In case you missed it, once the Princess of Wales’s cancer-announcement video dropped last Friday, Kensington Palace basically authorized yet another full-throttle hate campaign against the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. KP has been in the trenches for two months, trying desperately to change the subject or deflect from their clownery and mismanagement. This is their big inflection point: Kate is being treated for cancer, and oh by the way, William and Kate still “f–king hate” Harry and Meghan and here are all the reasons why. Of course Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast got yet another exclusive from KP’s perspective.

Friends of Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton have told The Daily Beast that they would not welcome the “drama” a visit by Prince Harry would entail, and said Kate and William are focused on protecting their privacy as she receives treatment for and recovers from cancer. The comments add to a sense that while Harry and Meghan Markle appear keen to paint themselves as eager to reconcile with the royals after over two years of very public attacks on them—indeed, Harry said before his furious attacks in Spare had even been published that he wanted his father and brother “back” as “a family, not an institution”—William and Kate remain uninterested in the prospect, both privately and publicly.

William and Kate have notably not responded to a series of semi-public overtures aimed at restoring fraternal relations initiated by Harry. They were devastated and enraged by Harry’s decisions to, as they saw it, sell intimate family secrets in his memoir, Spare. Friends of William, a famously obstinate man, have previously told The Daily Beast he “f–king hates” Harry and sees no chance of reconciliation.

The Sussexes were not informed of Kate’s diagnosis before the news was made public, which clearly shows that they are not considered part of Kate and William’s trusted circle. They issued a public statement wishing “health and healing for Kate and the family” after the news was made public, and ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship subsequently reported they had “reached out privately” to Kate and William.

Kate’s office refused to make any comment on the claims, and did not respond to requests for comment from The Daily Beast about whether William would agree to see Harry in May, when he is due to visit the U.K. to attend a church service commemorating the ten year anniversary of the Invictus Games. Friends of the couple were more forthcoming, with the answer being a hard no.

One friend of William and Kate’s said: “Catherine and William have been very clear they want peace and quiet for them and the kids. A visit from Harry, with all the drama that would bring, would be the opposite of that.”

Another friend said: “They have come to terms with the estrangement from Harry, and are content to let sleeping dogs lie.”

Asked if they had responded to the private messages from Harry and Meghan, which were also reported by the Telegraph, or if William wanted an apology from Harry for his attacks on him and his wife in his memoir Spare and his Netflix documentary, the second friend said: “They have bigger things to worry about.”

It is notable how resolute William and Kate’s camp are being when it comes to rejecting the notion of responding to overtures from Harry and Meghan. When Harry visited Charles after his cancer diagnosis and his camp suggested he would take a meeting with William if it was offered, William’s camp quickly said there were “no plans for them to meet.”

Royal commentator Duncan Larcombe, former royal editor at the Sun, told The Daily Beast: “Harry and Meghan have got some sense so they know it is important to be seen to be extending the olive branch, especially given that global sympathy is with Kate right now. But William and Kate don’t need long memories to recall that not too far back they were being subjected to very harmful allegations, to which, incidentally, it was impossible for them to come back and answer and have their say. So it’s not very surprising that Harry doesn’t really matter to them right now. A cancer diagnosis puts things in perspective.”

[From The Daily Beast]

“The Sussexes were not informed of Kate’s diagnosis before the news was made public, which clearly shows that they are not considered part of Kate and William’s trusted circle.” Many outlets keep repeating variations of this, like it’s a very big deal that the Sussexes weren’t informed about Kate’s medical situation in advance, but after watching KP’s activities this year, it’s not clear to me that Kensington Palace’s senior staff even had any idea about the cancer diagnosis, or anything about Kate’s situation for two months. It doesn’t even seem like Buckingham Palace knew anything until last week. The story is actually that KP was disorganized and everything was amateurish, not that the Sussexes were somehow being “snubbed” by not being told in advance.

