (I can’t even spell my own chosen screen name consistently!)

    But the point remains, these people ARE being paid to represent the Prince and Princess to the press and public and they choose (or are instructed) to come across as petulant and arrogant. So they’re just practically daring the public to continue to speculate on the worst possibilities. After all, it is easier to think and speak ill of those who are ill-behaved than those who are kind and affable.

    • Kate (Not Middleton) says:

      OMG YOUR USERNAME LOLOLOL

    • Nic919 says:

      This is all William. I don’t think Kate is in a position to control her media narrative, especially when her mother has been radio silent as well.

    • WiththeAmerican says:

      If he’s not able to speak for herself, then William is directing this sh*Tshow. he is deliberately not tamping down speculation. He’s leaving her out there twisting in the wind.

      this fits with how he treats her publicly. The contempt, like she’s nothing and worthless and he can’t be bothered with her.

      Her mom can’t leak for her anymore? Who put that order in. William let PP go bust and public humiliation followed.

      All of her power has been taken away. That doesn’t happen by accident.

      • BeanieBean says:

        You’re right. Not only does that snippy statement show contempt for us peasants, it shows contempt for Kate, his own wife. That is low, even for this guy.

      • sparrow says:

        I see it twisting the other way in some regards. He’s the one out in public, swaying and sweating, knowing full well people want to know about his wife. I bet he’s begging her to put out a photo message. If he has been having affairs, or if this is some kind of divorce gone wrong, she’s the one taking her time and keeping it close. He looks like a man under huge pressure, some of it I’m sure from her reticence to do anything public. Now, this could be because she’s very ill and certainly more so than we’ve been led to believe. It could however be a power game from a woman who’s been made ill through years of crap marriage and is now letting him swivel while she takes her time recovering from a collapse of some kind.

    • First comment says:

      This 👆👆👆

    • Underhill says:

      Yeah, that name is hilarious. Now you see her, now you Kan’t. All the comms people are spinning and spinning, in meetings up and down the royal halls, including Kate’s new secretary, that King Charles probably appointed…old hand to help deal with the mess. There is no template for how to deal with this mess, no protocol to follow, and their heads are all spinning. It will all come out in the wash before Easter, or some jumped up version of it will.

      • SolitaryAngel says:

        @Underhill: The name is actually ominous, since Schroedinger’s cat was put in the electrified box and was considered simultaneously dead/alive until proof was shown to either be one or the other (opening the box).

        ETA: Great name, but appropriately ominous, for what I fear has happened to Kate.

    • Shawna says:

      Affable is a lovely word!

  17. Charlotte says:

    I mean, come on! It made the Boston Globe this morning — a famously anti-monarchist paper! A quick proof of life photo would make this all go away, but no …. they just want to keep it going?
    Which leads one to ask why? What are they trying so incompetently to distract us from?

  18. Louise177 says:

    I don’t think regular briefings was needed. It’s that there is zero information other than Kate had surgery and out until Easter. And the strangeness of the surgery- nobody knew, 2 weeks in the hospital, out for months. A photo or quick comment every few weeks would have been fine. The whole situation was weird and caused a lot of rumors.

    • Nic919 says:

      The lack of seeing her leave the hospital is what really pushed this to WTF category, especially when we were told it was abdominal surgery.

      All other royals have been seen leaving the hospital after treatment, even Prince Philip who looked pretty rough that last time. That Kate cannot be seen waving from a car has helped fuel all the conspiracy theories.

      • Becks1 says:

        For me it was the lack of pics of her leaving but also the lack of visitors. Carole Middleton would have jumped at the chance for a photo op of her visiting her future queen of a daughter if there had been anything remotely normal about this.

        Either carole was told to stand down, or she is so genuinely concerned for Kate that she can’t be bothered with her usual PR machinations.

      • Underhill says:

        It’s Will’s behavior that had my spidey senses tingling. Why would he have to go on “leave” if all this is routine? Why, if it was rough but she is fine now and in good hands? Why is he falling apart in front of us? By this time, he’s made it fairly obvious.

  19. theoriginalrose says:

    IF she were to come back after easter as they say, the amount of tension and attention this is creating will make that first appearance insanely pressurized. We can all imagine the pressure she feels every time she’s out and about for an event or photo op anyway. It’s a dumb tactic. It’s likea pressure cooker at this point, something/someone in that circle is going to blow

  20. Interested Gawker says:

    I’ve been banging this drum for ages, come on, all together now, say it with me:

    PROOF. OF. LIFE.

    Setting aside the other spectacle how ridiculous and peculiar William has been behaving all this time, the fact remains Kate has not been seen publicly since Christmas and the well being of Kate and the children needs to be established to the public in a tangible manner.

    Pippa larking about in a bikini is not Kate.

    Staff driving about with a display of decorative twigs that looks like it was snatched last minute from a hotel lounge console in lieu of ‘hospital flowers’ is not Kate.

