I was very much hoping we would hear the Princess of Wales had been discharged today, and was heartened when Kensington Palace confirmed the news this morning: "The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress." All was relatively quiet around the London Clinic today. The only tell-tale sign Kate was leaving was a car sighting of her long-time assistant, Natasha Archer. Following almost a fortnight at the hospital where the Princess underwent abdominal surgery, I know we've all been concerned and awaiting an update. At this point, we don't know anything more about Kate's condition (the internet is, as expected, alight with speculation). In the fullness of time, it's thought the Princess may choose to share more. Health matters are deeply personal and whatever decision Kate makes in the future is entirely her own. I know we're all just pleased to hear it was deemed appropriate to continue the recovery process at home. I'm sure seeing George, Charlotte and Louis will be an enormous sources of joy for her today. It's the longest period they've ever been apart from their mother. It will certainly be a balm to be reunited after school. In fact, as I write this, school should be out. The Wales trio will be racing in the door of Adelaide Cottage to see mum any minute now.
The Kensington Palace statement continued: "The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided. The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world." Meanwhile, No 10. described the news as "welcome for the royal family and the public more widely".
'The Princess will now recuperate at home as planned, returning to public duties only when her doctors agree.
Prince William will recommence his public engagements soon, when the Princess is settled at home, a source said.
The Prince has been in to visit his wife in hospital, but her three young children have not been seen coming and going, attending school as usual.
The King paid a visit to her bedside on Friday, ahead of his own procedure for an enlarged prostate.'
Back at Adelaide Cottage, and under observation by a medical team, Kate will begin the process of what is expected to be a lengthy recovery. Two short overseas trips scheduled for spring -- an embargoed visit to Latvia and a brief trip to Italy -- have been shelved with the Princess's diary cleared. I understand the working assumption is Kate will gradually resume duties after Easter, but it is wholly dependent on her recovery and medical advice at the time. The children will be on Easter break from late March through late April, so I think it will be closer to May, all going well. William is due to resume duties once Kate is settled. The Middleton family will likely be a constant presence in Windsor in the coming months, and Nanny Maria, as always, will be on hand.
More from ITV's Chris Ship:
'The palace refused to specify exactly why the princess was in hospital, but did confirm what she was treated for was non-cancerous.
It is the same hospital where the King underwent a procedure after he shared he was suffering from benign prostate enlargement.
Buckingham Palace, in an unprecedented double royal health scare, announced the King’s diagnosis on Wednesday just an hour-and-a-half after Kensington Palace revealed the Princess of Wales had undergone abdominal surgery.'
Several hours after news was shared about Kate, the King left the London Clinic with Queen Camilla by his side. The contrast between Charles leaving through the front door and Kate leaving privately does perhaps underscore the fact this was clearly a serious operation.
The King has departed the London Clinic after a three night stay following treatment for an enlarged prostate. He was accompanied by the Queen who has been visiting him regularly during his time in hospital. pic.twitter.com/Vuu0PkyQ1w
— Lizzie Robinson (@LizzieITV) January 29, 2024
Buckingham Palace said: "The King was this afternoon discharged from hospital following planned medical treatment and has rescheduled forthcoming public engagements to allow for a period of private recuperation. His Majesty would like to thank the medical team and all those involved in supporting his hospital visit, and is grateful for all the kind messages he has received in recent days."
Below, the King waving upon departure.
Several of you have asked about sending Kate a card to share your good wishes. You can so by addressing:
HRH The Princess of Wales
Kensington Palace
London
W8 4PU
I'll keep you updated on any developments, dearest readers.
I think enough readers have posted their experiences to make a months-long recovery very valid. She happily does not have to worry about financial issues due to being "off work," so she can recover stress free. When she feels better, she make zoom appearances. And I imagine she could FaceTime with her family over the past few weeks, so that would be a relief for the children.
ReplyDeleteLuckily in the UK, employees are legally entitled to paid sick leave for genuine illness, so we wouldn’t have financial worries either.
