Weird vibes this week, as there seems to be an effort to remind people of the Princess of Wales’s existence. Weirder still is that this reminder is coming after two months of absolute radio silence on Kate’s health, recovery and well-being. Everything about this “Kate Missington” issue in 2024 has really shown the world that when the royals WANT to shut down speculation and rumormongering about a royal woman, they can and do. There has been no media-led push to question any part of the palace narrative. Instead, the British media is openly colluding with whatever the palace wants. Well, this week, Kensington Palace briefed the press that Kate has been “the driving force” behind-the-scenes on some of the latest Early Years busywork. Add to that, Tatler commissioned a janky portrait of Kate and put that on the cover. So is Kate actually around and will anyone be able to credibly see her at any point this year? Richard Eden devoted his column to a Kate update:
Mixed signals: The Princess of Wales was described as the ‘driving force’ behind a major report this week that called on businesses to introduce more family-friendly ways of working. Yet a spokesman has been keen to stress that Catherine’s involvement should not be seen as an indication that she is returning to work. The princess’s many admirers could be forgiven a little confusion, perhaps, as the signals seem mixed – and will naturally wonder what’s really going on behind the scenes at Kensington Palace.
Kate’s friends say she won’t be back until the autumn: She has not undertaken any public engagements this year and friends I spoke to in the past few days suggest we might not see Catherine again until the autumn – and only then if she has recovered fully.
Everything has been put on hold: Indeed, other aspects of the work she shares with Prince William have been put on hold. Take, for example, the planned appointment of someone to run the Waleses’ household. I disclosed in my social diary, Eden Confidential, last September that William and Catherine planned to create a new role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who would be responsible for about 60 staff. The search for a CEO has now been suspended, however. As a palace spokesman explained: ‘With everything going on, the Royal Household’s focus is on the Princess’s recovery, so no appointment has been made.’
Big decisions have to wait: Although the prince and princess have often carried out separate engagements and pursued different interests, they are very much a team. Their charity is the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, remember, and they have joint offices, working closely together. And, as the postponement of such a key appointment shows, big decisions must wait until Catherine is recovered.
No pressure: ‘No one wants to put any pressure on Catherine,’ a source tells me. ‘The only thing that matters at the moment is her getting better. She has been through an ordeal this year. What this means in practice is that big decisions, such as the appointment of new staff, can wait. It’s a reflection of Her Royal Highness’s importance to the future of the Monarchy that she has been given as much time as she needs.’
Kate can go missing for months because she’s not the king: ‘As Sovereign, His Majesty is in a very different position from the Princess of Wales,’ says the source. ‘There is no need for her to be seen while she’s recovering.’
I fundamentally disagree with this: “His Majesty is in a very different position from the Princess of Wales.” Kate is the second-highest “ranking” woman in the monarchy and the future consort to the future king of England. She’s the daughter-in-law of the current king. There is a case to be made that British taxpayers are entitled to more information about Kate and her health. It’s just that the “case” is not being made by the media. But the point of Eden’s column was once again to shift the goalposts and halfway confirm that Kate will not be seen in June, July, August or probably even September. No Trooping the Colour for Kate, no Order of the Garter, no Wimbledon. Just months and months of no one seeing Kate. What will they say in October? How will they shift the goalposts then?
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