    William being seen driving in a posh car is not Kate.

    William publicly suggesting ‘Catherine’ shares his dismay over antisemitism at an event she was meant to attend with him originally is not proof that Kate’s well being is assured.

    Now, even a statement released in her name is NOT KATE.

    “That guidance stands.”

    Saying ‘I said what I said’ in this situation is definitely not Kate.

    This had gone on too long a month ago. There should be video of Kate and her children of a veritable recent date to prove the well being of POW, the heir and his siblings.

  21. Sunday says:

    Honestly, that snooty reply is the most genuine-sounding statement we’ve gotten from KP in months. I’d believe that was a verbatim quote from Will.

    Even my classmates who slept through PR101 know that this statement will only make speculation worse. I have to wonder if this is all intentional, and I have to once again bring up that Kate was named as the Royal Racist just a few months ago. Since then, the internet has been completely flooded with conspiracies ranging from Kate having a BBL to Kate donating an organ to Kate being offed by Will – almost as if a comms team is intentionally flooding the zone with zany, outlandish content to make it harder for the real scandals (i.e. royal racism) to stand out.

    I think a mysterious illness and triumphant return for Kate was the winning tactic at the End of Year strategy meeting. And, it’s taken a while to pick up, but it is working fairly nicely for her. For Will, he’s been desperate to be seen as the superior global statesman to Harry, and so on paper they had him hobnobbing with celebrities just like Harry, making grandious statements about peace, etc. That was the plan anyway, except he’s such a disaster that he couldn’t uphold his end and power through these few events without gaffs (and corpses??) and so it’s threatening the stability of this whole idiotic house of cards plan.

    • Jais says:

      At this point, it feels intentional, the sowing of conspiracy theories. I mean it could be bc they’re so incompetent and it’s getting so bad that it does feel intentional. Bc at the the beginning, William’s people were out there saying that he’d also possibly be out until Easter too. Not very statesman-like. So not sure how that could be part of the plan. It really felt like he was practically “bullied” into doing anything. And even now, it’s just a once a week thing.

    • Schrodinger's Kate says:

      Omg,@Sunday if that was the plan it had to have been hatched by Camilla, because anyone who knows these two know they couldn’t pull that off correctly. One or the other is usually pulling an attitude about something, if not pulling out entirely.

      And so far, Camilla is the only one out of them who comes out of this looking functional and triumphant.

      I’m not saying you’re wrong. It certainly does sound like the sort of “I Love Lucy” type of shenanigans the KP team would cook up. I mean, who thought that “ode to colonialism” setup in Jamaica was a good idea?

      But if any of this was actually planned, it’s all fallen into a dumpster fire by now.

      • lanne says:

        to even try such a thing, you’d have to be extremely careful to control the narrative, because it’s too easy for things to go awry very quickly, as they have in this case. These comms people are morons to be sure–the “hail colonialism” tour and the “I hate the Sussexes” messages prove that. I think we have garden variety incompetence by unqualified people. The royals hire staff based on where the staff’s grandfathers went to school, and if they were born on the fashionable side of the street.

      • Agnes says:

        “I think we have garden variety incompetence by unqualified people.” Yes Ianne, that sums it up. And no one is more incompetent than the arrogant yes-twits Bill surrounds himself with.

    • gigi23 says:

      That doesn’t fit because Kate and William were supposed to be doing a tour of Italy in early 2024, they briefed the press about it before Christmas 2023. Something happened between Christmas and 16th January that made all the plans go out the window.

  22. ArtFossil says:

    Kate hasn’t been seen in public since December 25th.

    William hasn’t been seen with any other member of the royal family since December 25th.

    When we know why William can’t be seen with any other member of his family, we’ll know why Kate is missing.

    (Yes, I’m still in the deep end of the conspiracy pool. Which means I believe that the palace cancelled William’s appearance at the memorial at the last minute because they never intended he be allowed to appear there but couldn’t figure out how to frame his absence.)

    • Liz says:

      💯🎯 Artfossil

    • WiththeAmerican says:

      That part keeps getting lost, too! He is not seen with any member of his own family including his father who has cancer.

      Why is no one asking that question? Where is he and what is he doing and why won’t he be seen with his family?

      Who has really been snubbed here, William or Harry. The British media harping on Harry being snubbed makes me look at William being snubbed or snubbing his family: BINGO. Projection at its finest.

    • Jaded says:

      I totally agree ArtFossil. This isn’t William shirking his duties, it’s his family who have been banishing him from most of his public-facing events. He’s in a time-out for something very, VERY serious. And when you don’t hear a peep from Ma Meddlesome or the lout Uncle Gary it makes me even more convinced that William, for whatever he did, is now considered a pariah.