Besides that, the coldness between the couples is from both sides – I doubt the Sussexes expected to be told about Kate’s issues, and they released a brief statement of support and got on with their lives. Will and Kate are the ones running around, screaming, crying and throwing up about how they’re too immature and racist to even speak to the Sussexes.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Let’s be real: the behavior of the Middletons added to the conspiracies and weirdness around the Princess of Wales for two months before Kate’s video announcement about her cancer. Even back when we were told that Kate had abdominal surgery and it was noncancerous, we didn’t see the Middletons visit Kate in the London Clinic, nor were there any sightings of William or Kate in Bucklebury. Even weirder was the fact that Carole’s Bucklebury HQ went radio silent – there were zero briefings about how of course Carole, Pippa and James were all rallying around Kate. Instead, Pippa went to St. Bart’s and paraded around in a different bikini every day for like two weeks. James Middleton went on a ski holiday and then announced his memoir around the same time Kate was being diagnosed with cancer and starting chemotherapy. Well, now that everyone is on the same page with Kate’s announcement, only now are we getting those “the Middletons are rallying around Will & Kate” stories. Where were these stories two months ago??

“Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too,” James Middleton wrote in the hours after his sister, the Princess of Wales, made the announcement about her diagnosis. It was an expression of quite how close the Middletons are. The family has banded together to support Kate as she undergoes a course of preventive chemotherapy after cancer was found following abdominal surgery.

The family live very close to each other, with Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton in Bucklebury, a 40-minute drive from the Waleses in Windsor, while Pippa, her husband James Matthews and their three children live close by in Berkshire. It was to the Bucklebury manor house that Kate went after giving birth to George, now ten, in 2013 and her parents regularly have the children to stay.

Since Kate, 42, had surgery in January, the Middletons have been supporting her, William and their three children. Carole, who has always been a hands-on grandmother, has stepped up her help looking after George, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five. This month some media outlets published a photograph of Carole and Kate taken near Windsor returning from the school run, with Carole driving.

Her siblings, James and Pippa, will also be offering emotional support. Pippa and Kate are so close that they shared a flat in Chelsea before she joined the royal family.

The Middleton family will be supporting William, too, as he tries to take the burden off his wife. Before he and Kate married, the Middleton family had long given William normality, a refuge from the pressures of being second in line to the throne, in a loving world imbued with middle England values. A happy family, with the marriage of Carole and Michael at its heart, it was a home that could provide the stability and warmth he craved after the death of his mother.

They welcomed William into their close-knit family. When Kate and William briefly broke up, Carole reportedly encouraged her daughter to resist showing him how hurt she was and to put on a brave face. After their wedding, William would see the Middletons more often than his own father and he even sometimes calls Michael “Dad”.

Even though invitations to the King’s coronation were strictly policed, William ensured that the whole Middleton clan was there. And the Middletons have been equally welcoming to James’s wife, who wore Carole’s dress from her 1980 wedding to Michael when she married James in September 2021.

[From The Times]

Again, two months too late! One of my little side-theories is that one of the palace’s biggest lies was about the “planned” part of Kate’s January surgery. Whatever happened in that time frame, it was sudden and it caught everyone off-guard, even the Middletons. That would also explain why Kensington Palace was making all of these plans for Kate and William to travel and do a tour in Italy in December and early January – something happened suddenly. Now, I’ll also believe that Pippa and James’s separate vacations happened before they knew their sister has cancer. As for Carole… we haven’t seen the whole picture yet. We will in time.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Just one week ago, social media was all abuzz that Buckingham Palace was about to make some big, terrible announcement, that the BBC had been called in to break the news about something. Then Russian media began amplifying claims that King Charles had died on St. Patrick’s Day. Buckingham Palace was able to shut down the rumor mill within 24 hours – Charles made sure he was photographed a few times and the palace issued some simple statements. The whole thing had the feel of a psyop, but it also felt like it was yet another example of the Windsors inability to control the messaging around Charles and the Princess of Wales’s health. Well, now that Princess Kate has informed everyone about her cancer and chemotherapy, it looks like that has just fueled even more misinformation and disinformation. This, according to the British government:

China, Russia and Iran are fuelling disinformation about the Princess of Wales to destabilise the nation, Whitehall sources believe. Senior Government figures fear that hostile states are behind the spread of wild conspiracy theories and online rumours surrounding the Princess’s health.

