People: Princess Kate ‘will come back even more passionate’ after she recovers

The Princess of Wales’s situation covers this week’s People Magazine, unsurprisingly. Before now, I’ve actually wondered why People hasn’t done additional cover stories, especially after the Mother’s Day photo fiasco. Maybe they didn’t want to pile on, or maybe they didn’t want to take a position where they would have to admit that the Windsors were behaving like clowns. But this is well within People Mag’s wheelhouse – a sympathetic white princess, a private cancer battle, and not much exclusive information. Some seasoned professionals took hold of Kensington Palace’s messaging last week and they’re not running around like headless chickens anymore.

After weeks of speculation online regarding her health and whereabouts, Kate Middleton revealed in a personal video message on Friday that she was undergoing treatment for cancer. Now, the Princess of Wales is focused on making a full recovery with her family to support her.

“She has the inner strength, the support of her husband and her extraordinary family, so she can focus on what’s important, which is her getting back to strength,” Ailsa Anderson, a former spokeswoman for the late Queen Elizabeth, tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s cover story.

In her self-written speech announcing her cancer news, Princess Kate, 42, said having Prince William, 41, by her side “is a great source of comfort and reassurance.” Meanwhile, their three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — were a key part in the timing of her message. The family of five will spend the next weeks together privately while the children are on a school break, missing the tradition of attending Easter church service at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle with members of the royal family this weekend.

Once Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis return to the classroom, Prince William is expected to resume public duties. “The Prince will continue to balance supporting his wife and family and maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Princess Kate will largely remain out of the public eye during her treatment, although she may join in events when she feels able. “The Princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team. She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery,” a palace spokesperson said on Friday.

Those closest to Kate say they have every hope that when she is ready, the Princess of Wales will return stronger than ever.

“[The royal family] is vulnerable at the moment, and there will be an even greater appreciation that they are human beings with frailties like the rest of us,” says a former palace aide. “They are so dedicated to their roles. I think you will find when Kate makes a full recovery, she will come back even more passionate.”

[From People]

“I think you will find when Kate makes a full recovery, she will come back even more passionate.” Okay, let’s talk about that! Because just 72 hours before Kate’s video was released last Friday, Kensington Palace aides were still briefing their favorite reporters about the big plan to stage Kate’s resurrection for Easter Sunday, and how she would be getting back to work in April. I still question why all of that was being said, given what we know now. The next “big thing” on the schedule will be Trooping the Colour in June, and it will be interesting to see the conversations around that. Kate’s video announcement bought KP a lot of time and I’m sure they’ll use it. As they should – Kate should be given time and space to recover.

Photos courtesy of Instar, cover courtesy of People.

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96 Responses to “People: Princess Kate ‘will come back even more passionate’ after she recovers”

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  1. Michelle says:

    OMG they used a “sick and sad” photo of her, but it’s an old one where she’s at an event sitting next to William! hahahaha

    • CatMum says:

      the photo selections in all of these Kate posts have been great. and here Kaiser has found the original pic they used for the cover! they both look really unhappy. I hope Kate pulls through. cancer is awful and nobody deserves it.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        CatMum, she told us she ‘had’ cancer. She’s doing chemo just in case, which is smart. She’s told us she’ll be fine.

    • Sydneygirl says:

      Right? Hilarious!

      And she’ll be even more passionate – more passionate than what? The bar for passion of any kind is set pretty low.

      • Shawna says:

        She couldn’t keen less!

      • Alix says:

        Exactly! And I say that while still hoping she had a full and quick recovery, no snark there. But the only way she could be “more passionate” is if she dared to work full time, not just occasionally.

        On a wholly different topic, I *loathe* People’s new(ish) cover font. So very dull and basic.

      • More passionate than ever meaning what. More buttons more jazz hands more hyenas laughs.

      • Jane says:

        Yeah passionate about what? The whole monarchy is a joke.

      • Lau says:

        She can only get more passionate … or maybe not.