DeleteAre those readers very fit? For a surgery that by all accounts went well, she should be up and about, albeit on a reduced schedule, by now. My 90 year old mother has an eight inch incision on her belly after major abdominal surgery and the nurses had her in a chair the next day and up walking the next. She was inpatient rehab for a week to ten days then home with help. And she was in hospital a month prior to surgery because she was too weak to have it. So I don't buy the story at all. I would with the late Queen, but not Kate.
DeleteTo add, I wonder less about Kate's recovery and more why William cannot be out helping the King right now. Shes home and has care.
DeleteTrickymum just to clarify uk employees are entitled to statutory sick pay which is a mere £109 per week for up to 28 weeks . Some companies offer more generous sick pay . Very few people could survive on £109 per week.
DeleteThank you Charlotte for sharing the news of Kate's release from the hospital. She goes through what makes the contradiction of being from the Royal Family : being in the spotlight because everyone wants to know what led to her hospitalization, and managing to maintain the intimate part of her private life.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I would not like to be spied on by paparazzi and even less so when leaving the hospital. It's good that she was able to return home in complete peace, without the press being able to relay images.
I wish Kate would not feel obligated to publicly share the reason for her hospitalization and long recovery, as that is strictly up to her. Let it be her own choice if one day she talks about it, if for example it's a reason that could lead to a patronage.
Also thanks for sharing Kate's address, I think I will send her a watercolor card...🙂
Adding my thanks to you Charlotte for the update. It is good news to hear that the Princess has been released and is now able to have the comfort of home round her. I hope you are continuing to heal as well. I remember when the Princess went into labour with George and a story that came out afterwards that 2 photographers saw her arrive but choose to keep the arrival private and didn’t say anything or take photos of her. There’s a time and place and it’s good to know that there are still people around who have integrity.
DeleteReds HrH
Thanks Charlotte, that's great news. Hopefully she will put herself and her recovery first and take her time getting back to doing stuff. I think it is a good sign that she has left hospital as planned and hasn't had to extend her stay. Charlotte, you make a good point about the departure of The King compared to The Princess of Wales. Hopefully being back at home with the children will do her the world of good. That and the support of Prince William and her family. S.🙂.
ReplyDeleteThis news is really good! I obviously don't know Kate, so I was caught by surprise with how her medical news effected me. Hopefully she will be given the privacy & time she/they deserve, to heal! xoxo
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear this good news! -celticgirl
ReplyDeleteI had hoped Kate would be able to slip home quietly out of the back door, while King Charles took the publicity at the front, and so it was.
ReplyDeleteWishing the King and Kate a continued and full recovery at home.
Shout out to Queen Camilla, who has been at the clinic every day since the King was admitted, smiling and waving for the gathered press, whilst being a tower of strength for him and probably quietly supporting Kate too.
As an RN, I appreciate William and Catherine acknowledging the nursing staff. It is a privilege to care for patients and hard work at the same time. Having said this, in addition to her right for privacy concerning health issues, she may not want to become "The Poster Patient for...(whatever her health diagnosis)".
ReplyDeleteI think Catherine has made it clear that her core areas of work are important to her. She has wanted less focus on her fashion and may feel her health as a subject will be another distraction.
Some comment that disclosing health information could help others, but I don't blame her for wanting privacy. So much of her adult life has been open for commentary and speculation.
I could be 100% wrong, but I think her wedding day was nerve wracking for her, and a smaller country church wedding like Beatrice or Pippa enjoyed, was more her personal style.
And depending on what it is, maybe it isn’t the same kind of immediate uptick in people getting checked out like colon cancer with King Charles and breast/skin cancer like Sarah Ferguson. Those are perfect examples of raising awareness to monitor because it is so tangible and potentially lifesaving. I guess Kate’s condition could raise awareness, but I feel like she raises so much awareness through her work. I wish people would just let her be. I can’t even imagine being in her position! I’m glad she’s home and recovering. Thanks Charlotte! Sue from IL
DeleteI've always thought the same, and I like to think that's why the trees were brought in. She couldn't very well have a country garden wedding, so they brought nature in. I adored that.
