For members of the British royal family, privacy is virtually nonexistent to a public that constantly advocates for complete transparency.
Over the last few weeks, balancing the release of information about Princess of Wales Kate Middleton has been increasingly difficult.
Following an appearance on Jan. 16, Princess Kate hadn’t been publicly seen for nearly two months. Despite the royal family’s announcement that Kate underwent abdominal surgery and would not be returning to her duties until Easter, social media ran rampant with rumors.
After Kate’s surgery, the internet made it their business to invade the royal family’s privacy to figure out why her recovery time was so long and secret.
Kate’s marriage to Prince William has been on display for years, at times drawing scrutiny. Social media users believed the relationship was plagued by an affair, accusing William of cheating with Rose Hanbury, an old friend of the couple.
Many people believed the royal marriage was headed for divorce or that Kate had a severe medical issue. Some even went as far as to say a double took Kate’s place and she was not truly seen in public.
For all the talk across the internet, there was no evidence that validated any allegations.
Amid these rumors, Britain celebrated its Mother’s Day and Kensington Palace released a photo of Kate and her three children.
As the first official image of the princess since her surgery, the internet picked it apart. The image was later retracted after it was revealed that it was photoshopped. The criticism and mockery toward Kate from famous faces and the public were completely unwarranted and unwelcome.
Celebrities like Blake Lively apologized on their social media platforms for making jokes about Kate’s disappearance. Although their remorse is necessary, their original comments and innuendos should have been reviewed before being posted for the world to see.
The princess officially returned on March 22 to announce that she has cancer. In a video, she thanked the public for their concern and asked for privacy so she can spend time with her family.
Even still, there is speculation that the video is AI-generated, and the family cannot seem to get a moment’s peace.
The internet spread lies about why Kate was gone, generating conspiracy theories left and right, and when the truth finally came out, people didn’t even believe that.
Although they are public figures, the royal family deserves respect and medical privacy. It’s rude and entitled for anyone to expect complete access to the lives of public figures and becomes embarrassing and regrettable when they refuse to acknowledge the truth.