    • BeanieBean says:

      That’s from the Caribbean Flop Tour. They were hearing about the devastating effects of a hurricane, I think at a church? From the same photo session that gave us the great ‘I’m SO interested!’ tilted head look.

  2. StillDouchesOfCambridge says:

    Even keener than she was before? How is that possible? lol I hope she fully recovers but I think we all know, the gurl and her eggplant husband is lazy to the core, if anything she’ll take this as an excuse to work even less. Wanna bet?

    • bisynaptic says:

      Just what I posted, below!

      • Granger says:

        I agree with what lots of others have said on other threads — that this is the start of phasing her out of public life. The fact that William hasn’t made one statement, and wasn’t sitting with her on that bench, speaks such volumes. He’s checked out, and is just biding his time until he can divorce her without totally ruining his “reputation.”

  3. Tuesday says:

    She’s very keen to be keen.

    • Cessily says:

      These articles make me believe she will not be back in a “working royal” role. She will be a housewife in Windsor.

      • Lia says:

        I think we would all be happy if we don’t have to see her in Meghan’s clothes again…

      • Jacqueline Thurman says:

        Housewive in the country side. William doesn’t want her back. Her royal ” career” is over.

  4. bisynaptic says:

    Even more KEEN! 😁

  5. Proud Mary says:

    Apparently David Clews filed a freedom of information request with BBC Studios regarding the cancer diagnosis video. He wants to know, among other things, whether a green screen was used, and whether any AI technology was involved. The royal family and their sycophantic media are so smug, they expect the entire world to be so enthralled with Kate’s performance that we should ignore all the lies that’s been told by the palace:

    (1) Kate’s surgery has nothing to do with cancer (but now Kate tells a story of her diagnosis that is suspiciously similar to Charles’); (2) that’s Kate in the car with her mother; (3) see Kate in this frankenfoto; btw where is the original, unedited version of this photo? (4) that’s the back of Kate’s head next to William in the car; (5) see “healthy and happy Kate” practically sprinting with her market bags at a farm stand.

    Do not let them get away with their lies. Please ignore their fluffy stories, like this latest one by People.

    • Red Snapper says:

      I genuinely believe that it’s possible that Kate is lying about having cancer to keep Will from divorcing her.

      The key to the entire mystery is the reason she was hospitalized. Once we learn that secret (!), everything will make sense.

      • Just Jade says:

        I guess she is taking one for the team since Harry’s lawsuit is naming Voldemort personally and they don’t want that in the news.

      • MSS says:

        Red Snapper, Kate never actually says that she HAS cancer though. She said cancer HAD been present

      • SussexWatcher says:

        MSS didn’t she actually say ‘cancer had been found?’ That, to me, is even weirder language. Because that leaves open to interpretation that it was found in someone else’s body (which was my first thought). I’ve only watched the video once, when it was first released, but I have to say my first instinct was that what she was saying was a lie. The way she was phrasing everything was too weird and seemed carefully planned to make the listener make certain assumptions without actually confirming what they want us to assume. If that makes sense.

    • Shawna says:

      It’s insane how 1 dose of half-truth wiped away months of clownery. This clownery wouldn’t have even been necessary if they gave that 1 dose of half-truth earlier, so why did they have to hide and obfuscate? Why hide the only genuine excuse they’ve had for laziness?

      I’m going to be giving this less of my time in the future, now that it’s just keenery again, but we’ll all know here when something happens that makes sense of it.

    • BQM says:

      I’m like three steps removed, so take this as you will, but I know someone who knows someone involved. It was filmed at St Martin’s in Bladon, Oxfordshire. It’s about an hour from Windsor. It’s the resting place of Winston Churchill and tons of other Churchills and Spencer Churchills. The person with the info is a royal historian and author. He’s got a lot of contacts. I don’t think the palace ever said it was at Windsor but the press assumed. But it’s never denied it either.

      • BQM says:

        Edit: he said a church in Bladon. I assumed St Martin’s but it could also be St. Mary Magdalene’s.

      • Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

        Do you know why it was filmed there and not on the grounds of Windsor Castle? Perhaps Kate is staying at her parents home and not Adelaide Cottage?

      • BQM says:

        I don’t. The location is literally all he said. I’m actually leaning towards Mary Magdalene’s.

      • Harper says:

        @BQM Thank you for the tea, but did this someone see Kate? Just wondering since no one else has. Also, is there anything historically more significant or royal about the benches and churchyards at Bladon than those in Windsor, where Kate supposedly lives?

      • Chloe says:

        I just did a Google search and look at the pictures uploaded from tourists to both churches. The grounds at St. Mary Magdalene’s look more like they could be where the video was filmed *but* there are several pictures at St. Martin’s with the EXACT same benches in the background, so that’s where I’m assuming it was filmed.

      • Harper says:

        @Chloe I looked at the Google pics too and yes that is the same type of bench, oddly situated amongst the final resting place of a lot of nobles. (Quite a macabre spot to film the young-ish princess while she is grappling with her mortality but I digress.) Assuming @BQM is right, why would they film in a place with public access when they have private royal grounds all to themselves?

      • BQM says:

        @harper No, he didn’t see her. But he’s a well known author and historian (not a rota or hack like Seward, Bower et al) . He’s known people around the royals and their inner circle for decades. And he wasn’t hemming or hawing, he was very clear and certain, so I have to think he got it from someone who was part of it. I’d trust him on pretty much anything royal. (Except the Sussexes. As an old school monarchist he’s got a very harsh blind spot when it comes to them. So I never mention them.) We’re friendly, not really friends so I didn’t feel comfortable asking for more info. But I really wanted to!

        I go back and forth on which church. I thought it had to be St Martin’s but then St MM’s had the pink roses….

      • Chloe says:

        @BQM @Harper FWIW, I went back to St. MM and found pics from 2016, 2020 and 2010 that show the parking lot has a similar-looking bench. Since those are older pictures, it’s not out of the question that they installed more benches around the property since then, moved one to a good filming location, or they’ve always been there and by chance no one has uploaded pictures that show them.

      • Feeshalori says:

        This puzzles me because I thought it was shot against a green screen background of daffodils that weren’t moving with bird sounds piped in. So now this begs the question if it was it filmed in an actual location outside with immobile daffs and no bird calls or in a studio where they controlled the background and sound effects? Unless there’s more than one video floating around. this just doesn’t make sense to me.

    • Sunday says:

      I believe they’re lying about something, and I believe journalists have a duty to get to the truth.

      But I think we also have to be realistic. These people are liars, they have absolutely no shame, they’ll either kick this FOIA request til 2027 or they’ll just lie.

      Also, I commented on the AI-related posts yesterday, but using a green screen doesn’t definitely mean that Kate wasn’t there, and AI could have been used to make her look different (better, worse, whatever) as an aftereffect, rather than to produce the video from whole cloth. Getting too into the weeds there just gives them more opportunities to stretch and twist the truth.

      imho the most viable path to exposing them is the international k*ll order; that’s such a serious offense and their response was complete bs. That would’ve ruined the career of a regular journalist or photographer. Their excuses should be rigorously interrogated and every photoshopped photo from past archives should be reported on and reviewed in the larger context. That’s the tip of an iceberg we need explored because that ties KP directly to forging historic records.

  6. Brassy Rebel says:

    “There will be an even greater appreciation that they are human beings with frailties like the rest of us.” There they go again. In a statement from a spokesperson which admits to no frailties whatsoever and even basically claims perfection, we are told to “appreciate” that they are human with frailties. The cognitive dissonance is real and makes my head spin. The only way to maintain the monarchy is constantly gaslighting us like this. Either they are human like the rest of us (and should be treated as such) or they are superior beings who should rule over and be supported by the British public. Pick a damn lane.