DeleteI think Catherine deserves to recover in privacy and with her family. My best wishes are with her, and I look forward to seeing her out again when she's ready.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi Charlotte, I am no longer seeing a link to your other blogs (or seeing an update for the MAM site). Are you no longer doing your other blogs (please say you are!)? Thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteHello Allison, there's site work taking place throughout this week. My apologies for any glitches and changes.
DeleteNo problem! I just panicked when there was no Meghan coverage of that gorgeous black outfit. Thanks!!
DeleteSpeaking of MAM - you didn't post about the One Love premiere that Meghan and Harry attended. I did think she choose a perfect outfit. Loved her ball skirt with bodysuit.
DeleteElle, I am looking forward to chatting about Meghan's outfit. While it had a ballgown silhouette, it was delightfully casual and nonconventional in my opinion. And the earrings could have just as well been less expensive, but being large and "real" gold with a general lack of other jewelry (that is, no necklace) was just so attractive and Bohemian. I even accepted all that gorgeous hair being pulled back. :)
DeleteThank you Charlotte for the update. Wishing The King and the Princess best wishes as they continue their recovery.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the good news, dear Charlotte 😇! I can imagine how much Kate appreciates being at home again and how happy William and the kids must be to be reunited with her. It is so good to know she will have the help and support of her parents.
ReplyDelete🩵 Zora from Prague
The comment about it "clearly being a serious operation" got me to thinking. No annoucement was made until the after the surgery. I think a growth of some sort was removed and they wanted to get the pathology report before any annoucement was made. This way they could say it was not cancerous. I am sure they would have rushed the examination by the pathologist quickly. Pathologists often go into the operation theatre and do what is called a frozen section and make a pretty certain decision then whether the growth is beningn or malignant. My father was a pathologist so I know a little bit about this. I could always tell when he had been in surgery bacause he had a antiseptic smell about him. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteWe have no idea what The Princess of Wales was in hospital for. I don't think it is fair to speculate about someone's health who has asked for privacy. I just hope that she makes a good recovery and there will be no further reasons to comment on her health. S.🙂.
DeleteYou make a good point. The Palace did not release information until after surgery was finished.
DeleteI too sincerely hope the princess is able to fully recover, and without further invasive or intensive treatment required. I think I read that Kensington Palace used the verbiage “non-cancerous” when directly asked the question. Perhaps they could answer favorably because initial pathology reports were favorable. But in all honesty, how would Kensington Palace have answered the question if results were not favorable? Any parent receiving a life-changing diagnosis, and one that would require significant further treatment, would want that information kept confidential until the parent/s could themselves share with the children. And preferably when they were able to be reunited in person. Definitely Kensington Palace was backed into a corner when the question was asked: ideally only answer what you know for certain and only when asked directly. And on a “need to know” basis, the public does not need to know.
DeleteThis is wonderful news. The children will be thrilled to see their Mum! It is very fitting that she privately leave. It's very likely her mobility is greatly reduced, thus privacy for herself and her children is wise. Wishing her a restorative lenten season and spring.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, have you thought about having another "styling Kate" activity? While Kate is quietly recovering at home, we could have some fun and raise our spirits. Perhaps we could style some spring/summer outfits? It would definitely bring some joy in this grayish cold winter time...
ReplyDeleteI'm working on something I'm looking forward to sharing with you all.
DeleteIn the meantime, I'll definitely be exploring some fun ideas for posts :)
I miss the polls for favorite outfits.
DeleteHoping Kate makes a speedy recovery and is soon back on her feet .
DeleteIt’s been widely reported that the children didn’t visit her in hospital which I find strange as I can’t believe the hospital don’t allow children to visit . 2 weeks is a long time for children to be away from their mum .
Anyone else have thoughts why they didn’t visit ?
GEM
We can't be 100% sure that the children didn't visit. William was only photographed once and apparently he visited daily. Surely Kate's parents and siblings visited and yet there were no pictures. Kate left the hospital and was not photographed. So obviously there is a private entrance somewhere, away from probing eyes and cameras. The children may well have visited, but weren't seen.
