What the what is going on with the Royals

[dogmom]

Or more specifically the Princess of Wales. Or even more specifically, the freaking PR a department.

I was mildly interested in the “She’s in the hospital for TWO weeks for an ELECTIVE abdominal surgery?!” Yeah, no fairly healthy woman of her age has any kind of elective abdominal surgery needs two weeks in hospital unless something went major league sidewise. Even a she needs a temporary colostomy for a diverticulitis scare (would explain a lot) can get home sooner than that if it’s not serious badness. Especially someone with resources and privacy to be home with her family. (Source, myself and 20+ years in a surgical ICU.)

But I shrugged, figured it’s her business don’t care that much. More of a professional curiosity, like guess the Kings cancer. But then all heck broke loose this last week and then the picture. I’m just what the what? So I went down the Rabbit Hole, so you don’t have to. Found I really good article that talks about the Royal press and a timeline that is bananas. (It’s a conversation from Buzz Feeds forms Royal reporter that wrote the excellent piece comparing coverage of Kate vs Meghan’s pregnancy.) Also, had not idea of the Spanish writer’s speculation. I am now fully invested in this.


https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/03/th...-in-the-media/

Edit: Just to be clear, none of this is about spreading bad gossip about the Princes of Wales, which I don’t rally have an opinion one any way. It’s more just getting a little bonkers. My favorite podcast did several episodes about Princess Dianna, also no strong opinions, but I found the episodes interesting. Especially when they said the way the royal Family is treated is sort of a human rights violation on that they really can’t lead a full life, while having none of the power that went with monarchy, at the same time being obscenely rich. It’s all quite bizarre.

[klwa]

One important note: they haven't said that it was ELECTIVE surgery, just that it was PLANNED.

I do think there's something more major going on, which is why they aren't saying much, but I doubt the "she's in a COMA!" stuff. But, yeah, they need a major overhaul of their PR department.

[jgenie]

The two weeks in the hospital followed by not working until after Easter gave me pause. I was curious like everyone else but figured it made sense that she didn’t want her private information out for public speculation. I originally thought maybe she had a hysterectomy but didn’t want everyone to know because it’s private. The releasing an enhanced image but not willing to release the original got my attention. For everyday people oftentimes we fail to get a good shot in the bunch but I would not think that’s a problem for them. Why not release an unaltered photo now that she was willing to release a photo.

[MSWR0319]

Thank you for the article! I was trying to have a conversation with DH yesterday about this at lunch. He didn't even know she'd had surgery, so that conversation got no where and didn't satisfy my curiosity I've been curious about what kind of surgery could need two weeks in the hospital and such a long recovery without being seen or updated, but had kinda forgot about it until this picture and the drama around is surfaced.

[anonomom]

I've been assuming that whatever surgery/health issue Kate had has had an effect on her appearance, thus the photoshopped photo and her lengthy absence from public view. What makes me sad is that anyone -- royal or not -- would feel pressure to be literally invisible if their looks changed from the "perfect, pretty polished" image that they'd previously had. That would feel awful.

But yeah, releasing a very obviously photoshopped photo, then refusing to release the original, is just a bad move. How on earth did anyone, much less a team of royal PR consultants, think that was going to go well? All it does is add fuel to wild speculation.

[dogmom]

One important note: they haven't said that it was ELECTIVE surgery, just that it was PLANNED.

I do think there's something more major going on, which is why they aren't saying much, but I doubt the "she's in a COMA!" stuff. But, yeah, they need a major overhaul of their PR department.

Sorry, I was using the technical version of elective. There is elective, which can be medically necessary, but not life threatening in the short term so it can be scheduled. There is also urgent or emergent. Urgent is, you need to get to the OR is x time or serious consequences, possibly life threatening could happen. An appendectomy is often urgent. Emergent means you have to go to the OR in a short time span, usually 1-2 hrs, or it is life threatening. So a very early ectopic pregnancy is elective, a later ectopic pregnancy threatening rupture is urgent, a ruptured and bleeding ectopic pregnancy is emergent. (Using this as an example because of the intersection between medical terminology and current events in our country, nothing to do with the princess.) These are specifically defined things in the hospital due to scheduling ORs and staff and cases getting cancelled to make room or call staff getting called in. Many things can be urgent, very few are emergent. Likewise a lot of stuff is considered elective, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important.

