How social media exploded after Kate's cancer announcement

There is support for Kate but also criticism, vile comments, and, for some, a sense of guilt.

Princess of Wales (A still from the video released this evening by KensingtonRoyal on X/Twitter)

This evening's revelation by Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, about her cancer diagnosis sparked diverse reactions on social media. The announcement, delivered in a video statement, revealed that she had been undergoing preventative chemotherapy following surgery earlier in the year.

Social media exploded, with X/Twitter as a hub for real-time responses, opinions, support, and insults. Amidst all reactions, it soon became evident that public sentiment was spread across a broad spectrum.

Many people felt confused or conflicted about their feelings after floating on the waves of social media sentiments and gossip about Kate and the Royal family. This evening, they saw a woman in her early forties -and a mother of three young kids- sitting in jeans and a sweater, looking the audience in the eyes and telling about the challenging months her family experienced in a way you can easily relate to.

What is not to understand when she asks, "We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment." Would you have asked for anything else?

While many on social media expressed genuine support and empathy for Kate's situation, others criticized the media and the royal institutions. The spectrum of responses ranged from expressions of solidarity to conspiracy theories and even vile comments.

Before going there, what did I write?

Right after I saw her video, I shared it with the text:

"Kate Middleton is brave to share this sad news. I wish her well; I hope we all do for anyone suffering from cancer."

That's it. Nothing more to add. A woman with a young family is seriously ill; that is sad news, and that is the only news. Hundreds of thousands in the UK, usually older than her, will receive similar sad news this year.

To my surprise, an hour after I wrote this, only kind messages supported her in the reactions to my tweet. Since I often post about climate change or US politics, I'm used to rude online criticism and worse. Perhaps true patriots don't care too much about royals if they remember their history, but for the red-capped ones, that is not their forte.

However, my clean timeline only represents some comments. It's just a few hours after Kate's announcement; let's explore the landscape of responses.

Support

Supportive messages flooded social media feeds, with hashtags like #IStandWithCatherine gaining traction as users rallied behind the princess. Alongside these messages of solidarity were calls for respecting Kate's privacy and allowing her the space to navigate her health journey with her family.

Others made an effort to explain this in more detail:

"Her silence has been in the interest of explaining this to her children appropriately while recovering from surgery and beginning chemotherapy."

Criticism

Amidst the outpouring of support, there were voices of criticism directed towards the media and the royal institutions. Drawing parallels to the tragic death of Princess Diana, some condemned the invasive nature of media coverage and questioned the handling of information by Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace.

"I really wish Buckingham Palace had just said this from the start—instead, they rolled out multiple rounds of obvious lies and altered photographs."

And:

"Yet again, the palace harmed a woman royal by not doing their job and releasing regular reports to the media. Letting rumors swirl put extra stress on Kate's mental health at an already terrible time. Shameful".

I disagree. Kate's explanation of needing time to process and manage this privately for the sake of their young family was perfectly logical. And besides, why do all these palace-critical commenters assume that Kate and William are puppets in the hands of incapable handlers vaguely described as "the palace"?

When I imagine how I would have reacted, I would also have asked for privacy, family time, and time alone and asked the palace's communication experts to share this easy-to-understand message without going into any of my medical details.

Why does the public believe that they have a right to know more? Would they publish their own medical files on the internet? She didn't ask much, nor was her request hard to imagine.

Conspiracy theories

Conspiracy theories also soon emerged, fueling speculation and skepticism about the transparency of the situation.

"There have been so many lies and misdirection about what's been going on, it is hard to believe anything they say now."

Some comments were outright vile:

"What a callous thing. Imagine your wife has cancer, and you couldn't even appear in a video with her to offer her support."

Expect worse comments than we have seen so far in the first hours. The weekend starts tomorrow morning; without any real news, expect new and spectacular theories or gossip to keep selling tabloids or receiving likes on social media by Sunday. Rest assured, I won't write about them.

A sense of guilt

Amidst all these diverse responses, feelings of guilt were regularly expressed. Some users acknowledged their own role in perpetuating speculation and gossip, juxtaposed with the stark reality of Kate's diagnosis. I noticed a profound sense of guilt, including elements of the Diana effect. This one, for instance:

"We all were having fun with the Kate Middleton conspiracies, but it turns out she has cancer; we blamed William for an affair even though he was looking after his family. Anyways, get well soon, Kate, and we all are going to hell".

Sometimes, the British Royal family triggers a moment of reflection and introspection, and Kate's announcement falls into that category. It's a rare moment when the public realizes that beyond the headlines, photos, and social media chatter, there are real people who are less different from us than their public images.

Those moments remind us we are all human and must deal with the complexities of empathy, accountability, and resilience in challenging times.

I write this newsletter because if we work together, we can do better on this beautiful but fragile planet.

You can subscribe for free to receive this newsletter in your email, but please consider supporting this initiative by paying for a subscription. The paying subscribers make it possible for those who can't afford it to read for free.