After the Princess announced her cancer diagnosis on Friday evening, Rishi Sunak led the condemnation of social media trolls for targeting her online in recent weeks. But his intervention did not deter further frenzied commentary, with a disinformation chief saying on Sunday that the Princess had been “revictimised” by trolls criticising her for not publicly revealing her diagnosis sooner.

On Sunday, it emerged that there was growing concern in Whitehall that hostile state actors could be involved in whipping up the frenzied social media attacks on the Princess. A government source told The Telegraph: “Part of the modus operandi of hostile states is to destabilise things – whether that is undermining the legitimacy of our elections or other institutions.”

It comes as Downing Street is preparing to announce fresh sanctions on China as soon as Monday, after a wave of state-backed cyber attacks against a group of senior MPs and peers.

[From The Telegraph]

Multiple things can be true and are true all at once – Russia and China are absolutely behind disinformation campaigns to destabilize Western institutions, and it would not surprise me in the least if the “Charles is dead” situation one week ago was some kind of dry run for a larger Russian disruption this year. There are absolutely foreign governments and anarchistic forces at play here. But I think all of the “misinformation” is being conflated as the work of dark and sinister forces, when some of it is a matter of FAFO. From what I can see, Kensington Palace has their own bot farm too, a bot farm which they use to amplify their message and attack their enemies. Something else happened over the weekend too, which sidles up alongside this conversation: QAnon-types are now questioning everything about the Windsors as a “Deep State crisis actors” and on and on. It feels like some of that (conspiracist nutjobs in the West) is being conflated with “this too is a Russian psyop.” But what do I know.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, screencaps courtesy of Kensington Palace.

Olivia Colman was a steadily working actress before her Oscar win for The Favourite, but man has she been making hay of that win in the years since! And the world is a better place for it! Since Olivia won Best Actress in 2019 she has turned in award winning and/or nominated performances in The Crown, The Father, The Lost Daughter, Landscapers, and Empire of Light, to name but a few. She’s also been producing with her husband, Ed Sinclair, and one of their coproductions comes out in limited release this week. To promote Wicked Little Letters, a quirky British comedy based on a true story, Olivia appeared on The Amanpour Hour where she did not mince words with host Christiane Amanpour on the pay disparity she experiences even as an Oscar winner. As Olivia put it: “If I was Oliver Colman, I’d be earning a f— of a lot more than I am.” Preach, Oliver!

Olivia Colman is getting candid about the gender pay gap in Hollywood, which even an Oscar winner like her cannot avoid.

Ahead of her latest film, Wicked Little Letters, the actress and producer opened up about the wage disparity that persists throughout the industry during a recent appearance on CNN’s The Amanpour Hour.

“Don’t get me started on the pay disparity, but male actors get paid more because they used to say they drew in the audiences,” The Crown star said. “And actually, that hasn’t been true for decades, but they still like to use that as a reason to not pay women as much as their male counterparts.”

Host Christiane Amanpour then asked Colman if she has experienced pay disparity firsthand, given her status as an acclaimed actress with an Oscar, two Emmys, and four BAFTAs as well as high-profile projects like Wonka, The Favourite, Broadchurch, The Crown, Fleabag, and Heartstopper under her belt. She told Amanpour those accolades do not make her an exception.

“I’m very aware that if I was Oliver Colman, I’d be earning a f— of a lot more than I am,” she replied. “I know of one pay disparity, which is a 12,000 percent difference. Do the maths, I know.”

Colman is the latest Hollywood star to call out gender inequality in wages. Other outspoken advocates include Debra Wilson, who left MADtv in 2003 after discovering a pay disparity between her and the show’s white male cast members, and Jennifer Lawrence who penned an essay on the subject in 2015. Back in 2018, Michelle Williams made headlines after revealing that her costar Mark Wahlberg earned $1.5 million for reshoots of All the Money in the World, while she received less than $1,000.

In December, while promoting The Color Purple, Taraji P. Henson opened up about racial pay disparities when she appeared on Gayle King’s Sirius XM radio show, expressing her frustration and admitting it had made her want to quit acting.

“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, getting paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson said. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ I have to. The math ain’t mathing.”