      • Belinda says:

        Or could it be because loutish Uncle Gary has a history of assault with his wife or girlfriend (can’t remember which), and he was found guilty of this in court so he can’t speak up? After all, one convicted abuser can hardly then criticise another abuser without look like the pot calling the kettle black. Hypocrisy at its finest. And Ma Middleton seems as hard as nails to me. Not the sort to be warm, cuddly and comforting to Kate when needed, but more like a steel rod mother who is totally obsessed with status. Diana’s grandmother gave evidence in court against her own daughter in the Spencer divorce suit, and Ma Middleton seems like she would top this with knobs on. I don’t think Kates family actually give a sh*t about her, only the status. I really really think Bully Bill hit her in the abdomen and caused damage and she is so very painfully thin that it possibly caused organ damage. I feel really sorry for her, but don’t like her as a person, but nobody ever deserves to be abused like this.

    • SIde Eye says:

      Artfossil I agree with your take 100%

    • QuiteContrary says:

      This makes total sense, Artfossil.

    • Kit says:

      Nailed it.

      It’s what hasn’t been seen or happened that is the most telling.

      That and Cam’s gleeful happiness.

    • Dilettante says:

      Me too, ArtFossil.

    • gigi23 says:

      Still no announcement that William has seen his father who is undergoing cancer treatment! Harry can fly in from the US to see KC but William can’t get in a car and visit him? It feels like KC might not want to see William right now…

    • Princessk says:

      Yes, l said that Bill’s absence at the memorial was because he didn’t want to have interaction with any family members who might ask him some direct questions or he is embarrassed because they know the truth.

  23. Ann says:

    My take. W&K are super mad that Charles had to go get cancer and they are going to have to take over The Firm sooner than they had hoped. Kate flounces off for a facelift. Lazy Will is just being Lazy Will. Sometimes he’s dry enough to make his engagements and sometimes he’s not.

  24. s808 says:

    Kinda weird that they released a statement to page six and not an official statement (unless i’m wrong). Also her “rep” and not KP? hmm. Maybe I’m spilling hairs but that’s weird to me imo. Anyways, I don’t really care where she is but the theories and watching W circle the drain is entertaining.

    • Jais says:

      Right? I just mentioned that upthread. Why are they giving statements to American outlets as opposed to the rota? Or yeah, just doing an official statement. “Her rep” is interesting. Would that not just be Lee Thompson at KP? Apparently, Kate got a new equirrey but does that person do comms? This is weird too.

    • Interested Gawker says:

      Murdoch press has been pushing KP agenda over all this from the beginning with repetitive bot comments praising W&K on social media as well as articles in traditional media coverage. I don’t think they were expecting the ‘Kate’s missing’ story to tip over into the mainstream. Running to their New York outlet gets that message out to an international audience faster than an English one and probably proves they are in over their head trying to stuff the toothpaste back into the tube.

  25. theoriginalrose says:

    I kindof love/hate how much i’m thinking about all this. Here’s my theory, maybe if i write it down it’ll leave my brain and i can return to not having to think about it:

    I reckon an argument flared up over or just after Christmas (lots of divorce proceedings begin in January), and she binged as a coping mecanism (she looks to me like she’s been suffering with and ED for a while) this caused an internal problem and hence the hospital dash on 28th, surgery was ‘planned’ for the next day, stays 2 weeks in hospital after a (maybe temporary) bowel resection , i should think an unplanned proceedure like that and it’s long term implications, are massively traumatic for someone in the public eye who clearly worries about their appearance, she’s had a breakdown afterwards hence the unknowns about timescale etc. Maybe the proceedure can be reversed depending on recovery and that’s why KP won’t commit to any updates. Maybe she’s sedated a lot of the time due to the trauma of it all?

    • lamejudi says:

      Maybe they argued about one of Peg’s current girlfriends, and Kate threatened him? Maybe she’s locked in the Tower?

      Meghan told u that she couldn’t even keep her own passport…

      • FlamingHotCheetos2021 says:

        They wouldn’t lock her in the Tower, that’s where they display the Crown Jewels.

        They really don’t need anything ELSE ‘unaccounted for’.

  26. Vanessa says:

    This is what happens when arrogant immaturity stupidity is allowed to run the show Kate and William are constantly going missing . No one would have even care if for the fact that Kensington Palace decides to announce to the world that Kate had planned surgery and then William decided that he could used kate surgery and recovery as a excuse to disappear too . When that was announced it had immediate backlash with William lackeys double down on his disappearance acted . When the noise got too much for William he show up looking a mess drunk and then he made a completely ass of himself several times now . Kensington Palace started this whole mess and have the nerve to be upset that people are asking questions they are literally running around with no adult supervision. Meanwhile Charles who going through cancer has been open and honestly about his diagnosis with public. While Kate who they claim is doing well hasn’t been seen or hear from nothing not even her mother who is Notorious for leaking has gone quiet there attack dog uncle creeper has gone quiet. Something is going on

    • Belinda says:

      That’s an interesting take on it, and I agree that William took the opportunity to skive off, but he’s a total narcissistic in my opinion, and so I personally think he beat her physically, and then because he’s so frighteningly self obsessed that he still used it as an excuse to not work ie “well she drove me to punch her, she deserved it, but now I’m the one suffering because I can’t even slope off and do f*ck all because she’s even messed this up”. He really gives me these vibes, he’s frightening. And hence the weird announcement of her having surgery in January, the commas people were panicked, and perhaps needed to get some sort of statement out quickly because they knew a Super Injunction would be out in place, but they couldn’t risk someone leaking from the hospital that Kate had suddenly turned up. I feel there must be some sort of special embargo/super injunction or D notice on what’s happened.