Deleteso thankful to hear she was released. She may have been taken out in a lying down position, perhaps for the healing of any incision, and thus left privately. I'm sure she would not want such images out in the public sphere. I'd love to see some "Catherine's best looks" type posts, or retrospectives about how her style has developed etc.. She is many thing, Royal, Mother etc., but she is always a style icon.
DeleteI thought it was a hospital policy for no children visiting? Although with the media account outside, I wouldn’t necessarily want them photographed (at least you can FaceTime). Sue from IL
DeleteLondon Clinic policy
DeleteChildren: for the safety of our patients, we do not permit any children or babies to visit.
I could be mistaken but I believe children aren’t allowed to visit. I’m sure Kate kept in touch with FaceTime.
DeleteI read a report of someone who also had surgery in the london clinic and he told kids are not allowed because of more risk of infections and viruses etc
DeleteSounds reasonable
It must have been unbearable to be away from your children for almost two weeks, luckily she is home now, i really felt for her
I don't have any revolutionary thoughts but just some observations from my normal, day to day life. Kate uses to be very active with the kids and so maybe there is a risk that, especially young and lively Louis, would try to, say, engage in some physical activity/play/banter with Kate and could hurt her unwillingly. Also, I bet no mother wants her kids to see her unwell, unable to take care of them, sick. My mum was very ill when I was a child, her hospital stays were longer than 14 days, yet I have always spent that time with my grandparents because the hospital visits would be traumatising for me (the child is unable to understand the diagnosis and put it in a prospective) and for my mum (my heart breaks for any, though hopefully just temporarily, helpless mother).
DeleteI guess the kids have a lot of activities after school and so maybe there was little time left for them to actually make a trip to London - they were just encouraged by their family to keep on living their daily life, regular time schedule, school, activities, hobbies, night time routine etc. instead of sad gruelling hospital trips.
14 days don't seem like that much time to me. Summer camps, sports training camps etc. are often longer than this even for small kids, and if we can believe the reports, unlike at the camps the Wales kids were able to facetime their mother.
One more thing that does not concern normal people is how difficult it would be for the palace to arrange the kids' visit without compromising their privacy. William had himself photographed once and then the press was fairly kind to him and let him go. But would they be as lenient with the kids? The pictures would be selling the newspapers enormously, disgusting as it is. So maybe it was just impossible to smuggle the kids in without any scrutiny that would traumatise them again.
Ella
Such thoughtful, salient and insightful points you made Ella, I agree that there are probably so many nuances and behind the scenes considerations and details around her health challenges. God Help them all through this trying time and may their little family and young children weather the storm well.
DeleteMy thought is that she had some sort of chronic condition that suddenly got worse. I kinda hope she doesn't tell because she has little privacy -- even her children have to have public moments. And "public" for her means literally anyone in the entire world who wants to read about/see her can do so. From our point of view, we feel comfortable knowing our feelings viewing her, like a friend-to-be. But I would hate to be familiar to the whole world. So not telling about your invasive major surgery could feel like a bit of control to her. I would feel that way.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this update, Charlotte. I have been staying away from all the other speculative reports and just waiting for you to give the "real" news. I appreciate what you do here!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for a full and timely recovery for Catherine and for the King.
Thank you for sharing this welcome update. On another note, do the children really get a whole month off school for Easter?! I would have loved that as a kid!
ReplyDeleteYes that’s typical for private schools. Particularly is they have ‘boarders’ kids that stay at school during term times. This allows them time to get home relax and get back again. Also, many private schools have Saturday events that kids are expected to take part in. Usually just mornings but it still makes for a 5 1/2 day week for the kids.
DeleteRgds HRH
Yes, I noted that statement too! An entire month off after Easter would have been a delight growing up! Is this actually correct in England and/or the UK?
