2024 hasn’t been a great year thus far for the British royal family. Just last month, both King Charles III and Kate Middleton revealed their own respective hospitals stays — the Princess of Wales underwent abdominal surgery while the reigning monarch initially dealt with an enlarged prostate. Since then, King Charles was diagnosed with a form of cancer.
The palace released only a brief statement about the mom-of-three’s surgery and later explained that it would temporarily halt her royal duties. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter,” the statement said, according to Katie Couric Media.
With all eyes on the United Kingdom and the House of Windsor, one royal expert shared his perspective regarding the reason King Charles and his team chose to be forthcoming about his health, while the Princess of Wales is opting to remain private.
“Simply because one patient is comfortable discussing their health in a certain way does not mean both patients should be,” royal expert Gareth Russell shared with Us Weekly. “Just stepping back from the royal aspect of things for a moment, patient privacy is still a really important and a fundamental right,” Russell said.
Amidst the British royal family’s health struggles, many wonder how Prince William is coping. Insiders reveal his biggest priority is supporting his wife, Kate Middleton, during her recovery. https://t.co/5UwSuZPVJm
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) February 7, 2024
Ultimately, Russell emphasized that Kate and King Charles “have very different kinds of illness,” and they are each undergoing “very different kinds of treatments” to address their health needs. Russell also noted there’s always an abundance of pressure for particular public figures, members of the royal family included, to “do everything in a second” and “ease internet speculation.”
An element we also want to consider outside of King Charles and Kate’s individual decisions regarding what they disclose, is also their respective positions and roles in the royal family. As the sovereign, we can only imagine King Charles and/or his team feel a sense of duty to be transparent with the U.K. and the rest of the world. For the Princess of Wales, focusing on her own recovery and well-being is likely far more important than delivering update after update, though there was one rumor the palace felt the need to address on the Princess of Wales’ behalf.
It’s been an intense time for the British royal family, to say the least. With every single update comes more speculation and intrigue than before. But when it comes to King Charles III and Kate Middleton’s respective health situations, it’s more than understandable why they each are making their respective decisions on what they disclose to the public.
Before you go, click here to see the 100 best photos of the royal family from the past 20 years.
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