Brave Kate would have shared her cancer news regardless of social media conspiracy ‘doom loop’, says ex Royal press sec
A FORMER Royal press secretary has said Princess Kate would have shared her cancer news regardless of the social media conspiracy theories.
Outlandish rumours about the whereabouts and health of the Princess of Wales, 42, swirled online in recent weeks.
Kate put an end to the “doom loop” when she revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy in an emotional video message.
After weeks of speculation, Kate believed Friday was the right time to tell the world of her diagnosis.
It was good timing for her three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, having broken up from school for Easter.
Now Paddy Harverson, who was previously the official spokesman of Kate and the Prince of Wales, said the speculation and pressure was “the worst I’ve ever seen”.
He was asked on the BBC‘s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme where the responsibility for the pressure lay.
Paddy said: “Well, it feeds off itself. It’s a sort of permanent doom loop. And it’s the worst I’ve ever seen.”
He added it took time for the royal family to come to terms with Kate’s diagnosis.
“I’m absolutely convinced that if we hadn’t had all the madness and social media, if we hadn’t had the sort of the Mother’s Day photo mistake, they would have still done it like this,” he said of Kate’s video statement on Friday.
“They would have still waited till this last Friday when the schools are breaking up to make the announcement.”
It comes after throngs of celebs and internet trolls who peddled bizarre speculation about Kate’s whereabouts rushed to apologise yesterday.
Owen Jones, a left-wing activist and journalist, wrote on X: “As someone who speculated on this without considering it could be a serious health condition, I’m very ashamed to be honest, and all the very best to her.”
He had previously said he’s “fully on board the Kate Middleton truther train” – a reference to bizarre online conspiracy theorists who peddled false claims about the princess’ whereabouts.
Actress Blake Lively also issued an apology after she mocked Kate’s edited Mother’s Day photo.
“I’m sure no one cares today but I feel like I have to acknowledge this,” she penned on her Instagram account.
“I made a silly post around the ‘Photoshop fails’ frenzy, and oh man, that post has me mortified today.
“I’m sorry. Sending love and well wishes to all, always.”
Grovelling celebs who spouted vile Kate conspiracies are shameful bullies, says royal expert
Hugo Vickers, royal historian, told The Sun: “The conspiracy theorists, went in big time in the last few days.
“It says an awful lot about the mindset of these people. The high profile ones, but also the very irresponsible members of the general public who just sort of weighed in as well.
“It was extremely unattractive because, we all love the Princess of Wales, and she’s done a fantastic job.
“She’s really faultless in everything she’s done ever since she married Prince William.”
The expert added all the vile trolling and ‘Katespiracies’ would have “made things much more difficult” than they already were.
“I think quite simply, they should be feeling very ashamed of themselves,” he added.
“I think quite a few people have popped up and apologised, and rightly so.
“This is not something you should be joking about, or bonding about all sorts of absurd theories.”
“You will always have conspiracy theories because if you’re a conspiracy theorist, that’s what you do,” continued Mr Vickers.
“There are always going to be people coming up with theories and they always will so that you can’t stop.
“I think that anyone who pops up with some ludicrous theory about the princess would get very short shrift.
“And so I imagine that they will go to ground to be quite honest, because in a sense, they are bullies. They’re pushing it the whole time.
“And as somebody rightly said years ago, inside every bully, there’s a coward desperately trying to stay in.”
Fans told the 36-year-old, who is married to Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds, that she should be “ashamed of herself”.
Meanwhile reality star and Atomic Kitten Kerry Katona said she’ll “hold my hands up” as she expressed regret for spreading conspiracy theories.
She told The Sun: “There were so many conspiracy theories. I’ll hold my hands up.
“I think I was one of them as well you know it was like the royal family are our family.
“We all think we know them and I understand that better than anybody.
“Everyone thinks that they know who you are as a true person and I just feel like we’ve all gone down this rabbit hole and I got sucked in.
“I’m no better than the next person. You pick up a magazine. I read about someone and go, ‘I can’t believe that’s happened to him.’
“Then I read something about myself and go, ‘Oh that’s a load of bulls**t,’ so I understand how we all get pulled in by it all.
“I don’t know, it feels weird. It feels wrong being here. I don’t know why.”
It also emerged that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix “cheerleader” targeted Kate moments after her cancer diagnosis shocked the world.
TONY PARSONS: The global tsunami of sadistic bullying must end
Like our late Queen – Kate gets it right. Her two minutes and twenty seconds address to the nation told us everything we needed to know.
