Brave Kate is all class as she delivers personal health bombshell

Julie Cross has a message for the “nasty social media trolls, who have been feverishly spreading disgusting rumours” about Princess Kate’s absence from public life this year.

Even in her darkest hour, Catherine, Princess of Wales has once again shown she is all class.

Sat on a bench, looking pale and thin and in the early stages of chemotherapy treatment, the Princess recorded a video revealing her most personal and private health news – she has cancer.

It was a brave act, but one which she probably felt she was forced into.

In her video, she could have called out those nasty social media trolls, who have been feverishly spreading disgusting rumours about why she has not been seen in public following abdominal surgery in January.

The photoshopped image of Princess Catherine with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis that was released on UK Mother's Day attracted a media storm. The Princess of Wales later apologised for the confusion about the edited image. Picture: Kensington Palace/Instagram

What a difference a year makes – Princess Catherine posted this photo to social media for Mother's Day 2023. Pictured: Prince Louis, Princess Kate, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Picture: Matt Porteous/Kensington Royal/Twitter

Among the absurd theories was that she was dead or in a coma.

Perhaps more hurtful were rumours that she was in hiding because Prince William was having an affair.

But she didn’t.

She could have called out the celebrities like Kim Kardashian who have poked fun at her absence, or American TV host Stephen Colbert who stoked the social media frenzy by repeating the online tittle tattle.

But she didn’t.

And, she could have called out staff at the hospital where she had the operation, over allegations they tried to access her medical records, when they had no right.

But she didn’t.

Journalists and bypassers gather outside Kensington Palace in London after the Princess of Wales announced that she has cancer and was in the early stages of chemotherapy, asking for "time, space and privacy" as she finishes her treatment. Picture: Henry Nicholls/AFP

Instead, she calmly thanked the public “for all the understanding” while she recovered from surgery and said she was grateful for the care given to her by her medical team.

She spoke about the hard task of explaining her illness to George, Charlotte, and Louis without frightening them and reassuring them she was going to be OK.

She told how she and her husband William, who had been a huge support to her, had been trying to process the “huge shock” privately for the sake of their young family, which had taken time.

And, finally she said she was thinking about “of all those lives affected by cancer”.

“For everyone facing this disease in whatever form please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone,” she said.

A woman in the village of Marsden, northern England, watches a recording of Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, announcing her cancer diagnosis, on March 22. Picture: Oli Scarff/AFP

Former royal correspondent Jennie Bond commenting on the video, said, most people watching will see a “courageous young woman” who was “very brave to make a video message like that”.

“She didn’t have to,” Bond went onto say. “But she did that partly because I think of all the ridiculous absurd theories that have been going around on the internet.

“I hope those social media trolls who have such ghastly, hurtful theories will now realise what they’ve done and be absolutely ashamed of themselves.

“She’s just been trying to keep her family together, get her thoughts together and look after those precious children.

“I think everyone’s estimation of her will go sky high.”

The Princess could have said a lot of things in that video, but she didn’t.

But hopefully, the people who have been dining out on all the online hoo haa will get the message loud and clear. Just stop.

Originally published as Brave Kate is all class as she delivers personal health bombshell