[From Entertainment Weekly]

Darn right the math ain’t mathing! This makes me all the more pleased that Olivia was paid for her role in Barbie even though it got cut. Whether it was intentional or not, her comments are even more timely considering we recently passed Equal Pay Day on March 12 — the date women have to work to match what men earned in the year before. Sometimes it’s really hard to believe this is the 21st century. Like Olivia says, whatever old, tired “explanations” are trotted out, there is simply no excuse for gender pay gaps of any kind to still exist, let alone egregious ones. There are allies in the fight — like the late great Chadwick Boseman — but salary negotiations shouldn’t have to fall to costars. So until the gap is closed, I fully support Olivia conducting all business as Oliver Colman in order to bank the pay she deserves. Hey, if accountants can mix up a payment between Tom Holland and Tom Hollander, it’s worth a shot.

Photos credit: Cat Morley/Avalon, James Warren/Bang Showbiz/Avalon, Dave Allocca/Starpix/INSTARimages, Abaca Press/INSTARimages

Last November, Cassie sued Sean Combs in federal court, accusing him of a host of crimes and abuses, up to and including human trafficking, forced drugging, physical abuse, emotional abuse and more. Combs made a big deal about calling Cassie crazy and saying he would fight the case… only to settle swiftly and quietly. Then, in February, a male producer sued Combs, again in federal court, alleging much the same as Cassie. The wheels have been coming off for months. Perhaps that’s why Combs has so many AKAs – Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy, Brother Love, and now a new one, gifted by the internet: The Diddler. On Monday, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security raided the Diddler’s Los Angeles and Miami homes. The sh-t has hit the fan.

Search warrant activity at homes belonging to musician and producer Sean “Diddy” Combs on Monday is related to an ongoing sex trafficking investigation, a law enforcement source told CNN. The source would not specify whether Combs himself was the specific target, citing the sensitive nature of the investigation.

Responding to reports of raids at homes belonging to Combs, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations New York confirmed it had “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation.” Law enforcement could be seen Monday at two of Combs’ homes – one in the Miami area and one in Los Angeles, according to CNN journalists on site.

HSI New York said it acted with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and local law enforcement. “We will provide further information as it becomes available,” the law enforcement department told CNN.

HSI is the lead investigative arm of the US Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, including human trafficking.

An HSI Miami representative told CNN’s Carlos Suarez the law enforcement action was a “search warrant execution.”

It is not yet clear if Combs or other residents are the target of the law enforcement actions. CNN has reached out to representatives for Combs for comment.

[From CNN]

In the aerial footage, it appears as if Combs’ sons were handcuffed, although I haven’t heard anything about their arrests. Combs was seen at the Miami Airport, pacing back and forth in the wake of the raid on his home there. There were widespread rumors that Combs had flown his private plane to Antigua in the midst of the raids, but the Miami photos have put a pin in that. It does not appear that he’s fled the country… yet. But I would assume that he’s keeping his options open. Anyway, it sounds like the feds got his ass, just as Katt Williams foretold in January. Also: you think anyone will reopen Kim Porter’s case?

Feds looking for Diddy… ever since Katt Williams said this, 2024 never been the same pic.twitter.com/NOaWGgvVdd

— SOUND (@itsavibe) March 25, 2024

#TMZ has the first video of #Diddy after his homes were raided by the feds Monday — he was caught pacing around Miami airport. https://t.co/F84js7uo79 pic.twitter.com/vGSlxBrtNX

— TMZ (@TMZ) March 26, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Embed from Getty Images
Yellowstone is ending when the second half of season 5 airs this fall, and it seems it’s coming not a moment too soon for the makers of the hit show. Grumblings first started over a year ago that star Kevin Costner reportedly wanted out. Meanwhile creator Taylor Sheridan sued another Yellowstone star, Cole Hauser, last December over trademark issues, saying their coffee company logos looked too much alike. And now this: cast member Forrie J. Smith was just “throwed off” a plane for refusing to sit next to a passenger who was wearing a mask. Yes he was drinking, but he wasn’t drunk! Smith lamented his treatment in an Instagram video he recorded while still at the airport. Strangely, most of the commenters had a different takeaway from Smith’s story:

Yellowstone’s Forrie J. Smith is stirring up some controversy with fans after his recent video during an Instagram Live.

