Kate Middleton’s enormous dignity

The statement, when it came, was remarkably simple and delivered with enormous dignity. Dressed simply and sitting outside, the Princess of Wales began her short video by thanking those who had sent her supportive messages, before describing her “tough couple of months” after having been diagnosed with a form of cancer, which has then led to a course of preventative chemotherapy.

With remarkable sang-froid, albeit delivered in a voice freighted with understandable deep emotion, Kate then went on to talk about the impact that the diagnosis has had on both her and her family, saying:

It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.

There is something heartbreakingly sad in a young mother of three children having to go through a painful, debilitating and frightening illness, and it would break the heart of anyone with feeling to listen to Kate’s statement. Empathy — so often a quality lacking in the public treatment of the British royal family — could be found in spades on the social media platforms on which, just a couple of days ago, speculation had run rampant and nonsense was being portrayed as authoritative fact.

The princess might have stated that: “I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits” — and we can only hope that this is the case. But it is also true that 2024 has been the most awful year imaginable for the royal family.

It would break the heart of anyone with feeling to listen to Kate’s statement

First, there was the diagnosis of the King’s illness, which was bad enough. Now, there is the tragic news of Kate’s cancer diagnosis. The circumstances in which the princess has had to divulge this very personal, very private news, makes matters harder for the royals. So, too, does the prurient and tasteless speculation that she must, alas, have been privy to, because only someone living on Mars could have avoided it. We can only hope that those who have been gossiping and laughing at a young woman suffering from cancer now feel ashamed of themselves.

It seems likely that there will not be any rush for the princess to return to the limelight, and nor should she feel obliged to. As she said:

We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.

Any suggestion that she must be forced to go back to work immediately after Easter has now gone into abeyance.

It is also true that, as with Charles, her revelation of her diagnosis will come as a consolation to those who are also living with cancer: “For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form,” she said, “please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”

Everyone with a compassionate bone in their body will feel a huge sense of sympathy and empathy with Kate and her family as she goes through this experience. Yet it is also the case that we have seen, clearly, over the past few months that a woman widely regarded as the popular and sympathetic face of the royal family — the one of “us” who became one of “them” but never lost her awareness of where she came from and who she was — can be turned on, viciously, for refusing to provide a moment by moment briefing on her health. And now we know the truth, and why she didn’t want to.

This calm, dignified and immensely sad statement should be the last word on the matter, and we can only hope that she recovers her health, for her family’s sake, rather than Britain’s.

This article was originally published on The Spectator’s UK website.