Never explain, never apologize, the old saying goes. But there are times when it is necessary to do both.
We all, to a greater or lesser extent, owe the Prince and Princess of Wales an apology (including myself) for giving them such a difficult time over that manipulated Mother’s Day photo, as well as the last-minute decision of Prince William to retire. the funeral of his godfather.
After the princess’s announcement that she suffers from cancer and is in the early stages of her treatment, it becomes clear what was behind both of them. Such devastating news is hard enough at the best of times; Trying to confront a diagnosis as frightening as this and at the same time defend yourself against endless speculation must be almost impossible.
In retrospect, it all fits together. The photo, the memorial service, the confusion over whether or not the princess would attend Trooping the Color. It is a lesson for all of us not to jump to conclusions, not to be carried away by speculation, and a salutary reminder that, despite all the responsibilities that come with the Royal Family, they are people too and bleed like him. rest of us.
In today’s world, the prudence that marked the late queen’s reign seems an anomaly. We now live in an era of oversharing, where everyone complains almost all the time about the various injustices, real or perceived, that afflict them.
We all, to a greater or lesser extent, owe an apology to the Prince and Princess of Wales
We now almost expect people to be open about all aspects of their lives, good or bad.
If they hold back, it somehow feels a little suspicious. What do you mean you don’t want to tell the whole world all about your heartbreak, your ingrown toenail, and your mental health issues? When it comes to celebrities, royals, and politicians, we feel like we almost have a right to know.
It has resulted in a subtle but undeniable cultural shift that, when combined with the vast and unbridled reach of the internet and the toxic influence of social media, can lead to ferocious storms of the kind to which the Welsh have been subjected.
Someone like the princess, who has never once in all her years as a royal shown even a hint of displeasure or uttered a word of complaint, is very rare, especially in public life. And yet, she has always made herself available to the public, not so much by baring her soul, as Princess Diana did, but by being her only reliable constant, always and unfailingly appearing and displaying herself.
That’s why her absence and the subsequent confusion surrounding the Mother’s Day photo caused so much alarm.
For those of us who pay close attention to the Royals, it was all very out of character. The prince and princess always play it so honestly – why on earth would they alter a photo? Something just felt wrong and now we know what.
Like many, I felt it was not the princess’s fault (although, characteristically, she took responsibility), but rather a failure on the part of the Kensington Palace staff. They should have realized that she would end up raising more questions than she answered. Still, the fact is that the furore it caused must have been very distressing for Kate in her current condition, and I’m sorry.
Furthermore, as a mother of two children who has at times had to deal with the effects of life in the public sphere (albeit on a much smaller scale, of course), I know how difficult it can be to manage the consequences of malicious rumors or the deliberate misinterpretation of the facts. No matter how hard you try to protect them, you will never be able to protect them completely.
In retrospect, it all fits together. The photo, the memorial service, the confusion over whether or not the princess would attend Trooping the Color.
And there is nothing that weighs more on a father’s heart than seeing his son suffer.
That’s why those who also need to apologize – and perhaps take a hard look at themselves at the same time – are all those social media profiteers who fueled the circus of cruel conspiracy theories surrounding the princess, ranging from the craziest to the wildest. crazy the downright disgusting.
However severe the mainstream media’s criticism of the doctored photo may have been, nothing comes close to the rabid disregard for the truth exhibited by online trolls.
Even some celebrities couldn’t resist joining in: Kim Kardashian captioned a recent Instagram post “on the way to pick up Kate.” And there are many more who got carried away by the food frenzy.
It was clear from the princess’s heartbreaking video message that all of this has taken its toll on her.
She seemed very fragile and vulnerable, sitting alone on a garden bench, her voice shaking and sadness in her eyes, as she explained the circumstances of her diagnosis and the truth about the last few weeks.
Now that we finally see the bigger picture, it’s clear that this brave and beautiful woman has had all she can handle. The world needs to back off now and give her and her family the space and time to heal.