The Palace felt “pressure” to announce Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis amidst the tsunami of conspiracy theories, says a royal expert.
“Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition, and the Power Players Behind the House of Windsor” author Valentine Low opined that the “lunacy that ensued” following Middleton’s abdominal surgery in January may have hastened the announcement.
“They probably felt the pressure to announce,” Low told Page Six in an exclusive interview. “It was too much to bear in the end, they had to say something.”
The Princess of Wales underwent a “planned surgery” earlier this year.
“The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” read a statement on Instagram, adding that Middleton, 42, “is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
The statement also expressed the royal’s desire to “maintain as much normality for her children as possible.”
She and Prince William, 42, share three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
Increasingly outlandish conspiracy theories sprouted in the following weeks, exacerbated by a clumsily Photoshopped family image that was released on Mother’s Day in the UK.
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A sighting of Middleton and Prince William shopping in a local food store in Windsor did nothing to quell the frenzied speculation.
The conspiracy theories were put to rest on Friday, as the Princess appeared in a video sharing her cancer diagnosis.
The princess confessed that the news had come “as a huge shock” and 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.”
“As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.”
It’s not the first time Middleton has been forced to open up about her health.
As Low noted, the Palace revealed that the Princess was suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe type of morning sickness, while pregnant with George and Charlotte.
“Kate is very steely and has very strong views about protecting her privacy,” Low explained.
He also believes that the couple “probably thought they had to say something eventually.”
“They probably thought they couldn’t possibly continue saying nothing, you can’t keep doing that.”
He also noted that “there’s going to be an awful lot of people who are going to feel very chastened this weekend.”
“They will be feeling very badly about themselves, as they should.”