DeleteUK (private) schools apparently have many weeks off, 20 in total! Compared to here in the Netherlands, we have 12 weeks holiday in total but i must say we have less hours during the week. Lamsbrook has 5 whole days till round 4 o clock! Thats a lot for young children! And i disnt even know about the Saterday Events mentioned above! So the balance is different: more intense weeks but then longer periods off. Maybe because of the boarding system!
DeleteNo. It might be delightful if you are royal, rich, and have nannies. For most people, just like the rest of the world, child rearing is hard for working parents. It’s challenging for stay at home mums too, if you don’t have help— as in the gramps or activities you can send the kids to for part of the day. It’s great if you can take time off from work and turn it into a family vacation, but not many people have that much leave and luxury.
DeleteThank you so much Charlotte for the great news that Kate is home. I’m looking forward to your fun posts while Kate recovers. Thank you so much for her address ☺️
ReplyDeleteJoanne in CA
Good news, the Princess is out of hospital and back home. I hope her recovery goes well for her.
ReplyDeleteThe King’s procedure is more routine and men recover quicker from it. I’m glad he went out the front door to show everyone he was well. The Princess needs her family and time to recover. I’m glad she was able to be discharged without the paps finding out. Thank you Charlotte for posting this. I hope you are feeling better too.
ReplyDeleteI am very impressed by Charles stepping up in such a fatherly, manly and boss-like manner. The fact that he coordinated his own treatment with Catherine's, taking some of the press/public interest and pressure off her, is great. Also the fact that he paid her a visit, very thoughtful overall. Obviously, to some it might seem a no brainer to visit your family in hospital, but it is not as customary among royals. I think that he and Camilla are, in their own way, just as much of a support as the Middletons during this tough period.
ReplyDeleteI hope Kate is recuperatlng well. I hope to see William quite soon even just as a confirmation all is going well, even though I hope he won't be getting nosy questions wherever he goes - honestly, just like Camilla, who - poor woman- had to always answer with "he is fine", because, like, what did the press expect her to say? Medical details? Ugh. I am very impressed by how under the radar the Wales family kept this, I hope they are getting all the family time they need in peace and in private.
Ella
Anon 11:36 I love your comments & agree wholeheartedly! xoxo
DeleteTo take the scrutiny off Kate and William might have been the King’s and Queen’s intention, sadly what gets played out in the British press and the interested public is the contrast in how things are handled so efficiently and upfront by Buckingham Palace compared to Kensington.
DeleteWilliam’s office announced the need for a CEO. It’s clear William and Kate need a professional and accomplished CEO desperately. This attempt at privacy has backfired spectacularly as expected. It’s like announcing to the world, I have a secret and you can’t know. What do you think the reactions will be? Never mind the whole royalty don’t do things like ordinary humans explanation. They, in fact, are quite ordinary and human in their reactions and actions. We see this played out repeatedly in the press for the entire world to gossip about. It has come to that. This mystique of being untouchables has long passed. The irony is this is by their choice with the invisible contract.
The good news is while health news may have many of us royal followers upset and losing sleep, to the public, it’s not the showstopper. Headlines are grim. The economy still sucks. Public leaders are caught up in endless debates about which repressive African country to jail british asylum seekers while local taxes are increasing, and inflation high. The rest of the world is contending with big and little wars, epic catastrophic weathers, the rise of fascism, joblessness, and how their income can’t keep ahead of cost of living.
That’s the reality many people live in. I got a mindful correction when I raised the topic about King Charles and the Princess. People either didn’t know what’s what or it was a nodding “pity about that” and the conversation moved on. This was at work during a brief lull in our break area. What I hear frequently is the constant pressure of juggling long hours, lack of child care (means I and other coworkers are asked to pick up more work), no pay increase, sick kids/elderly parents, late trains/buses, and plans for a dream vacation— which means figuring out how to finance one…hence a dream.
I’m grateful for this community where royal happenings are discussed with passion, but I’m also reminded of the real and more complicated world outside the royal bubble.
Becca thank you!