The 65-year-old actor, who plays ranch hand Lloyd Pierce on the hit Paramount series, took to Instagram on Saturday after allegedly being kicked off a flight.

“I just got kicked off a plane in — where the hell am I at? — Houston, Texas, because I told them I didn’t feel comfortable sitting next to somebody with a mask on,” Smith claimed in the video, which was later shared to his main profile.

He then admitted to having been drinking, saying, “Yeah, I’ve been drinking. I’ve been sitting in the airport for three hours, yeah, I’m drinking. But I ain’t drunk. But they throwed me off the plane ‘cause I’m drunk ‘cause you people won’t stand up and tell everybody what bulls**t this is.”

He added of his decision not to sit next to a fellow passenger with a mask on, “I just told them I didn’t feel comfortable about sitting next to somebody that had to wear a mask. And I’m off the plane.”

Fans quickly took to the comments section, expressing their disappointment at Smith’s comments.

“How do you know that person doesn’t have cancer and just is going through chemotherapy treatments or something else that warrants them wearing one?” one commenter wrote.

“For the life of me I cannot fathom why someone else wearing a mask is so threatening to some people!!! Many people live with a loved one who is immunocompromised (e.g. cancer, heart disease) or they themselves may be immunocompromised. OR maybe they’re not feeling well and are being considerate of others by wearing a mask to contain their germs,” another person wrote. “How fragile are some people that a simple mask sets them off to this degree? It’s absolutely ridiculous!! While I appreciate Mr Smith’s talent, this makes me no longer respect him as a human being. Unfollowing!”

One Yellowstone fan noted, “I wore a mask all the time when my mom was on hospice care and traveling back and forth to see her. This post makes me sad as a fan.”

As of Monday, the video was still up and Smith had not replied to the upset fans.

[From ET Online]

I mean, what else is there to say? You’re welcome, SNL writers? How someone could be so affronted or scared by a passenger wearing a mask, a measure that protects the wearer and everyone else around them, completely boggles the mind. Plus, you know, all Smith had to do was sit next to this passenger during the flight in exactly the same way he would sit next to someone not wearing a mask! I’d be laughing if it weren’t so infuriating and pervasive. One glimmer of hope was this comment I read on Smith’s Insta from a self-identified non-liberal fan: “Bro I love your acting, and I am not a liberal, and you were kicked off because you are drunk. Bottom line. This will come back to haunt you.” Yup. Also, Smith says in his rambling that he was drinking because he was stuck at the airport for three hours. Mr. Smith, may I introduce you to the pleasurable and delightful activity of reading?

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A post shared by Forrie J. Smith (@forriejsmithcowboy)

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A post shared by Forrie J. Smith (@forriejsmithcowboy)

Photos credit: Getty and via Instagram

Today in “Sequels No One Asked For” news, we have Happy Gilmore! Christopher McDonald, who played Shooter McGavin, was on a Cleveland sports radio show last week. During his interview, he “let it slip” that a sequel to the 1996 movie is in the works. Apparently Adam Sandler, who co-wrote the first movie, showed him the first draft of a potential sequel, which he said was “awesome” and declared that the “fans demand it.” When the price is right (bitch), I guess everything old continues to be new again.

It sounds like Adam Sandler might be teeing up a sequel to his famed 1996 golf comedy “Happy Gilmore,” at least according to actor Christopher McDonald. McDonald, who played Shooter McGavin – the notorious arch nemesis of Sandler’s character Happy Gilmore – teased the possibility of a “Happy Gilmore 2” during an interview on Friday’s episode of “Audacy’s 92.3 The Fan” radio show.

“I saw Adam about two weeks ago… And he shows me the first draft of ‘Happy Gilmore 2,’” McDonald said, referring to a script he said that Sandler showed him.

He joked that the hosts he was speaking with may want to “cut that out” of the radio show because, he said, “I don’t wanna be a liar, but he did show me that, and I thought, ‘Well, that would be awesome.’ So, it’s in the works. Fans demand it, dammit!”

