On Sept. 9, Kate Middleton announced she was cancer-free after completing chemotherapy. In a video message, the Princess of Wales shared “what a relief” it was to complete her treatment after a difficult nine months. “Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” she said. The news comes after she revealed she was diagnosed with cancer in March, following weeks of speculation about her health.
At the time, Middleton publicized her diagnosis amid various rumors about her medical condition, which only worsened after the family released a digitally altered photo of Middleton and her children on March 10. While the palace rightfully faced questions and concerns about its handling of the matter, frankly, Middleton’s health is no one’s business but hers and her family’s – and that’s even clearer following her initial statement.
Since Middleton shared her diagnosis and subsequent recovery, the various conspiracy theories and jokes surrounding her whereabouts felt especially gross and inappropriate. There was much demand for Middleton to make a public appearance or for Kensington Palace to share details of her medical condition, and it seemed she felt it necessary to share this public statement with the world. It’s unfortunate that she couldn’t deal with her health privately, if that’s what she had wanted.
Sure, it’s fair for people to have questions – especially given the PR mystery surrounding the doctored photo – but Middleton shouldn’t have been expected to open up about her health just because she’s a public figure.
While celebrities like Christina Applegate and Selena Gomez have shown the value of sharing their medical journeys, particularly with rare or stigmatized diseases like multiple sclerosis and lupus, respectively, no one should feel compelled to disclose anything about their health. Though Middleton has now revealed she’s in recovery, hopefully she won’t feel further pressure from the public to share more details.
While it’s fine to be curious about celebrities’ personal lives, perhaps this outcome should remind us it’s never OK to speculate or gossip about anyone’s health, regardless of their level of fame. If it wasn’t clear before, Middleton continues to ask for privacy as she handles this difficult time in her life with her family. While many may argue that celebrities lose their right to privacy as public figures, they certainly deserve it when it comes to their health.
The theories and conjecture even felt potentially harmful, considering the media’s history with the women of the royal family. Meghan Markle has said she stepped away from royal duties because of Buckingham Palace’s unwillingness to protect her, Prince Harry, and their children from negative and often racist press coverage. And Princess Diana‘s tragic death has long been linked to the paparazzi’s relentless pursuit of the royal. In this case, it seemed Kensington Palace was attempting to protect Middleton by controlling the narrative, but she still faced undeniable and outsized scrutiny from the media and the public.
Let’s continue to allow Princess Catherine to continue to focus on her recovery and family.
Yerin Kim is the features editor at POPSUGAR, where she helps shape the vision for special features and packages across the network. A graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, she has over five years of experience in the pop culture and women’s lifestyle spaces. She’s passionate about spreading cultural sensitivity through the lenses of lifestyle, entertainment, and style.