DeleteAnon 19:15, if I assume correctly, you live in the UK? Interesting to hear your remarks about people unphased by the news of Charles and Kate. I live in a different part of Europe and my experience was quite different - on the day Kate's surgery was first announced, I thought I would be the only one to know because I am a royal watcher/fan. Then I went shopping for some kitchenware and the shop assistants were having a heated and fear-filled debate about what is it that poor Kate has happening to her. Next day my coworkers brought it up several times. Again, we have no affiliation to the RF/ UK even. It seemed to me like a global topic.
I don't know if you can say "backfired" about merciless troll attacks. I personally prefer Charles' transparent style of communicating his issue, too. But I respect Kate's ask for privacy and understand even. Kids are at stakes here - they meet the most "outside" people out of all RF members and could hear some nasty remarks pertaining their mom's diagnosis. Maybe that was why she decided to keep it private. Some of their moves are better, some worse, but I think we have seen especially in the last few years that the palace is not a buvh of amateurs and that they know their PR ways and strategies and are playing a well thought out long game.
Ella
I agree fully that the Waleses badly need help on the public relations front. I said so in an earlier post and was taken to task by one or two people, partly for using the word "coyly" regarding the original announcement of the Princess's surgery. But let's consider that announcement: it was simultaneously reticent and sort of revealing, a real clash of language and intentions. We were told that the Princess was having a "planned" surgery, an "abdominal" surgery, and that she was going to be in the hospital for "10-14 days" and be hors de combat until after Easter. Now, of course the media and the public were going to go a little wild over any announcement that the Princess was having surgery, but all this announcement did was puzzle people and raise questions, because it -- yes, coyly -- provided just enough information to do so. People started thinking, "planned abdominal surgery" sounds like gynecological surgery. A hysterectomy? Partial or total? If so, why the long stay? Why can't she work until after Easter? People having hysterectomies these days don't stay in the hospital that long, so maybe it's something else, even more serious?!
DeleteThat's certainly how my thoughts were running, because of my own experience with a total hysterectomy 6 years ago. No one needs to read about it, but believe me, I didn't need to stay in the hospital for 10-14 days or stop working for 4 months. Not even close. So, the announcement as it stood just left me puzzled.
Despite the Princess's natural desire for privacy, she did sign on for a very public life, as her father-in-law grasps. And that means something of a trade-off when it comes to any medical situation that keeps her from serving the monarchy and the nation for a substantial period of time. If she's going to take so much time off to recuperate -- and if she needs it, she should take all the time that works for her -- well, it seems to me that rather more transparency and straightforwardness are required on the part of both the Waleses and their staff.
I also agree that in the grand scheme of things, all this is a tempest in a teacup. Are people really losing sleep over it? Yikes.
From the royal palaces and screaming media, this situation is the biggest thing on the tabloid and royalist radar. It’s radioactive. So I have to differ on the successful flying under the radar opinion.
DeleteThe way this affair has been managed has made for wild speculations, lies, and contradictory positions in British news media. Now, even the foreign tabloids are putting out crazy narratives about Kate’s condition.
I hope Kate doesn’t have access to newsfeed. The BRF’s goodwill from the public depends on glowing PR and the whole family has always been smartly calculative about this. Hence the Royal Rota.. So I’m particularly annoyed at Will and their staff right now.
I would like to point out that Easter is March 31st this year. So if Catherine returns to work after Easter that will only be 2 months or 8 weeks since her release from the hospital.
DeleteThat is a normal amount of time to mostly recover from a laparotomy (surgery requiring a large incision). This is coming from personal experience.
From the long hospital stay and prognosticated time off, I would say she had that type of surgery rather than a minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. Other than that educated guess we know nothing about her illness and treatment, nor do we need to unless Catherine chooses to share.
True, wishIwere. I was mistakenly thinking that Easter was in May this year. Even so, 2 months strike me as a long time to be off work after the sort of "large-incision-in-the-abdomen" surgery I had. As I said, I had a total hysterectomy, which was not mere laparoscopic surgery, but I remain disconcerted by the lengthy recuperation time in the Princess's case.
