Fatherly 'Protection': King Charles' 'Clever Strategy' During Health Scare Announcements Took Media Strain Off of Kate Middleton
When King Charles announced his scheduled surgery, it may have been in a bid to take media attention off of Kate, Princess of Wales.
The royal health scare on Wednesday, January 17, shocked fans across the world, but King Charles' announcement may have been timed to "help" his daughter-in-law, Kate, Princess of Wales.
"It is highly unusual for the royal family to divulge private health matters. In that respect, the shared information about the King's enlarged prostate was unprecedented, and it was also canny," royal author Tessa Dunlop told an outlet.
"Buckingham Palace doesn't do spontaneity; the release of a statement containing private matters about the King's health immediately after news of the Princess of Wales' major abdominal surgery was deliberate," she added. "The timing deflected from his daughter-in-law's major operation; likewise, the private detail concerning his prostate gave the public something else to think about."
It was later revealed that the NHS (National Health Service) website saw an increase in traffic based on research on the topic.
Dunlop continued: "But beyond that obvious strategy, I believe there was something else at play. By sharing a slice of the personal, Charles' statement served to underline the absence of any real detail concerning Kate's condition. The protective King may as well have said, 'Here, have some information on me, but keep your prying eyes away from my daughter-in-law.' Read side-by-side, the statements are a powerful example of well-coordinated PR. Here was a modern, public service royal family, but one with very clear boundaries."
In the near-week since the double announcements, the Princess of Wales' rumored "serious" condition has become the main cause of concern for royal observers and the public. Dunlop adds how much of this is due to the future queen's lean and toned physical appearance, and her love of sports and healthy eating.
"That the seventy-five-year-old King felt able to share information about a common 'old man' ailment is understandable," the scribe observed. "If anything, it underscores his 'father-of-the-nation' appeal. But for Kate, a woman in the prime of her life, whose identity has long been staked around her can-do attitude and impressive physique, abdominal surgery is a different matter."
It has been shared that Her Royal Highness continues to recover at the London Clinic, where she is expected to remain for another week or less.
"It is all credit to Kate that when Kensington Palace announced the princess's wishes to apologize to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements' we knew she meant every word. The Princess of Wales knows her own value in the public space and will be keen to get back to work. But first, she has to fully recover," Dunlop concluded.
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Daily Mirror interviewed Dunlop.
