This announcement was a huge shock for the British, but also for the whole world. Since Friday March 22, 2024, Kate Middleton’s cancer has made the headlines in all media, both English and international. That day, the Princess of Wales spoke for the first time since her disappearance from media life two months earlier, following a mysterious abdominal operation. Prince William’s wife finally revealed to be suffering from cancer, for which she started preventative chemotherapy. Of course, following this announcement which aroused great emotion among the public, many personalities wanted to send their wishes for recovery to the future Queen of England. First, his father-in-law Charles III greeted the “courage” of his “beloved daughter-in-law”with whom he remained in “close contact throughout these last weeks”, while she began her treatment. Then came the turn of his brother-in-law, Prince Harry, and his sister-in-law, Meghan Markle.
Why is Harry and Meghan’s press release not unanimous in England?
It was through a brief press release, sent to several American magazines including Harper’s Bazaar Or Peoplethat the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose to express themselves: “We wish health and healing to Kate and her family, and we hope they can spend time privately and peacefully.” A clear and concise message, but which was not to everyone’s taste. In the British media and on social networks, many criticize this laconic speech by the expatriate couple in the United States. Some journalists – as is the case in particular with David Bull and Caroline Faraday, on the set of Talk TV – have judged this formulation of “health and healing” too much “American”. And precisely, in the context of tense relations between the Cambridges and the Sussexes since this departure for Los Angeles, other details of this message of speedy recovery have not been unanimous.
On social networks, many detractors of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not appreciate that the couple sent their wishes to Kate Middleton using her nickname. Many have in fact seen a lack of respect, believing that the princess should be called by her name, Catherine, in this kind of official messages. Still others were surprised that the Sussexes chose to use the fashion and celebrity press, rather than more general agencies. Some also raised the fact that this reaction should have been done directly within the family, without going through the media.
When and how did Meghan and Harry learn of Kate’s cancer?
Indeed, this criticism follows the recent revelations of the New York Postwhereby Prince Harry and Meghan Markle allegedly didn’t know about Kate Middleton’s cancer beforehand. “They had no idea and only found out about the news around the same time the rest of the world found out. This shows the irreparable damage they have caused. Trust has been broken and the royal family has agreed to distance itself”, a close source then told our colleagues across the Atlantic. But for its part, the magazine People ensures that “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made private contact with the Prince and Princess of Wales”. It is therefore difficult to disentangle fact from fiction in this matter.
As a reminder, relations have been more than tense between the two couples since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to renounce their royal titles to live in the United States in 2020. Since then, their shock declarations on the Crown – d first with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, then in the explosive book The Substitute, published by William’s brother in January 2023 – only made the situation worse. But following the announcement of King Charles III’s cancer in January 2024, Harry tried to defuse things a little by declaring his love for his family, whom he intended to visit in the United Kingdom.as much [qu’il] could”.