I’m still thinking about and absorbing Vanity Fair’s new cover story about the “fragile” British monarchy. While I think some of the larger talking points are accurate, there was a huge emphasis on how the Princess of Wales’s six-month absence showed her value, and that if she was gone, the monarchy would be “reduced to a shadow of itself.” Accurate or not? Not to be morbid, but it would depend on the explanation for Kate’s disappearance or absence. I don’t want to go on and on about it, but I’ve never believed that Kate wants a divorce or that she would ever willingly “leave” the monarchy in any way. She has always been in it for the grand prize: being queen. While Kensington Palace plays fast and loose – even throwing Kate under the bus during her absence – it’s also clear that King Charles sees Kate’s usefulness and that much is being done behind the scenes to “manage” what is happening with Kate and the conversations around her health and missing months. Speaking of:

Many royal watchers are hoping for a new update on Kate Middleton’s cancer treatment – but one royal expert says the royal family is determined to keep “tight-lipped,” avoiding any harmful leaks.

“The reality is nobody really knows how Kate is,” royal expert Ian Pelham Turner claimed to Fox News Digital. “There are many whispers by those who wish to further their careers. But in reality, when the royal family wishes to close the doors on the world, they have had centuries of practice in the art. In the past few days, Kate has been stated by the global press as the royal family’s jewel in the crown,” he shared. “She [is seen as] the number one royal… stabilizing the monarchy’s future.”

Still, some palace insiders have been sharing tidbits about what Kate’s recovery looks like to royal experts following her appearance at this year’s Trooping the Colour.

“These days, Kate is playing a waiting game – following doctor’s orders religiously and praying that future tests will show the chemo has done its job,” Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” told Fox News Digital.

“It’s a stressful, debilitating time for Kate, magnified that much more by the fact that the world is holding its breath along with her,” Andersen added.

[From Fox News]

This is something you guys brought up in previous posts, especially the recent one where we discussed the weirdness around Kate releasing a photo and statement before Trooping: why hasn’t Kate ever thanked her doctors and medical staff? Why was there a refusal to provide proof-of-life for months and beside that, a refusal to provide timely health updates? I mean, I have my theories, but the whole thing is still so ridiculously weird. It also feels like the “Kate’s back, she appeared at Trooping” story had such a short halflife – the world isn’t waiting with bated breath anymore. We saw her, we got proof of life.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.