On March 22, after several months of doubt and questions, the Princess of Wales announced in a video that she had cancer and had started preventive chemotherapy. Revelations following his absence from the public sphere after an abdominal operation undergone in London last January. The first news channel on the scene, the BBC dealt with the subject without interruption, to the point of appearing “excessive and insensitive”.
To discover
Download the Le Figaro Cuisine app for tasty and authentic recipes
Also readHow Kate Middleton was inspired by a legendary speech by Elizabeth II to announce her cancer in video
“Not everyone approved of the approach we took,” the group said in a statement, as reported by
Variety
on April 5, specifying that it had had to respond to a number of complaints . The BBC nevertheless defended itself, saying its media treatment “reflected the importance of this story and the outpouring of support for the princess from around the world”. He continued: “Our coverage has made it clear that the Princess and the rest of the royal family are going through a difficult time right now; We have been careful at all times to approach this with sensitivity.”
Conspiracy theories
“As part of our analysis, we therefore examined the intense speculation that there had been in previous weeks about the health of the princess. We have also detailed Kensington Palace's statement regarding the Princess's right to privacy in relation to her medical issues. However, we remember the conspiratorial comments of a sports journalist from the channel, Sonja McLaughlan, made a few days before the announcement of Kate Middleton's cancer. Indeed, a lot of speculation circulated between January and March 2024, after the sudden disappearance of Prince William's wife. If the latter had explained that she had to remain in convalescence for several months, many fans did not believe this speech and had imagined the worst: secret divorce with the son of Charles III, serious illness hidden from the public, even the camouflaged death of the Princess of Wales.
Also read: Kate Middleton caught in the conspiracy web: “We like the idea that the elite would act badly”
Thus, many people thought (and still do) that a “fake Kate Middleton” was put in the spotlight, notably during the March 18 shopping trip to the Farm Market Store with Prince William. The BBC journalist then noted: “Some newspapers talk about it as a proven fact. But it's not her. I'm not an expert on conspiracy theories, but it's very strange. On
a fact. The headline "Kate seen in public for the first time", when it's obvious it's not her. Like someone said, they could be two lookalikes.”
Although doubt has crept in among many observers, following the affair of the doctored photo, posted at the beginning of March by Kate Middleton on the occasion of Mother's Day in the United Kingdom, it seems that the channel public has positioned itself too much. In its statement, the BBC nevertheless responded that it “always carefully examines the editorial decisions” it makes. A somewhat contrasting statement.