DeleteMy central point, however, was that being so simultaneously withholding and disclosing merely creates intense confusion and curiosity. There are surely better ways to handle developments like these.
Hello Charlotte, the font and letters on the blog appear very tiny and smaller than usual, was any new setting made or any suggestions on how the words can be enlarged on the page? Thank you
ReplyDeleteHello Sanyu,
DeleteI'm sorry to hear that. There's been no font changes on this end, please do let me know if you're still experiencing the issue.
Thank you Charlotte for the prompt response. Its been rectified, changed my settings.
DeleteThanks for the update, Charlotte! Continuing to pray for her! I am still quite concerned about her - having had 3 abdominal surgeries myself which required over a year recovery for the worst one (c-section plus repair on several other organs from adhesions from previous surgeries) Even wirh that I was only hospitalized 1 week. Praing she gets the rest needed to properly heal.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad she and the king are alright. Hope her recovery continues to go well.
ReplyDeleteThank you Charlotte for the update. Wishing the Princess a good recovery in peace and quiet, without unwanted intrusion.
ReplyDeleteThe King is 75 so it was important for the public to have reassurance on his surgery. We definitely did not need reams of pages written on the next coronation. His condition is very common and greatly undiagnosed often because advice and treatment has not been sort. It was an important health issue for the King to highlight and it seems more men are seeking information because of this.
Regardless of what was released about the Princess's condition there would have been much comment and speculation both positive and negative. I thought the length of stay was pretty normal for private hospitals, which have longer length of stays than public hospitals. We are sometimes not commenting on the same apples.
I would expect Prince William to be publicly back at work next week. Adelaide Cottage is fairly small and they have no live in staff so I can see the need for him to be there whilst Catherine was in hospital.
Queen Mary's dolls has just turned a hundred. The Queen has commissioned additional tiny books for the library written by some of today's authors. The little books are written in the author's own handwriting and craftsman bound in leather. There is information about all of this on the Royal Family and Quedn's reading room social media (instagram etc). It is a very interesting read.
What I really hate (among 1000s of other things that "journalists" do) is that whatever we do not know is a "secret." Kate keeps "secret" her illness. One must tell every aspect of your personal life or you're keeping secrets, and it's always written in a derogatory way. I am a nosy person and of course am curious as to her illness, but I have 0% right to know and hopes she does keep it private. Just had to write this!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Private and secret are not the same thing! Recently a popular weather presenter had what was called a “secret” wedding. She said there was nothing secret about it as everyone she wanted attended, it just was private.
DeleteI am glad Kate is safely home. Do you think the almost simultaneous release of the King was orchestrated so to lift the pressure on Kate? The waiting press getting pictures and stories but allowing Kate to keep her condition private? Choosing the same hospital and same day of release can't be a coincidence.
ReplyDeleteWhy should King Charles do all of this to “protect” Kate, when he himself underwent a surgery? I don’t understand why he’s risking his privacy for the sake of Catherine.
DeleteI don't know. But he deliberately annonced his condition just after KP made the statement about kate. Both conditions must have been known before. Then he deliberately chose the same hospital. He was deliberately very public with a string of photo opportunities. So was Camilla. And he deliberately left the hospital at the same time as Kate. It must have been planned somehow?
DeleteAnon 18:26, first, his condition obviously allowed for it. He would not do anything to jeopardize his health and wellbeing because he is vital for the country, that is for sure. But he had no trouble walking just mere days after his surgery - obviously Kate's surgery was much more difficult. Why did he decide to do it? Because he is Kate's family. Because he is her "boss" technically. Because he is older than her and older family members tend to protect the "kids". Because clearly he wants to help her, protect her. It is natural, nice act of thougtfulness and kindness. As for privacy, he obviously had no problem with that, he wanted to raise awareness for his condition. The question for me is - why shouldn't he have done it? I see no downsides to it.
DeleteElla
Ella makes some excellent points.