  27. Ann says:

    I’m sorry to comment again. I meant to add that the reason they aren’t putting out pictures like Charles is because her face is healing. Now, they could put out a note without a pic. But that would have everyone jumping to “Why no pic? Ah ha plastic surgery!” So they’re sticking with this. She’ll reappear at some point with her face all tight and the British press will wax poetic at how refreshed she looks.

    • Jaded says:

      Then why has William disappeared for the most part? Why hasn’t he been seen with any of his family members? Why was he clearly drunk or drugged at the investiture? Why have the kids seemingly been taken out of school? Why have the Middletons disappeared? None of this adds up to “oh it’s just plastic surgery”. A friend of mine had a facelift and skin resurfacing for serious sun damage last year and she was out and about in about a month. Kate’s disappearance is much, MUCH more serious.

    • sparrow says:

      Hi Ann. Please don’t apologise for commenting multiple times – I should say from my perspective it doesn’t matter – I post then repost under my own posts because I’ve made some error in the original etc. These days I’m determined to take things at face value. I’ve resisted anything lurid about Tom Kingston. And I’ve held tight to the theory of abdominal surgery for Kate. I was convinced she was avoiding photos because of the embarrassment, for her, of a colostomy bag. But as posted below, I’m beginning to think something could’ve happened to her head to make her so loathe to take a photo, even for William to take and post.

  28. Bad Janet says:

    Kensington Palace’s statement, and their double-down (“we told you she would have privacy!”) only confirms what we already knew: that Meghan Markle was completely abused by the British press and their comms teams. They were so pissed at her for choosing a different hospital to give birth in, and for not presenting a baby picture outside the hospital steps within hours. But Kate gets unlimited privacy, even as the world wonders if Bill offed her.

    Disgusting.

  29. Amy Bee says:

    How long before Lee Thompson quits as Communication Secretary?

  30. Goofy says:

    I want to believe she did a Katie Holmes on him. She took the kids with her parents’ help, somewhere he can’t force their return without the whole thing becoming public and he’s freaking out.
    They can’t release any actual current pictures, as they can’t force her to go along with the fakery later on. They can’t fake any health update in her name for the same reason.

    • WiththeAmerican says:

      Someone on twitter replaced Kate’s head onto Katie’s body. I personally don’t think Kate Middleton has it in her to do that, and I am sorry to say I don’t think she’d leave William even if he hit their kids, as suggested somewhere in this comment section.

      Kate knew who she was marrying. She dated him for a decade. She chose to have kids with him. She’s either totally obsessed with William or the POW/Queen title.

  31. Steph says:

    Ummm the fact that there hasn’t been a significant update even though it’s been a month since she left the hospital is a significant update itself.

  32. Maria T. says:

    I can’t believe I’m wading in here, but I wonder if this is an “Angelina and the plane” situation. Like, did he do something terrifically terrible and she skedaddled with kids. And he is spiraling. And the family is icing him out.

  33. MJM says:

    There is a part of me that thinks they don’t want to talk about her because William and Kate are divorcing. It’s like she is being phased out.

    • gigi23 says:

      If true then they really messed up cos people are talking about her more now than ever!

      I’d be making sure she still got photographed occasionally – but nothing that would really grab the headlines like a BAFTA red carpet look.

  34. MsIam says:

    I think Kate is incapacitated in some way. Meghan has been out and about looking beautiful too much. If Keen was able, no way she would be missing all these copying opportunities. Even her stans admit how competitive she is, especially with other women. So I think Keen is in deep trouble. I don’t buy the botched plastic surgery either,they can photoshop that away unless her whole face is missing. She can do a short video or a quick photo opp, something at this point.

  35. Snuffles says:

    I was just on TMZ. They finally put out a fucking statement. People had to beat it out of them.

    https://www.tmz.com/2024/02/29/kate-middleton-team-respond-viral-speculation-whereabouts-health/

    • Harper says:

      Lame and says nothing new. Par for the course for KP.

    • Becks1 says:

      Wait, is there a new statement? The one in that article is the one we’re discussing in this post lol.

      • Snuffles says:

        I think so, this one was on official stationary and included thanks to the hospital, the nurses and appreciating well wishes. The stuff we’ve been saying they SHOULD have said when she got out of the hospital.