[wendibird22]

Yeah, it became a curiosity for me this week too. I definitely wondered what type of "planned" surgery would require such a lengthy recovery and wondered like anonomom if her being out of the public eye was about her appearance (major abdominal surgery would definitely require no working out and Kate is a very fit/slender person). The 6 weeks of no working post-hospital release seemed consistent with hysterectomy, but not the 2 week hospital stay. Geez these days there seems to be very few procedures where they don't kick you out of the hospital within a few days. Of course I realize a Royal would receive a different standard of care than a general citizen, just like a President would here in the US.

But I agree that her PR team has bumbled this badly. You'd think that the minute it spiraled, especially in light of the King's cancer diagnosis and talk of the working royals diminishing in numbers that they'd want to paint a picture of a healthy vigorous princess, even if she was still recovering at home. That they'd seemingly let them release a pic that William took and Kate edited, makes absolutely no sense. And we know the Royals practically own the British media and tabloids, it would be easy for them to stage/release exactly the types of images they'd want to in order to control the narrative.

[dogmom]

I've been curious about what kind of surgery could need two weeks in the hospital and such a long recovery without being seen or updated, but had kinda forgot about it until this picture and the drama around is surfaced.

That’s the thing that’s so odd, the answer is none without serious complications. Even a Whipple, which is a let’s cut out all the stuff we can without death because they have cancer, doesn’t need two weeks unless there are complications or the patient has other serious comorbidity, which should not be Kate. People were, oh she could have a hysterectomy or a hernia repair, that’s major. But major enough for two weeks if you were healthy before? Nope. Someone like her with resources only needs to be in the hospital for two weeks for: life threatening conditions that involve other organ systems that require interventions that would fall in the life support range, complications from and initial procedure that would require further surgical interventions, a serious mental health condition. It really has to be more serious than they are letting on. I’m wondering if it was something that might be reversible that they thought they could wait it out?

I've been assuming that whatever surgery/health issue Kate had has had an effect on her appearance, thus the photoshopped photo and her lengthy absence from public view. What makes me sad is that anyone -- royal or not -- would feel pressure to be literally invisible if their looks changed from the "perfect, pretty polished" image that they'd previously had. That would feel awful.

But yeah, releasing a very obviously photoshopped photo, then refusing to release the original, is just a bad move. How on earth did anyone, much less a team of royal PR consultants, think that was going to go well? All it does is add fuel to wild speculation.

Yeah, I was in the, OK she doesn’t want to be seen in public and have some privacy, fine. Lost interest. But the whole picture thing without any previous press stuff, even behind the scenes is bizarre. Really encourage people to read the link I shared, it’s really good at explains the media culture. The journalist said this is the type of things that PR or others would feed to papers like, “How Kate is doing self care!” Or “How she is staying involved with the kids!” She is such a stalwart of the royals with a whole press ecosystem around her, mostly feel good, that it is really bizzare they haven’t done just a little. I think most people were willing to let it go until Easter, except for the true crazies, but now this picture and other stuff has the same rest of us going, wait a minute, this makes no sense. Especially when one of the explanations is that she is not in the picture with the kids and it’s a composite, which is honestly concerning.

Also, seriously, I don’t for a minute think she was the one editing that picture. Not that she’s not capable, just, why? She’s got people for that. My poor husband, he’s “This is going to be like when we obsessed about Sarah Palin, isn’t it?” Luckily he was game for me going over the whole time line last night.

[erosenst]

Thanks for sharing this. I have been following mostly as a 'this just doesn't make a lot of sense' for the reasons that you pointed out...and then it got REALLY weird with the pictures this weekend. I wouldn't want to live in the spotlight/fishbowl as she does. If for some reason I did, I would assume there would be at least competent PR around. Appears that the latter is clearly not the case.

Interesting timing - I've been binge watching Suits. I knew Meghan Markle was in it. I didn't realize she was a *main* character, and what it must have taken to do her last season concurrently with being engaged to Harry/what she gave up. Again - we all have trade-offs but it amplifies what hers must have involved.

Have to admit I'll be watching the Kate stuff going forward - I have to believe there's at least one more chapter here.

[AnnieW625]

I wonder if she had female surgery. Imagine if the press got ahold of that….the horror….no more royal babies. I hope she is okay and people need to stop speculating that something is wrong.

Hernia repair in workers’ compensation comes with six weeks off work automatically at least in California (not sure about the rest of the US).

I am sure the two weeks is to not call attention to the issue when she is released but who know with the British press.

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