  7. Chloe says:

    I don’t think she’ll be keener or start working harder but i do believe that cancer will be one of the causes she’ll start picking up post recovery. As for trooping, I am kind off predicting she’ll be there. She’ll get a rousing applause from an adoring crowd. I can already see the headlines of brave kate stepping out to wave at the nation.

    • Becks1 says:

      i wonder if Charles will essentially bench her for Trooping so that he gets all the applause.

      • Digital Unicorn says:

        I would be surprised if she turns up to Trooping as it will over shadow Chuck and Cams and the event is actually about the Monarch not a married in. Cam’s won’t allow it as it will be their first one after their coronation.

        I could be wrong but I can see her returning to public life after Summer Court.

      • Harper says:

        If she doesn’t do Trooping then Wimbledon will be the easiest setting to control. Seated position in a place of honor with a contained sycophantic audience there to applaud and give her a welcome back standing ovation. We all know watching Wimbledon is her real passion project.

    • BeanieBean says:

      ‘Brave Kate’ never turned HG into a cause, don’t see why she will with cancer.

    • Dee says:

      I don’t think she’ll even mention what type of cancer was found that “had been present” ever.
      Kate has never been a woman of substance. She would rather play dress up and wear tiaras.

      • Becks1 says:

        honestly this is something that has been bugging me. People keep saying she’s raising awareness and I’ve seen quotes like “if this gets more young women to get checked out then its a good thing.”

        But….checked for what? With charles, while we don’t know what kind of cancer he has, we at least knew he had an enlarged prostate which DID raise awareness and drive traffic to the NHS site for prostate health.

        but they aren’t even saying what kind of surgery she had besides “major abdominal” so……how is that raising awareness? Am I supposed to go to my doctor and say, hey doc, check for every type of cancer?

      • Nic919 says:

        Fergie provided more details and has been more helpful to raise awareness of breast cancer and skin cancer.

  8. Jas says:

    Interesting point about the change in communications. I wonder if BP stepped in and took over.
    Watching the royals and the media rewrite the past couple of months in real time is a trip. The gaslighting and blaming are intense. As are the horrendous attacks on H&M. The new team is efficient and ruthless.

    • Jas says:

      I don’t think it will work though. The receipts are out there on social media and they’ve badly burned their credibility.

      • BeanieBean says:

        That kill order ain’t going away, nor are the investigations into previous photos or the double-checking of any new photos from KP.

  9. Ginger says:

    I don’t see her coming back to work at all, honestly.

  10. Carmen says:

    It doesn’t matter what she says now; after the KP fiasco, nobody is going to believe her anyway.

    William is getting dragged all over Twitter for not being by her side when she made her announcement. The Sunday Times of London said he wasn’t even in the area. The tabloids are trying to paint Kate as a strong woman who doesn’t need a man next to her. I’m betting she asked William to be with her and he told her flat out no. He’s going to withdraw completely and let her go through this ordeal alone.

    • Jay says:

      To be fair, if I were a producer on Kate’s announcement, I would only want him there if he could convincingly sit beside her and look loving and concerned. Otherwise it undermines her. And, well, we’ve seen how he looks at his wife – with contempt. Even in the photos attached to this post he’s leaning away from her like he smelled something rancid! But it’s notable that they are not even trying to pretend like William was right there filming with her but just unseen.

      • LaurieLee says:

        The fact that they said publicly that he wasn’t even there for the taping speaks volumes! He didn’t have to appear on camera but at least go with her and stand there while she does the video! Seems like the bare minimum.

      • Feeshalori says:

        He didn’t have to appear in the video to support her if that was her decision, but for crying out loud at least be present in the studio. I’m not surprised anymore that this man does not have any shred of decency, and he persists on proving it on a daily basis. He’s keeping his distance from her for possibly many reasons.

    • Becks1 says:

      He wasn’t even in the area?!?!? I thought he was glued to her side!