        I thought this post was just a recap of McSnooty’s terse response.

      • Becks1 says:

        No, that one is from January. But it reads completely flat, not even signed “C” so to me it seemed pretty cold.

      • Snuffles says:

        @becks

        Oh, my bad! I thought I saw the date 2/29 instead of 1/29.

    • BeanieBean says:

      Wow, two whole months after the supposed surgery. Do they think this will stop the speculation?! Ha!

  36. Mary Pester says:

    OK, YES something happened. Yes Williams family have avoided him. Yes the mids know. No the children haven’t been in school. Look at willy, he is losing weight!!!! Gosh stress can do that, but shhhhhish the press won’t and don’t want to talk about or admit it.
    Yes everyone could see at the investiture something is really wrong with willy’s life, and no, none of the staff rushed forward to to help him when he dropped the medal! Were they afraid to! Easter is coming, BUT like I said the other week, Balmoral has been taking on more staff. The staff already there were really surprised as so many were made redundant by Charlie after the Queen died. There are MASSIVE changes afoot, so ears and eyes open 😉Heather is coming weekend after this. And that statement isn’t worth the paper it’s written on, OR isn’t Kate and the family grateful to the two phillipino nurses Billy says she has!

    • lanne says:

      DAMN, MP!!! Eyes and ears open indeed.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Mary Pester, I noticed the weight loss, because it’s changing the shape of his face. I’m keeping my eyes and ears open!

    • Jaded says:

      @Mary Pester — my comment was disappeared for some reason, as was Snuffles’ comment, but the gist of what we said was that you are spot on in your assessment and we look forward to your visit with Heather and a new update. I think they’re all up at Balmoral in a stand-off that William isn’t going to win.

    • Interested Gawker says:

      ‘…were they afraid to…?’

      👀

      Weight loss?

      Bruising(lesions…?)

      Oh my…

  37. lanne says:

    What would the palaces be doing if they were trying to cover something up?

    Exactly what they are doing now.

    The problem though: even if Kate reappears miraculously tomorrow, or on Easter, how will they explain this time? What story will the public actually buy? The international public, I mean. I suppose the British public will, at the very least, pretend they believe what they’re told.

    How will they do any work outside of the UK? They can’t control the international media. My guess is that royal tours are now a thing of the past for the British royal family–neither the king and queen, nor the Wales will be up to them anymore. So the British royal family, at best, shrinks its compass to the UK. Perhaps Kate and William will be forced to do the bread and butter events that they hate: Sing for your supper or else! They have poisoned their own well where the Sussexes are concerned (which I’m loving for them!) Earthshot and Early Years (whatever that was) will be abandoned. It’s going to be hospital openings, plaque unveilings, and fruit festivals for them. And the kids will be dragged along. Happy times.

    But William looks like he’s barely keeping things together–he couldn’t even show his face to his own family–how is he going to do any royal work of any significance? And we’re going to be hearing about “fragile Kate” for years now. They might as well get out some cardboard cutouts of the Wales and drag them around. The job of royal reporter is going to be an endangered species pretty soon–it’s going to go the way of the typewriter salesperson. The ratchets need to start dusting off their resumes (or go to Russia so they can be employed by whatever counts as media there, since sucking up to hateful people is their main skill).

    This is the way the house of Windsor ends–not with a bang but a whimper.

  38. sparrow says:

    I’m still sticking with abdominal surgery. Just about! But why why no photo from the waist up to hide a bag, rather than having your husband make oblique references to your recovery. It’s making me think something’s happened to her face/head. A cynical part of me thinks she’s either enjoying all the speculation and/or she’s got her husband right where she wants him – all alone in the public eye and squirming on the end of a hook named revenge, perhaps for a crappy marriage, affairs, mooted divorce. Who knows. Strange thing is, someone on here said the 28th Dec footage was in the wrong area/direction of London. Who knows x 1000.

    • Libra says:

      @sparrow; did she really have abdominal surgery? We are taking the word of a press release, issued by the palace. That palace that does not know the difference between truth and lies? We have all built this narrative about planned surgery possibly based on a lie, fed to us by seasoned, skillful liars.

      • sparrow says:

        Libra. Hi. I’m determined not to deep dive on stories but, yes, dragging it out like this is making me wonder whether it’s all a load of crap. All we have is “planned” surgery and footage of a motorcade. I can’t even remember whether the palace confirmed her surgery was on the 28th Dec or whether that’s the date of the video which no one has officially tied to Kate.

  39. Sharon says:

    My worse case scenarios are:
    – There was domestic violence & she can’t show her face until it heals, that’s why no pics
    – Kate self harmed after learning Will wants a divorce
    – she was in a coma & maybe possibility of brain damage
    Will’s odd behaviour, including swaying & dropping medals, looks like he’s barely holding it together. Perhaps he’s facing charges. Combine a bad temper & alcohol & bad things can happen.
    I hope none of these are true despite not liking them.

