China News Service, London, March 23 (Ouyang Kaiyu and Peng Xinyi) The late Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom once said that she needs to be seen in order to be believed. Today, the responsibility for testing that code falls on successors and their family members.
On the afternoon of March 22, local time, the British royal family Prince William and Princess Kate released a video on social media. Princess Kate appeared on the camera and said that she was receiving cancer treatment. In the video, Princess Kate said that after undergoing abdominal surgery in January this year, she found cancer cells in her body during the post-operative examination. Currently, she is taking preventive chemotherapy measures under the advice of her medical team.
The news dominated the front pages of British newspapers on March 23, with voices expressing support and criticism of those speculating on her health.
"Kate, you are not alone," The Sun reported, saying she had received "an outpouring of love and support." The "Daily Mirror" published an article saying that "Kate's cancer is heartbreaking" and reported how she explained to her family and comforted her children. The Daily Telegraph quoted Kate as saying: "Cancer has a huge impact," while noting that she said "she will get better." Addressing those who have spread rumors about Kate Middleton in recent weeks, the Daily Mail said: "How are those online trolls feeling now?"
British King Charles III, Prince Harry, Prime Minister Sunak, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and others have expressed support for Princess Kate. Sunak noted that Kate's statement "shows great courage", adding that she has been "unfairly treated by certain media and social media outlets around the world".
In fact, in the past period of time, Princess Kate and the entire British royal family have been in a storm of public opinion.
Before the release of the self-report video, Princess Kate's last public appearance was on December 25 last year. On the same day, Prince William and Princess Kate appeared in front of the media cameras with their three children. Princess Kate looked emotional and healthy.
On January 16, the British royal family suddenly issued an official statement saying that Princess Kate was undergoing planned abdominal surgery. Since Princess Kate wanted to keep her personal medical information confidential, the relevant details were not disclosed. This news did not attract much attention at first, but Princess Kate's delay in leaving the hospital began to cause various speculations. It was not until January 29 that Kensington Palace issued a statement confirming that Princess Kate had been discharged from the hospital.
However, Princess Kate showed great athletic talent and physical fitness when she was in school. Public opinion questioned, what kind of disease requires such a long period of hospital treatment? Various speculations about Princess Kate's "disappearance" have exploded on the Internet. Rumors and conspiracy theories are rampant. Various doubts have gradually evolved into a storm of public opinion in the UK.
The British royal family is at the center of this storm. Queen Camilla and Prince William have frequently attended various events recently and responded directly or indirectly to various speculations in their communications with the public. Not only that, the British royal family also announced the recruitment of assistants, whose main work includes responding to media questions about royal members.
According to British media reports, the reason why they chose to release the video on the 22nd was because Prince William and Princess Kate wanted to wait until their children were on vacation before announcing the news. It is known that the three children of William and his wife celebrated the Easter holiday on that day.
At the end of the video, Princess Kate also called for the royal family to be given time, space and privacy, saying she would resume official duties after her health improves, and encouraged other cancer patients to remain optimistic and confident.
For a long time, the British royal family's public relations have been trying to find a balance between "people-friendly" and "mysterious". This year, the British royal family has been hit many times. Previously, King Charles was suffering from cancer and suspended public activities, and later, Princess Kate did not appear for a long time. Analysts said that Princess Kate's appearance on the screen will put an end to some speculations, but the British royal family in the spotlight will eventually face new challenges in the information age.
Observers point out that for a family that relies on thousands of public appearances each year to build its public image, including attending ribbon-cuttings, benefit galas, investiture ceremonies and other events, the British royal family needs to rethink how to present itself in the social media era. (over)