Like the Queen’s speeches during the pandemic, it was absolutely word perfect – and deeply, almost overwhelmingly moving.
Charles and Kate have been the stars of the Royal Family after the loss of Queen Elizabeth II.
Charles – who waited so long for the throne – is the soul of the Royal Family. And Kate is the heart.
That they both now face their own private battles with cancer is a tragedy for them, and their families, and our country.
What cruel luck.
Cancer is never trivial. And yet there are reasons to be optimistic, and hopeful, and believe that these battles can be won
“It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK,” Kate said.
“As I have said to them, I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal – in my mind, body and spirits.”
We know Kate will receive the best medical treatment in the world.
We know she is surrounded by a family that loves her. And we know she is a fighter.
What she needs now, more than anything, is to be left alone.
God knows she deserves it.
She has been hounded in a cruel, merciless, mob-handed way that even the previous Princess of Wales, William’s mother, Diana, never had to endure.
Diana had packs of foreign paparazzi stalking her. Kate has had the entire internet hounding her.
Even Diana did not suffer the global tsunami of sadistic bullying that is inflicted on Kate. Enough. Enough. Enough.
What matters now is that a 42-year-old mother of three small children aged ten and under is given all the room she needs to beat cancer.
And all those who have bullied her in recent weeks – crawl back under your stones and hang your heads in shame.
Our heart goes out to her today. And to her husband. And to those three small children.
In the turmoil of recent years, after all the spite and poison spewed by Mr and Mrs Markle, and after all the lurid scandal heaped on the family by Prince Andrew, Kate has been a still centre of goodness, calm and decency.
Queen Elizabeth made us all monarchists. Kate ensured that a nation kept on believing.
These have been years of trauma and turmoil for the British Royal Family.
But if anything, the constant royal ructions caused by the whining runaways in California have made our people cherish Catherine, Princess of Wales, even more.
Christopher Bouzy, who had a starring role in Harry and Meghan’s Netflix show, trolled Kate on X/Twitter 31 minutes after her video was released.
The tech mogul, 48, said Kate’s illness was stage-managed akin to “North Korean propaganda”.
Bouzy, who has been peddling a conspiracy that William and Kate are breaking up, later joined an online meeting of 300 Harry and Meghan supporters.
One participant even questioned whether the Princess’s cancer diagnosis was legitimate.
Another claimed the diagnosis gave Kate a “free pass” from answering questions about her photoshop edits to a Mother’s Day image.
Rumours online about Kate intensified after William missed, at very short notice, the memorial service of his godfather the late King Constantine of Greece on February 27.
It is now understood the prince’s decision not to attend was related to his wife’s condition, but it is not known when the princess was told about the positive test for cancer.
Further speculation was triggered after the princess admitted to “editing” her official Mother’s Day photograph which had irregularities.
A further development saw an investigation launched by the UK’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, into allegations there were attempts to access Kate’s private medical records at the London Clinic where she had her surgery.
Her diagnosis is the second cancer shock to hit the royal family in as many months after King Charles revealed he was also undergoing treatment.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that the King was “so proud” of Kate for “speaking as she did” and remains in the “closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law”.
Kate said the family now needs “time, space and privacy” while she completes her treatment.
Speaking in the video message recorded on Wednesday in Windsor, Kate said: “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous.
“The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present.
“My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.
“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time.”
Kate, who was casually dressed in the video and sitting on a bench, added: “It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.
“But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.
“As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.”
Timeline of Kate's health battle & recovery
JANUARY 16: Kate is admitted to the London Clinic for abdominal surgery
JAN 17: Kensington Palace announce the princess underwent surgery
JAN 18: William spends time at Kate’s bedside
JAN 23: The princess’ hospital stay passes one week
JAN 29: Kate leaves hospital
FEBRUARY 27: Prince William pulls out of service last-minute due to ‘personal matter’, sparking wave of unfounded conspiracy theories about Kate’s health
MARCH 4: Princess pictured in the car with mum Carole on the Windsor estate
Mar 10: Royal posts a sweet snap of her and the kids for Mother’s Day – then fans started spotting flaws, and massive agencies put out ‘kill notice’ on photo
Mar 11: Kate admits she edited photo, and is snapped in car with William
Mar 16: Royal fans spot the princess at farm shop near Windsor
Mar 17: Onlookers see Kate watching her youngsters playing sport
Mar 18: The Sun exclusively published video of Kate and Wills from two days prior
MARCH 22: Kate bravely reveals in an emotional video that she was given a shock cancer diagnosis