      I think a comment from one of the articles yesterday explains a lot – about how William didn’t want her to do the video and didn’t think it was necessary because she didn’t have to explain herself, but she insisted. If that is true (obviously taking that with a huge grain of salt), then it would make sense why he wasn’t there – because he was ticked that she was doing it, period and was off sulking somewhere to make his feelings clear. How supportive!

    • Shawna says:

      “The Sunday Times of London said he wasn’t even in the area.” That is ice cold. My husband would be happy to let me appear alone to keep the emphasis on me, but he’d be beside the cameraman encouraging me along.

      On the other hand, we can guess that she’d have been weird and guffawing and marble-mouthed with him around.

    • Sunday says:

      To me, the combined stories we got of “Kate wrote every word of the script” and “Will wasn’t watching, wasn’t there, wasn’t even in the area” after the video was released really seems like trying to keep Will a few steps removed from the video if it’s proven to be manipulated. idk, “kate wrote the script” has echoes of “kate loooooves photoshop” to me.

  11. Jks says:

    So much can happen between now and then. I still think we have not seen the end of KP fuck-ups and that more surprises will drop soon. We’ll see.

  12. Alice B. Tokeless says:

    “I think you will find when Kate makes a full recovery, she will come back even more passionate.”
    Well, she’d be hard pressed to come back LESS passionate about her “work.” Even a hint of passion about her role would be massive. Sheesh.

  13. ShazBot says:

    Whyyyyy are they pushing that she wrote the speech herself?! My god. They have entire teams and yet they’re hanging onto this perception that they’re just a family of 5 doing everything themselves. I might hate that lie the most.

    • Jais says:

      It’s such an insecure flex. Making sure everyone knows that she alone wrote every single word all by herself. She has a team and getting help from professionals is a smart move. It’s a need to take all the credit as opposed to thanking her team for any help they’ve provided.

      • BeanieBean says:

        That’s it. Kate, like her husband, wants credit for everything whether it’s her work or not.

    • Proud Mary says:

      Yes, it’s an unnecessary flex, and it reminds me of the Orange Nightmare boasting about passing his dementia test, that even third graders could best. Not only that, it actually would have seem endearing to say that her loving husband helped her. I mean, the woman is supposedly chronically ill, FFS! I’ve seen stories of Harry helping Meghan prepare/rehearse her speeches, and vise versa. No one thinks less of them because of it. The fact that they would go to such lengths to try to prove that she wrote it all by herself, is proof positive that she didn’t. Every time the firm speak in absolutism, especially when there’s no need for them to do so, make no mistake, they are lying. Remember when they told us Charles’ and Kate’s surgery had nothing to do with cancer?

  14. PC says:

    I still don’t know what to believe with these royals they lie so much. They’ve been lying for years to make themselves look good at the expense of others. From the crying lie to the Meghan was a bully lie… all were self serving. Kate having cancer (?) would have garnered them so much sympathy a month ago, but instead they tried to officiate and put out phony pictures when the truth would have been much better for them. I just can’t buy what they are selling.

  15. Amy Bee says:

    Just putting it out there that most people go to work in between chemo treatments.

  16. Sunday says:

    idk, they’re still being disgusting unhinged racists in their social strategy (and throughout British media), so imho I don’t see a change in the handling of their pr, I just see them actually pr-ing instead of sitting on their hands as Will spirals in public.

    • Shawna says:

      ITA. But maybe we can consider two PR arms: professionals arranging stuff like this and William continuing his “strategy:” screeds against H&M. William is mentally unwell.

  17. Becks1 says:

    I don’t think she will ever return to even the level of part-time work she was doing before. I doubt we ever see her break 100 engagements again for one year. Its awful to say but her track record is not the best when it comes to work, why would anyone assume she would want to work more after this?

    • equality says:

      It’s the same PR they have always used, isn’t it? Just now learning the job and keen to step up. It just has a slight variation now.

      • BeanieBean says:

        True, it’s very much like the annual, ‘Kate’s going to be really keen this year! Just you wait! Keenness is on the horizon!’ And nothing changes.

