Just because celebrities like the royal family are secretive doesn’t mean they do not deserve privacy.
An article from the New York Times talks about how Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, hasn’t been seen in public since December 2023 due to what the palace called a “planned abdominal surgery.” The royal family said she was expected to be in the hospital for 10 to 14 days and resume her duties after Easter.
But this was not enough for people on the internet.
People started spreading rumors, even going as far as saying she is dead. Those people only wanted views and attention, but what they did not realize was that their claims were harmful and out of control. By posting these false claims, the user got their five seconds of fame and rumors escalated further.
Then on Friday, Middleton released a video announcing that her team of doctors had discovered cancer during her surgery and that she is undergoing chemotherapy treatment. By doing this, she put all the rumors to rest – but she shouldn’t have had to.
Middleton should have been able to announce this hard discovery after she and her family had coped with the subject. The royal family was pressured into announcing the diagnosis because some people had spread lies saying she was dead.
An article from the New York Times said, “These days, celebrity content is widely and constantly available. Public engagement is a crucial (and often solicited) part of the publicity apparatus; privacy is not.”
Some on the internet think a celebrity isn’t entitled to the same privacy as a regular person. But if your neighbor was sick or having a planned surgery, you would not hound that person for answers while they are in recovery.
The royal family is used to having their whole lives on display for the public, but that does not mean they are not entitled to some privacy.
Not every detail about the royal family’s personal lives needs to be tweeted or posted, especially when a person is sick. Middleton right now needs to recover and rest, without more rumors spreading.