    • Kit says:

      Even if Will commits criminal acts, he will never face charges. There won’t be any accountability.

      The UK, despite being a democracy, has a long history of government collusion to suppress these things. Look at today’s headlines regarding the Postal scandal which took a movie and massive press to light the fire for government accountability even though it’s far too late for many of the victims. Same with the Mets, the Troubles, Windrush, the miners’ strike, Brexit, etc.

      It’s a very troubled kingdom. All the fancy palaces, Jane Austen country manses, and all the Russian oligarch’s and Saudis’ monies cannot hide some pretty grim Dickensian misery once you scratch the surface.

  40. Sandy Ringham says:

    She’s in rehab for alcohol abuse and eating disorder. Simplest explanation. Significant binge after being outed as the royal racist likely landed her in hospital after Christmas. She may have needed her stomach pumped (would jive with Spanish reporting) and then entered a treatment facility in January. Extended timeline for recovery because public duties could upset recovery progress.

  41. Beech says:

    Sometimes I think to myself, “Self, what if it was an appendectomy and she’s milking it for all it’s worth and laughing at all the speculation?”Thinking this as she sips a Crack Baby on a sandy white beach somewhere in the world.

    • sparrow says:

      I love “Self”! Yes, sometimes I think she’s lapping up all this “where’s Kate” stuff. She’s not the most charismatic of people, slightly dull – this could be a real moment for her. Sometimes I think she’s enjoying William suffering alone in the public eye, as some kind of revenge, for something like an affair. And then I think I shouldn’t be so cynical. Just moments before going back round in a circle.

      • WiththeAmerican says:

        Omg Sparrow, If she’s clueless enough to find the social media trends about her at the Willy wonky disaster or a BBL as good news for her image, she’s absolutely off her rocker.

        No one was saying they cared about her. No one. Most were “I don’t even care about KM/royal family…but a missing KM, that’s interesting!”

        So she can only get attention, two months after disappearing. Not great.

        Crack babies for everyone!

    • Claire says:

      I don’t think it’s good press for her, so personally I highly doubt she’s taking this long of a break just to be lazy or even because of plastic surgery etc (she would have scheduled plastic surgery over the summer during a time when she’s routinely not seen by the public for even longer periods of time). I think it’s truly something very serious that KP hasn’t figured out how to address yet, or it’s related to a separation/divorce and they are in the middle of negotiations, or perhaps both ( I think it’s probably a combo of both).

      • sparrow says:

        I’ve long held it’s abdominal and mental issues combined. But I don’t know. Their press is one big **** up. All I can think now is something is wrong with her head. Not plastic surgery wise. Something is stopping her from having a photo taken. Or it’s just a complete refusal to play ball for issues that relate to a divorce. In terms of press angles. I think the press is far worse for William. I find there’s a certain amount of sympathy for her, what with the questioning of her husband’s temper or his effect on her mental health.

  42. AC says:

    If the NY post hasn’t yet noticed their Princess K and their BRF are a laughing stock all over SM. They’re getting killed on SM and they have literally lost their narratives – meaning no one’s listening to their BS except those who still believe the trash BM. Even segments of the US media(esp ones not owned by Murdoch) and European media are doubtful of what the BRF or BM are communicating.

  43. Interested Gawker says:

    Ooooooooooh…

    KP has problems! It isn’t just social media jokes now! Forbes had an article discussing all this based on a Reddit comment that out lined EVERYTHING going on, all the main rumours and even facts like:

    “The same commentator also linked an article from British tabloid The Mirror that claimed Middleton was emotionally volatile but has since been edited, with Kate Middleton’s name replaced by Prince Harry”

    are being referenced in larger publications that are dragging all the dirt into the light for a new audience

    The Rota and their switcheroo tricks are becoming outed and ensnared in this story too, wow!

    • Berkeleyfarm says:

      It has definitely graduated to “more respectable” publications. The Forbes one outright called the Palace liars which really is quite something.

      • AC says:

        I saw that too. A couple of the mainstream US media are calling out their Bullsh$&t.
        And a lot of the posts on SM (and these are from people who normally don’t follow the BRF) have just literally been mocking K and the BRF. And their posts have been viewed by millions of people already and generated even more ridicule of K and the BRF on their comments section.
        The PR for the BRF right now is a huge disaster.

  44. Saucy&Sassy says:

    I don’t know why the timeline by the brf was created, but they need to rethink what they’re doing. Instead of waiting any longer, they need to get some honesty out there NOW. Whatever it is.

    • sparrow says:

      Agree. I always thought the “she’ll be back by Easter” was a restrictive backfire.