    • Lucy says:

      The fact they are emphasizing she’ll be back and more jazzy than ever makes me think she won’t return at anywhere near the half ass level she was at. That was her high mark, it’ll be one a month tops after she’s recovered. When the palace answers questions that weren’t asked, they are always lying.

    • kelleybelle says:

      It’s not awful to say at all if it’s true. She has no interest in working at all and Early Years was only hastily thrown together because Meghan was on fire doing her job and making Kate look like the lazy nothing she is. Tominey’s lie that it had been ten years in the making was just that, a lie.

  18. equality says:

    Joining some of the conspiracy theorists. Maybe PW didn’t want to sit with Kate while she announced this because some or part of it is a lie and he wants to put that off on her and deny complicity?

    • Shawna says:

      That suggests William has integrity.

      • Hannah1 says:

        Or he is just so bad at managing his emotions it would have showed on his face.

        Or it is too hard to generate two people simultaneously (OMG, are we ready for AI Egg?)

  19. Tessa says:

    I think William will continue to slack off. He has those school runs. No way did Kate write that speech. I am glad I stopped buying people magazine

  20. Liz says:

    I think her hubby’s already found someone with a bit more zing.

    Can’t help thinking those bruises on his neck were hickeys. Yuck.

  21. Mads says:

    If she doesn’t make any official appearances before Wimbledon and also misses the tournament then something is very wrong in the Casa de Wales.

  22. M says:

    Kate will retire to Anmer Hall, never to be seen as a working royal again (William’s demand – can’t have the cancer survivor hogging all the attention). Huevo will continue to have his “special friends” like Phillip, but they will stay married (Chuckie’s demand).

    • Liz says:

      I agree, though Chuck may not be around much longer. And I think William then will do exactly what he wants. He has the money to finance it.

  23. aquarius64 says:

    Kate is a propaganda pinup for the Crown now. Shr was thrown under the but to try and clean up William/KP’s mess. The cancer announcement is meant to stop Kate from being a global laughingstock but the damage is done. People will not forget her role in this PR mess. I think Charles/BP told the Waleses divorce is totally out because you wrecked the Crown’s image with your PR botching and your staying together is part of the image rehab. That’s why the Middletons are playing along; they know Kate will get the worst.

  24. Square2 says:

    Sorry I don’t believe she wrote the speech herself. 3Kate is more likely be more passionate dissing Madame Duchess Meghan than working.

    People Magazine has always been pro-royal.

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      I suspect that BBC Studios probably both wrote the speech and then coached her on it.

  25. kelleybelle says:

    Once again reaffirming my decision to never buy this rot again was a good one. People is a royal-loving tabloid. Kate has never been passionate about anything, unless it was a decade-long attempt to drag Will to the altar. C’est tout.

  26. what's inside says:

    People magazine ought to be ashamed to produce this kind of drivel.

  27. QuiteContrary says:

    “The Prince will continue to balance supporting his wife and family and maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson said.

    As he has done since the start of the year? So that means he will continue to do nearly nothing.

    Every time they talk of W&K “balancing” official duties and family, it galls me. Everyone else has to deal with competing concerns — without a cakewalk of a work schedule and extensive staff to take care of the cooking, cleaning, shopping, child care, laundry, etc.

  28. Krista says:

    I hope she has a full recovery and a long, healthy life.
    Being sick doesn’t turn you into a nice person though …

  29. Chelsea says:

    It’s really something that it was just a week ago that KP was briefing reporters lies about how they were working on Kate’s imminent return and those same reporters not only haven’t called that out but they’re covering for them by trying to make anyone who criticizes KP out to be a conspiracy theorist and bullying troll spreading disinformation despite the fact that it’s clear that KP was the one spreading the disinformation.

    And honestly their repeated lies about when Kate would get back to work is extremely unfair to her. Chemotherapy is a very serious and terrible thing to be going through; she should be able to focus on that and get back to work when cleared by her doctor but KPs constant conflicting briefings make this timeline a subject of the conversation.