Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams is sharing insight into why Princess Kate Middleton and her husband Prince William‘s video update about her health amid her cancer diagnosis is so special.
“A video means that firstly you connect very, very personally rather than just in a statement,” Fitzwilliams exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, September 9. “You can also show family life and you can also get an impression of what normality is like. And that is of course what we see. But equally, if you listen to the words, you understand that for nine months there’s been a struggle. And that struggle has been tough, and there’s plenty still to go.”
Earlier on Monday, Kate and William, both 42, and their three kids, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, appeared in footage posted via social media, in which Kate revealed she was on the “long” road to recovery after finishing her last chemotherapy treatment. The Princess of Wales shared her cancer diagnosis in March.
While the video featured family moments with their children, the montage also showed William and Kate engaging in public displays of affection – something that isn’t normally seen with the royal family. Fitzwilliams called seeing the couple in the intimate poses “very special.”
He continued, “From a public point of view, this gave us an insight into [their] personal [lives] that we hadn’t seen before. I think it’s unique and deeply touching, because I think that what they felt was that it’s one thing to say what you’ve been through or try [to] convey it. And it’s quite another to actually show closeness, which members of the royal family normally don’t. I think there are important exceptions, and I think this was an exception. It reminds me of the Queen’s comment: ‘Well, protocol is rubbish.’ They make their own rules.”
(Queen Elizabeth II told former first lady Michelle Obama that royal protocol was “rubbish” during a visit in 2018, according to CNN.)
Kate has kept a low profile throughout 2024 while focusing on her health, making only two official public appearances since announcing her cancer diagnosis. She underwent abdominal surgery in January and subsequently began chemo treatments.
She shared her first update on her prognosis back in June, thanking the public and her husband for their ongoing and unwavering support.
“On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting,” she shared at the time. “But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.”
Later that month, Kate made her first public appearance since December last year, attending Trooping the Colour alongside other members of the royal family before stepping out again at Wimbledon in July.
“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too, as is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both,” she said in March. “We hope that you’ll understand that as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when I’m able. But for now, I must focus on making a full recovery.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