    • Jais says:

      I think Easter was probably originally said by royal commentators. And that stuck in peoples’ minds. But then, I think sources even started floating May or trooping of the color but honestly I can’t remember where that came from. My feeling was when is the kids next holiday. I think there’s Easter but then a school break immediately following Easter Day. The Wales have always been very strict about the holidays. They will not work during the kids holidays and they will not bend on that ever. How nice for them. Anyways, so when it was said Easter or a little after I figured the little after was bc of the school break and Easter was bc it’s a good 3 months post-surgery. But in truth, KP has issues nothing about that. However, if she’s not back around Easter, shit is gonna hit the fan even more than it is now.

      • sparrow says:

        Yes, Easter Sunday then bank holiday Monday and the week off is consistent for all schools, private and state. There is quite a bit of difference between state and private otherwise over this coming Easter. I’ve got some in both, and I’m trying to marry up term calendars as I type.

  45. TheOriginalMia says:

    Katie isn’t Katie Holmes. Neither she nor her parents have the financial means, nor the power to take the FFK and his spare away to some hidden location. That’s just ridiculous. More than likely the kids are at a crown property being properly schooled and care for and Kate is incapacitated and recovering somewhere else. William is disassembling, but who knows why that is going on. Could be because of his addictions or the responsibility he feels is going to come his way soon by Charles’ passing. What we do know is that KP is the stupidest, most incompetent palace ever in the history of the British royal family.

    • MrsH says:

      I don’t think they can take on the future king under normal circumstances but a violent future king that she might also have the goods on if rumors of his proclivities are in fact true. I can see Charles being willing to negotiate with the Middleton clan to protect the monarchy in those instances.

      • WiththeAmerican says:

        Honestly, I think it would be dangerous and foolish to approach Charles of all people with blackmail.

        Diana was killed. Kate doesn’t have a good out here and her family has no power, they’ve already been cut off from the media.

        I’d go so far as to suggest that they might have floated a Melania updated prenup scenario a few years ago and the RF response was to let their business fail publicly.

        This is the problem with marrying in. Meghan was fortunate because she knew high profile people who were on her side no matter what. Without those people, I shudder to think what would have happened to M and H and their babies.

  46. Berkeleyfarm says:

    The “Muffy von Snooty” made me laugh. Although with Will’s ALLEGED, RUMORED predelictions it is as likely to be “Tarquin Snooty-Britches”.

  47. sparrow says:

    In a way, Kate’s father in law has made things more difficult for her. He managed to make a little film and look at cards and say thank you for your kind words – the expected gesture of a monarch in receipt of best wishes from the public. Kate has done nothing. He’s not only showed her how it’s done but how quickly it’s done once recovery begins. It really does beg the questions: is there something so wrong with what she looks like that she isn’t prepared to be photographed; is she incapable because she is beyond the illness they’ve told us about; is she refusing because she’s in some kind of divorce negotiations and not ill at all. Surely they’ll be photos in the coming days?

  48. Renee' says:

    TMZ’s post about this today is a complete joke! Could they be more in bed with William and the rest of the BRF? Their post is a total puff piece about how William has been by her side.
    TMZ is complete trash!

    • Christine says:

      Yeah, it’s so bad. I’ve added them to my list of places to never give clicks, and I live in fucking LA!!! Someone is sucking a Windsor appendage.

    • SURE says:

      Doesn’t Murdoch own TMZ? And didn’t W secretly settle his phone hacking suit with M’s The Sun? Perhaps the settlement agreement includes W receiving positive coverage from M’s media outlets as per this pathetic take from TMZ.

  49. Dani says:

    Can’t she recover from surgery in peace? They said from the beginning that there wouldn’t be regular announcements because she wanted to maintain some sort of privacy. I guess they could have put out a message thanking people, but she shouldn’t be forced to do videos and give updates just because the King is doing that.

    • sparrow says:

      I was of this opinion. And I understand that with a colostomy bag (?) she could be too self conscious (her call) to do a photo shoot, however informal. But in not doing something, anything, they aren’t helping speculation run riot; at the moment all kinds of things are being said – about their marriage, work ethic, the future of the BRF, the state she could be in. This shouldn’t matter, and perhaps they should resist buckling under the pressure of public expectation, but it’s getting stupid levels of interest.

    • Interested Gawker says:

      ‘Silver Blaze’, a valuable racehorse, disappeared and Sherlock Holmes deduced that the person who took the animal in the dark of night was not a stranger because the guard dog did not bark. The dog was familiar enough with the person not to be on alert.

      In this situation we have:

      1: The Middletons who did not bark- no treacly press stories about recovery and Kate’s valiant and devoted mother

      2: The expected behaviour of royal PR from a sick BRF member (exemplified by Charles and Camilla) that did not bark- no public thank you from Kate to the physician, hospital or the public

      These two absent situations, from a royal watching standpoint, suggest irregularity. Add William’s strange behaviour and its clear that Kate’s situation is not all they’ve suggested it is. The statement given to the public today pours petrol on the rumours rather than clearing anything up. Kate (or KP)not taking this opportunity to thank the public for their concern when there is so much interest now is another dog that didn’t bark too.