He later added that when he saw the script, he said he was “very, very pleased.” CNN had reached out to representatives for McDonald and Sandler for comment.

Sandler co-wrote “Happy Gilmore” and it became one of his most popular films. It follows Happy Gilmore (Sandler), a not-so-mild-mannered wannabe hockey player who discovers that he’s an exceptionally talented golfer with a slapshot-style swing.

He joins a golf tournament to try to win some money in an attempt to help save his grandmother’s house that she’s on the verge of losing. Gilmore goes on to become a golf legend, but his outrageous temperament and untraditional style catches the ire of golf pro Shooter McGavin (McDonald).

[From CNN]

Sigh. “We need a Happy Gilmore 2,” said no one ever. Look, I was in 6th grade when the original movie came out and sure, I loved the crap outta it at the time. That said, I haven’t seen it in 25ish years. I have no idea if it holds up, but I bet it doesn’t! Even if they did a version adjusted for 2024 social inflation, I still don’t know if I’d have any interest in seeing it. It’s kinda fun that McDonald may have spilled the beans without permission, though. I wonder if he actually did or if Sandler let him say something to put feelers out for some free publicity. Speaking of, Adam Sandler is a talented, funny person who was 2023’s highest paid actor. There’s no way he couldn’t come up with a totally “new” movie while still using his familiar old format and same cast of funny friends. But don’t mind me. I’m just a super nostalgic gal, screaming into the void, begging for new franchises. We’ve had enough, (bitch).

Embed from Getty Images

Photos credit: Universal Studios/Avalon, Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon, IMAGO/Clemens Niehaus / Avalon

This made me cry: Jimmy Kimmel’s compassion for Regina King and, in turn, her strength and compassion for him. This first part of the interview, with Kimmel’s voice breaking and Regina reaching out to him, is really beautiful. [Buzzfeed]
Another sexy look from Kristen Stewart. [RCFA]
Normani has new music! [Socialite Life]
I sort of want to see Late Night with the Devil. [LaineyGossip]
Paul Rudd is a big fan of Taylor Swift. [Pajiba]
The Roksanda collection was already hard-launched by Zendaya. [Go Fug Yourself]
Saltburn Funko-pops! [OMG Blog]
Henry Cavill & Natalie Viscuso were out in London. [Just Jared]
The Breakfast Club turns 40 years old (sob). [Seriously OMG]
Ah, the reality star to food blogger pipeline. [Starcasm]
Is Olivia Rodrigo still dating Louis Partridge? [Hollywood Life]

Buckingham Palace is currently doing the most to piggyback on the outpouring of sympathy for the Princess of Wales. Nevermind that they went radio silent during the past month of Kensington Palace’s clownery, although some of it (not all, but some) can be explained by the fact that I don’t think King Charles and Queen Camilla were informed about Kate’s cancer and chemotherapy for a while. If we’re going by the timeline being provided by Kensington Palace and Kate herself, she got the cancer diagnosis around February 20th or thereabouts. No one is saying when Kate and William informed Charles. They’re only overemphasizing Charles and Kate’s special connection now. The Sunday Sun’s cover was all about a private lunch Kate and Charles had on Friday, before KP released Kate’s video:

The Princess of Wales and the King had a heart-to-heart at Windsor Castle hours before she announced she had cancer. Charles, who also has the disease, travelled from London for a private lunch with his “beloved daughter-in-law” Kate on Thursday.

Kate was keen to speak to the 75-year-old King about his struggle and find out how he was coping. It is believed the pair also talked about Kate’s video announcement in which she said the discovery was a “huge shock” but vowed she was “going to be OK”.

A source said of the Windsor Castle get-together: “It is highly unusual for just the two of them to sit down together like this. The King had already been made aware that the woman he calls ‘my beloved daughter-in-law’ had cancer. They would have had lots to discuss and share because just weeks earlier the King had begun his course of treatment and dealt with announcing his diagnosis. The King left his lunch feeling very emotional. They are very close and he thinks of Catherine as his daughter. There is no doubt there is a lot they can share and can use each other for support during their own deeply personal cancer battles.”

