2024-03-17 16:12:19
“I have to be seen to be believed,” was one of the slogans allegedly used by Queen Elizabeth II. At the same time, little fits less with the current situation in the British royal family. King Charles III and Princess Kate have retired due to health problems, and the condition of the Duchess in particular is keeping some Brits awake. The monarchy is going through a crisis because of this, admits expert Ondřej Kubáček.
Kubáček, an expert on the British royal family and a former tour guide at Buckingham Palace, explains to Aktuálně.cz that the current situation is not at all easy for the monarchy, because under normal circumstances all the weight of governance should rest on the shoulders of Charles III. and his son, Prince William. But the king has been undergoing treatment for cancer since last month, and William has to look after his wife Kate, who underwent unspecified abdominal surgery in January. Karl’s wife Camilla now takes on most of the duties.
“The British monarchy is really in a very difficult situation, which it is trying to deal with somehow, and it does not always succeed,” says the expert. He is referring to the furor caused this week by a picture of Princess Kate posing with her three children. The photo was released by Kensington Palace on Sunday to mark Britain’s Mother’s Day, but was withdrawn by the world’s leading news agencies on Monday over suspicions that it had been tampered with. Kate later stated on the X Network that she edited the image herself and apologized for the confusion.
Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024
The photograph thus performed the opposite service than what Kubáček thought it was supposed to do – to calm the public and the speculations that prevail about the Duchess’s state of health. Various conspiracy theories are also rampant on social networks.
“Even if the picture didn’t fulfill its purpose, I think it’s a bit of a storm in a glass of water. Experts in the field pointed to adjustments in the area of the hands and around the waist of the children, where, for example, the patterns on the clothes did not match. But the changes in the photo were not significant. If it was interventions in the facial area, for example, then I might perceive it as deceiving the public,” he says.
The 42-year-old Princess of Wales has been under the scrutiny of the media since the surgery. She was officially seen in public for the last time last year on December 25, then in mid-January Kensington Palace announced that the duchess had been admitted to the hospital, where she would undergo a planned procedure. He is due to return to official duties after Easter. On Monday, tabloids there printed a photo of her leaving the royal residence, Windsor Castle, in a car with her husband.
Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.
Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C
???? The Prince of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/6DywGBpLLQ
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024
Kate is considered one of the most popular members of the royal family and a pillar of the British royal family. She respects traditions, acts as a loving mother, is always smiling in public, her relationship with William is not accompanied by any scandals. When she suddenly withdrew from the public eye, moreover due to her health, it caused unrest not only among fans of the monarchy.
Kate with her family at the country estate of Sandringham last December. Queen Camilla is in the foreground. Kate has not officially appeared in public since then. | Photo: Reuters
The sick monarch
At the beginning of February, another shock came when Buckingham Palace announced that the seventy-five-year-old Charles III. he has cancer Due to his illness, his second son Harry, who lives with his wife Meghan and two children in California and has severed official ties with the royal family, also flew to see him. The monarch postponed public appearances due to treatment. However, he continues to fulfill some state duties and has been seen in public several times since the diagnosis was announced.
As with Kate, not much else is known about his health. The palace did not say what kind of tumor it was or to what extent. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak only let it be known that the doctors caught the cancer in time, and according to Camilla, the wife is doing well. But a former tour guide at Buckingham Palace points out that, compared to the past, the British monarchy is more open about the health of its members.
He does not think that Kensington Palace was wrong to inform about Kate’s condition at the beginning – he said that she had undergone an operation in the abdominal area and that she would return to her duties after Easter. However, according to him, after the case with the edited photo, he should issue an announcement regarding its status.
“A statement thanking the princess for all the wishes and mentioning that she is doing well and that she is looking forward to being on duty again would be enough. It would reassure the public,” he believes.
Kubáček also believes that Kate is not struggling with serious health problems. “The monarchy does not provide any specific and in-depth information unless it is absolutely necessary. And in this case, I think Kensington Palace does not consider it necessary,” he adds.
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