There is great sympathy after Princess Kate’s video message. The discussion is not only about her cancer diagnosis, but also about the role of social media – and about the major challenges facing the palace.
Kate in a striped sweater and jeans on the park bench – that’s how you see her on every cover. The fate of the princess is the dominant topic in Great Britain. Kate had ended her video message informing the public about her cancer treatment with the words: “Please don’t lose your faith or your hope, you are not alone.”
The tabloid “The Sun” took up this sentence and wrote: “Kate, you are not alone.” It reflects the emotional state of the population. The sympathy is great.
Aside from Kate’s popularity as a member of the royal family, a lot of people can identify with her at this moment – be it because they have had cancer themselves, or because they know how a mother feels when she is weak, but wants to be strong for the children.
“Two of the most important people taken out of action”
As expected, the state of the “company”, as the royal family is called, is now also being discussed. It was King Charles’ plan to slim down the company. Now, however, it seems to be understaffed. King Charles made his cancer public in February, and it is now clear that Kate will also be out for a long time.
Simon Lewis, Queen Elizabeth II’s former press chief, spoke on the BBC about the major challenges facing the palace:
The royal family has become smaller anyway, and now two of the most important people are out of action. And as a loving husband, the Prince of Wales will of course also want to ensure that the Princess recovers well. The fact is: There are currently fewer members of the royal family than before who can carry out royal tasks.
debate about Communication strategy
Kate, considered an indispensable pillar of the royal family, will be missed in public because she is one of the most famous women in the world. Based on the experiences of the last few months, there is a discussion about how the palace should behave in the future and which communication strategy could be the right one. David Yelland, the former editor of the Sun, said on the BBC:
The problem that the royal family has experienced is that there was a vacuum for months and then social media filled that. It is now March. If we think ahead six or nine months, the vacuum will appear again and then social media will be back.
“Problem is global because of social media”
The British tabloid media had kept a low profile since Kate’s operation in January. Apparently there were agreements between the palace and the press. In addition, unlike the king, Kate is not the head of state. There was no expectation that she would make her medical history public.
“The problem is not so much in this country, the problem is global because of social media,” Yelland says. “Even though there is a big constitutional difference in this country between the king and Kate – outside of this country they are just two very, very famous people. And that’s why social media can get out of control very quickly.”
Against this background, Yelland advises the palace to update the public at certain intervals – perhaps this will keep speculation and conspiracy theories at bay.
Imke Köhler, ARD London, tagesschau, March 23, 2024 4:44 p.m