      • Nomeb says:

        KP issued a statement January 29 that thanked the medical staff and well-wishers.

    • Berkeleyfarm says:

      I hope she is recovering in peace. That’s completely separate from how badly KP has handled this whole thing. The so-called “professional” staff would have trouble managing a piss-up in a brewery (as the British phrase goes). If they’d handled them in a standard way, we wouldn’t be having this wild speculation. There are ways to do that even without dragging her in front of a camera sort of thing.

      Other elements are “the dogs that didn’t bark” as well.

    • WiththeAmerican says:

      tell me: could you take two weeks off for surgery from your work and then just not show up, say nothing, for another month and a half?

      This is her job. All she needs to do is issue a statement signed by her.

      They said she was on vacation for heavens sake. If she’s really on vacation, why can’t she tell her work how she’s doing and when she will return.

    • Kit says:

      Sure she can recover in peace.

      That responsibility is not on the public. Finding peace is on her and her royal family. Look at Charles.

      The royals and their minions created this mess. The British press abetted with endless misdirections and conflicting narratives that they muddied everything.

      So if you are mad, don’t get mad at the public. After all, the British royals craved the publicity and the global platform. That includes Kate. So don’t blame people for taking notice because this sh*t has been stuffed their down throat in the check out aisle for decades.

      I think most people hope she’s in a safe place and doing ok. That’s why they want confirmation.

  50. Chiclit says:

    Harry and Meghan tried to tell them that media is no longer your Grandmother’s or Mother’s media. That you have to reply/push back/answer to bullying, nastiness and outright false rumors due to how current social media and online “news” amplify things. Only to be told never complain, never explain.

    So now arrogant Willy- who clearly is not smart enough, emotionally grounded enough to hire truly modern competent staff is left to deal with something-that if its really embarrassing surgery to the reproductive or gastro intestinal tract got blown way out of proportion. No one wants to cause Kate distress or hear personal details. But reassuring the public through creative methods is very doable and appropriate. S

    While I think any of theories posited above could be true I think the arrogance and hubris of Willy that he and Kate could take it easy for several months (perhaps apart) is ridiculous. I really believe that they are planning to “break the internet “ when Kate returns without realizing that moment is now.

    And if they had a current thought in their head, they could have her call into Mike’s podcast or a radio show, show a long lens shot of her walking with Mom or one of kids or produce a highly edited video. They don’t need to release a press release through traditional media.

  51. Amy says:

    “Only provide significant updates!”

    So i guess she is still in coma

    • Anna says:

      Yeah, why not: she is recovering well, thanks everyone for well wishes and asks for some time and privacy?

      • Underhill says:

        looks to me like they are being very careful to not put words in her mouth, or put out anything that people could later point to as a cover up…they are not putting out anything at all in her name. Now some journalists are saying she will eventually. Easter s coming…

  52. Lula08 says:

    What causes you to need emergency surgery for colitis or crohn’s ?

    • SAS says:

      Bowel perforation or a flare up that stops responding to medication has been my experience.

      As someone who’s had colitis and Crohns for 20 years, we’ve never seen any indication of her on steroids, any excuses around ill health (outside of her HG at pregnancy). I think there may be some bowel issue (secondary to a mental health issue IMO) but it’s not inflammatory bowel disease.

  53. Liz says:

    Maybe something serious has gone down with Kate. And the Middleton parents are ensconced at Balmoral with the kids.

    Negotiating a deal/hush money, telling Pippa and James to go on hol to deflect.

  54. LRB says:

    I don’t know what is going on but I do think the kids are at school. If they weren’t someone would have leaked it. The parents have no loyalty to PoW and somehow it would have come out… gossip in the coffee shop after drop off from the infamous ‘school run’ , or at the gym, overheard by someone…. Etc etc. That said, no idea where Kate is. It is very strange that there has been no ‘Thank you for all the lovely cards and well wishes’ etc etc.

  55. Underhill says:

    The trouble is that KP takes their public for fools, and we are not fools. “Kate had surgery, Don’t look over here!” is not the way to get people to look away. If they were intelligent, they would not have put out any statement at all. Why they felt they had to, way back in January, is an interesting question. Outright lying to people is the exact wrong thing to do, and they seem to be trying to avoid putting out outright lies (“Kate says thank you….”). Lies by omission, though, that’s another matter.

  56. Nomeb says:

    The Whales’ put out a statement when Catherine was released from hospital and thanked people for their well wishes, which I guess the author of this article completely missed. I’ll grant that KPs PR machine could be doing a better job at this, but leave the Whales’ alone. We have no idea what they are dealing with behind the scenes, but I’m pretty sure it’s nowhere near as dramatic as people here seem to want to invent. They’ll be fine.