DeleteI agree Natacha, I do not think this was a coincidence, and well said Ella. This is how a family that cares for each other works together and I quite admire the coordination and thoughtfulness and see no downsides to it at all. In light of the recent announcement of King Charles, I would hope to continue to see a family rally around not only their brother, father, grandparent, but a King whose well being is vital for the family and the country.
DeleteThank you all and I would just like to add that I had written my comment before the news of Charles' cancer diagnosis came out. I am sorry his condition turned out worse than expected but I still very much love his appoach so far. He is showing some incredible strength!
DeleteThinking of William who has to be the rock for his two closest people while also seeing them under the weather.
Ella
I know readers are missing the princess. I am too. I read about the suggestion to Charlotte about doing another Kate fashion wear thing while she’s out recovering. I respectfully suggest this isn’t the time to do this. She’s not a doll we should play dress up with. I think that this caters to the way the press and many in the public are treating her as a prized commodity.
ReplyDeleteI understand it’s hard to go cold turkey, but perhaps the silver lining is we learn to take care of ourselves and our mental health needs too. And not be so reliant on the princess and her family to entertain or fill our free time. It’s good to find balance in our own lives, not seek other people’s lives to live through theirs. I say this for myself. My daughter said something that made me self-check.
If the family needs privacy because of the children and for the princess, perhaps one thing we can do is to leave them alone until they decide to be out and about again among us. Thank you.
I think I need to respectfully comment that a fashion blog during Kate's convalescence actually is very appropriate because that is the main theme of this blog. Yes, we go into many other areas because of Charlotte's excellent journalism but I think fashion is the main theme. The majority of people in the UK and US do not follow or care much about Kate and Meghan, respectively -- this is a niche group, and we go into great detail over skirt lengths or color shades or hat tilts! Certainly not important as far as what's happening in the world but more like a temporary escape, like reading a short story.
DeleteAllison, I agree! Discussing fashion is a light-hearted escape. It is nothing malicious or disrespectful. Today's world is sad enough on its own, one should be allowed some little things to let the steam out, some nice memories, some good and positive and not very grave stuff to think about. I think fashion is one of these things. As this community is so wonderfully respectful and full of empathy, led by Charlotte, I do not think discussing fashion here would in any way be disrespectful or harmful towards Kate. Vice versa, I do not think observing some "silence" or "grieving" would help her in any way. I hope she is safe and sound in privacy of her home and warmth of her family and some "silly" "little" talk about her outfits cannot change that. :-) Ella
DeleteTerrible news coming from the palace this evening. They have just announced that The King has cancer and has started treatment today. The family really are getting a run of it at the moment. Wishing him health and a good recovery. S.🙂.
ReplyDeleteSending best wishes to King Charles.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure readers are now thinking of the latest news re Charles. I find it alarming that Harry appears to be flying to see Charles today, not in a few days or later this year. Very much not a fan of William but I think it would be very sad for him to have to become king soon, thinking of the every increasing pressure on Kate and the children.
ReplyDeleteI also found it worrying that Prince Harry is on his way to see The King. Hopefully it means nothing more than it's taking this terrible news for them to meet up. Unfortunately like a lot of families that have a split in them, it takes bad news to bring them back together. A lot of hurt has been caused and felt by all involved. I have found that you can forgive most things in life, especially when there is or was love there. It's all about steps when you try to rebuild a relationship and trust with someone you love. My wish is this is the first step for The Duke and The King. I don't think that will be the case with Prince William. As for William stepping up, if the king died tonight, William is ready to step up and become King. Young I know but so was his Grandmother. S.🙂.
DeletePerhaps I’m an optimist but I don’t think it necessarily means Charles’s cancer diagnosis is terminal. Harry’s visit seems pretty normal to me. He’s concerned about his father and wants to see him. Whatever difficulties they have, they still have a father-son relationship.
ReplyDeleteI worry more that the British press will heap abuses on Harry as he’s on their turf. There’s no protection for Harry in that regard.
I would love to see a post by you of the BAFTAs, even though Princess of Wales was, unfortunately, absent. Perhaps you can recap her previous attendances?
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