It is understood Charles had been made aware of Kate’s cancer struggle before he travelled from London for the lunch. Queen Camilla is also said to be a pillar of support and in regular contact with Kate.

[From The Sun]

“It is understood Charles had been made aware of Kate’s cancer struggle before he travelled from London for the lunch.” Yeah, but when? They make it sound like Charles became aware just days beforehand. Or was he made aware around the same time that Buckingham Palace courtiers were gleefully watching Kensington Palace staffers throw Kate under the bus for a manipulated photo? It’s wild to me that William and Kate seemingly demanded total secrecy about Kate’s cancer diagnosis to the point where they might not have informed the literal KING for a month. There’s medical privacy and then there’s… telling your family and your “boss” what’s going on.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images, Instar. Cover courtesy of The Sun.

Following the Princess of Wales’s cancer & chemotherapy announcement on Friday, the weekend was full of stories about… Prince William. How William is doing, how William is coping, how William is the hero of this situation. Even though it’s clear, in retrospect, that William’s staffers were the ones throwing a woman with cancer under the bus to protect their clownish media strategies. That’s all been wiped clean, I suppose and we’re being introduced to Heroic William, the man who would stand by his wife through thick and thin. Interesting. From Rebecca English’s piece, “When I saw William this week, he looked like he’d the weight of the world on his shoulders. But he’s proving what a class act he is.”

He is a man born into centuries of tradition and steeped in duty – but is a husband and father first. Time and time again over the years, Prince William has made clear that while he takes seriously the burden of his future role as king and his current responsibilities as heir to the throne, he will never put them before his wife and family. Those qualities will be needed now, more than ever before.

William has always made clear how proud he is of Kate, both personally and in the way she has embraced her role. Indeed not so long ago, while talking to me about his own work, he made a point of bringing her into the conversation, stressing how he would see her sitting in their lounge, night after night, poring over papers relating to her groundbreaking work on children’s early years. It was abundantly clear he wanted the world to know that she was his equal, and more. And he has always emphasised that it was Kate who was the brains behind their joint Heads Together campaign with Prince Harry to break the national stigma around mental health.

But more importantly, I would suggest, it is the princess’s grounded brilliance as a mother, and the joy and happiness that she and their family have brought him, that has irrevocably changed William’s life.

He is a child of a broken marriage and warring parents, and grew up in the white heat of the public limelight. Kate’s steadiness, diligence and discretion have been just what he needed as a man. I don’t think any of us can even begin to understand how difficult the past few months will have been for William. Just watching what his wife has been going through: The worry of major abdominal surgery, the joyous news that the surgery had been successful, and then the heart-stopping diagnosis that, in fact, cancer had been found. Add to that his father’s own surgery and subsequent cancer diagnosis… well, that’s a hard load for anyone to bear.

…It is also a sign of the solidity of their relationship that both they and their staff were at pains to stress yesterday that their children have been at the heart of everything they have done since January, in spite of the sometimes hideously unbearable provocation they have received, particularly on social media.

Indeed, as aides briefed a small group of journalists, including myself, about the cancer news that they were about to break to the world yesterday, there was not one attempt to finger-point at the gossip-mongers who have caused the prince and princess so much distress in recent weeks. The fact that the couple have not publicly lambasted the trolls, and instead focused on their children and those who have found themselves in the same, frightening position, shows what a class act they are. Several of us asked whether their statement had been issued now to counter those vultures. And while it was made clear that they hoped that speculation would now end, it was also stressed the announcement was very much being made around the children.

[From The Daily Mail]

Much is being done, right before our eyes, in real time, to pivot everything around Kate’s statement. Palace incompetence is being buried and forgotten, conversations about manipulated photos (blamed entirely on Kate) are being wiped clean, and William’s odd behavior this year is also being rewritten, clearly. Some of what we could see in the past few months can legitimately be explained by William and Kate focusing on their children and Kate’s recovery. But there is a lot being buried, whitewashed and covered up too. Also: why the f–k did Kensington Palace allow that Tatler cover story to go through? It’s insane in retrospect – there’s barely any mention of Kate, and it’s all about embiggening William alone.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, cover courtesy of Tatler.