China News Service, March 23 (Chen Caixia) On March 22, local time, Princess Kate, who has not appeared in public for nearly three months, officially issued a statement saying that she was receiving cancer treatment.

　　In the 2 minute and 15 second video, Kate described the recent treatment process, thanked her family and the public for their support, and expressed the hope that she would have more privacy during the treatment.

　　In the past nearly 90 days, almost the whole world has been paying attention to Kate's whereabouts, and the term #Where is Princess Kate? has been on the hot search list. Now that Princess Kate has finally appeared, can the crisis of trust in the British royal family be eliminated?

Image source: Video screenshot of Princess Kate of the United Kingdom

"Where's Kate?"

　　Things have to start in January.

　　According to foreign media reports, Kate has not appeared in public since Christmas 2023. Until January 17, the British royal family suddenly issued a statement saying that Princess Kate was hospitalized on January 16 for "planned abdominal surgery" and stated that she would not participate in any public events before Easter (March 31).

　　On January 29, Kensington Palace issued another statement saying that Princess Kate had returned home and was "making good progress."

　　Since the royal family did not inform the specific type of surgery, some netizens later posted that the private hospital where Kate had the surgery was famous for treating cancer, implying that Kate had an "incurable disease."

　　Social media has since erupted with discussion about Kate's long absence. Every day or two, a new conspiracy theory pops up trying to explain Kate's "disappearance."

　　Some people say that Kate is in critical condition and will die soon; some say that Kate has passed away, and others say that she has encountered a marital crisis... People are even beginning to worry that Kate will repeat the tragedy of Princess Diana.

　　On March 4, "Kate" was photographed sitting in the passenger seat of an SUV, wearing sunglasses and facing the camera. But the "internet detectives" soon discovered that this was not the Princess Kate they were looking for, which even triggered the speculation of "substitute theory".

　　A week later, on Mother's Day in the UK on March 10, Kate and William's social accounts released the first official photo of Kate since Christmas, trying to break the rumors. In the photo, Kate is sitting on a chair, surrounded by her children, all four of whom are smiling happily. William wrote in the caption, "Thank you all for your good wishes and support for us over the past two months. Happy Mother's Day to everyone."

　　However, it was pointed out that many details of this photo had obvious traces of retouching, and many media outlets removed the photo, making the matter even more confusing.

　　The next day, the account apologized in Kate's words, saying, "Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally experiment with editing and I would like to apologize for any confusion caused by the family photos we shared yesterday."

　　Not long ago, Kate was successfully "secretly photographed" again. "Did the princess show up?" British tabloid "The Sun" said on March 16 that witnesses said they met Prince William and Princess Kate who were shopping at the Windsor Farm Store. Kate looked "happy and healthy" at the time. Subsequently, The Sun directly published a video of the Windsor Farm Store. However, the video was not certified by the royal family.

　　"Where is Kate?" has become a global topic, with hot searches and news headlines about her whereabouts constantly refreshing.

Data map: Princess Kate.

"Public Princess" in the spotlight

　　Public opinion is abuzz. Why does everyone want to know where Princess Kate has gone?

　　Compared with the "prominence" of the British royal family, Kate, who comes from a middle-class family, is regarded as a "commoner".

　　In 2001, Kate was admitted to the University of St. Andrews, a top university in the UK, and then she met her alumnus Prince William. In 2004, the two were photographed on a date during a skiing vacation in Switzerland.

　　From Prince William's girlfriend, to a "common princess", to the future queen, Princess Kate has always been the focus of public attention.

　　After becoming the princess, Kate actively performed her royal duties, dressed elegantly, behaved appropriately, and attended various official events or occasions, satisfying the British public's expectations of royal members. However, her private life has been subject to more stringent scrutiny by the public and the royal family.

　　"Kate has the self-control of a civil servant, and at the same time, like Princess Diana, has an approachable and well-liked character," Kate's uncle once said of his niece.

　　This may be why Kate's lack of public appearances creates such a storm of public opinion - the public has become accustomed to "seeing" Kate over the years.

Data map: The late British Queen Elizabeth II (right) and Princess Kate.

In the "post-Queen era", where will the British royal family go?

　　The British "Guardian" once wrote that in the Middle Ages, kings were keen to visit various places to show that they were still alive. The royals put themselves on display, mingling with the crowd, and at least one photo in the news showed them "at work." If the royal family ceases to appear, the monarchy will "lose its raison d'être."

　　"She needs to be seen in order to be believed." In the eyes of the late Queen Elizabeth II, this was a way to continue the British monarchy in the era of the prosperity of new media such as television and the Internet.

　　On June 2, 1953, the young Queen Elizabeth II broke with convention and the entire coronation ceremony was televised live by the British Broadcasting Corporation. In 1957, the Queen became the first British monarch to deliver a Christmas message live on television, making it one of the "fixed programs" that the British people watch every Christmas.

　　According to analysis, the Queen relies on her personal charm to establish a certain connection between ordinary British people and the life of the royal family. This sense of participation makes them feel that they are an integral part of the country.

　　However, in recent years, the image of the British royal family has caused more and more controversy. Al Jazeera Arabia once said that many British people believe that the royal family is "outdated."

　　For a long time, royal public relations have been trying to find a balance between "people-friendly" and "mysterious". However, in this information age of deep fakes, the information vacuum may be filled by endless conspiracy theories.

　　London-based public relations and crisis communications expert Mark Borkoski said the royal family's long-standing "culture of silence" has done them no favors when it comes to quelling speculation about Kate's absence. "While most people may forgive and forget, the risk is that trust, a vital foundation of the monarchy, is eroded," he said.

　　"Like anything, when you are disappointed with the source, the bar is raised." On March 14, AFP global news director Phil Chetwind admitted in an interview that during the photo editing controversy After that, Kensington Palace was no longer considered a credible source.

　　Now that Princess Kate has returned to the public eye, the physical health of the royal family members is bound to become the focus of public attention in the future. In the "post-Queen era", how the British royal family can regain the trust of public opinion, the media and the people may be one of the challenges they need to think about and face next. (over)