General News for the Cambridge Family Part 3: March 2017-September 2022

[Betsypaige]

Robert Jobson is complaining that KP lied to the media. He is claiming he (and other reporters) asked if william ever had covid and was told no. Now it’s revealed he did. I get the idea of withholding due to public image of the palace or whatever. That said I also can see why some will question statements from the palace. They clearly have no issue lying to save face, what else have they been lying about?

Anyways it will be a talking point for the day and we will move on to something new.

Like I said I my reply to your earlier post, the media complains that they have a right to know, so to me this is them making a big flap about nothing.

I don’t get this idea that they lied to “save face”.....we know why they lied, it was because William didn’t want anyone to worry. It’s up for individuals to decide if they will/can trust KP after this, not the media, who has their own agenda

It was totally wrong to hide that he was sick and, even worse, syntomatic. The Royal House has to be transparent.



Other questions will be raised now. Kate and the children most likely were infected too if William was sick and they were together. Was that also kept from the public?

They weren’t...

 

[muriel]

It was totally wrong to hide that he was sick and, even worse, syntomatic. The Royal House has to be transparent.



Other questions will be raised now. Kate and the children most likely were infected too if William was sick and they were together. Was that also kept from the public?

> It appears that Kate and the children did not contract the virus

> I respect the decision to not make the illness public at the time. Subsequently, perhaps in the summer, they could have released the information. By having the information leak, they are not controlling the narrative, a position that no principal necessary wants to find themselves in.

 

[Heavs]

I don't think they were under any obligation to announce it if he didn't want to, unless it became a situation where he needed to go to hospital or there was real danger of dying. Yes transparency is necessary to some extent but someone's health is private and he kept on working. The have been plenty of other times a member of the BRF is rumoured to be ill and nothing is announced or played down. We have no reason to think that people who needed to know weren't contact.

Now if they'd tried to pretend Boris didn't have it or it wasn't as serious as it clearly was for him, that would have been a different matter.

We've all seen before how the RR takes personal offense that they aren't "let in on the secrets" or lied to and whilst it's obviously advisable to keep them on side other things do take precedence.

 

[ACO]

Like I said I my reply to your earlier post, the media complains that they have a right to know, so to me this is them making a big flap about nothing.

I don’t get this idea that they lied to “save face”.....we know why they lied, it was because William didn’t want anyone to worry. It’s up for individuals to decide if they will/can trust KP after this, not the media, who has their own agenda

Of course the media (and some public) complain. I agree with you 100% about it. As for why they lied? I don’t by that. Though I’m glad KP and the other palaces show they have no issue lying about things flat out to the media. Not that it’s new information...

All sides have an agenda.

As for Kate not getting it? We can only go by their word. And yeah...

 

[Betsypaige]

Of course the media (and some public) complain. I agree with you 100% about it. As for why they lied? I don’t by that. Though I’m glad KP and the other palaces show they have no issue lying about things flat out to the media. Not that it’s new information...

All sides have an agenda.

As for Kate not getting it? We can only go by their word. And yeah...

You don’t buy that William was concerned about reaction to his illness? What other reason could he have?

I don’t love that they actually lied - as opposed to just simply not revealing the news - but I still don’t think it’s as big as some in the media are making out. I just don’t get how they are comparing William to the PM.

 

[AC21091968]

Of course the media (and some public) complain. I agree with you 100% about it. As for why they lied? I don’t by that. Though I’m glad KP and the other palaces show they have no issue lying about things flat out to the media. Not that it’s new information...

All sides have an agenda.

As for Kate not getting it? We can only go by their word. And yeah...

I think whatever decisions that the Palace take, the intention is "The Crown always win", even if that means winning against the media/press and royal reporters/correspondents.

You don’t buy that William was concerned about reaction to his illness? What other reason could he have?

I don’t love that they actually lied - as opposed to just simply not revealing the news - but I still don’t think it’s as big as some in the media are making out. I just don’t get how they are comparing William to the PM.

I agree with the BIB. William is not making the big decision and setting out major policies in government, it's the Prime Minister. Unlike other countries, there isn't an official "line of succession", though in most cases, the First Secretary of State (Currently Dominic Raab, who is also the Foreign Secretary) deputise the PM. Guido Fawkes has released an unofficial "Prime Ministerial Line of Succession", which I think is based on the order of the 2020 Johnson's cabinet table on Wikipedia.
https://order-order.com/2020/04/08/prime-ministerial-line-succession/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Johnson_ministry#Changes

I think the Foreign secretary is behind the Chancellor (in seniority of cabinet position), but in front of the Home Secretary.

I understand there could be panic on George "possibly becoming King" and the problem surrounding with Regency (Harry or Catherine), if Charles and William does not recover.

 

[Somebody]

Prince William’s decision to LIE about contracting COVID-19 earlier - for whatever reason - is appalling. KP were are asked several times by the media whether Prince William had contracted the virus and were told categorically “no”. This has created a serious issue of trust.

I wonder when they were asked. Because not releasing the information at the time is one thing, flat-out lying about it is a totally different ballgame.

 

[Princess_Eleanor]

As the law is right now, Harry would act as regent for George, if unavailable Andrew, if unavailable Beatrice. I do think that this was one of the main issues here and a public discussion that they didn't want to start.

When William was ill, they probably discussed his wishes for who should act as regent for his son as well, and if the worst had happened, they could have still changed the regency act. Personally, I think that Beatrice and Catherine would have been the realistic options.

However, in telling a now proven lie, they have opened up a whole range of other issues

 

[Lanka]

But the Queen and Charles were OK at the time. Why the regent issue?

 

[Denville]

But the Queen and Charles were OK at the time. Why the regent issue?

The queen is a very old lady and Chalres is over 70 and was also ill...

 

[nightsky]

I’m glad William didn’t announce it. He’s not an elected official, the Queen or Pow. He has the right to privacy! The RR are just upset that they didn’t get to break the story!

 

[Winnie]

Like I said I my reply to your earlier post, the media complains that they have a right to know, so to me this is them making a big flap about nothing.

I don’t get this idea that they lied to “save face”.....we know why they lied, it was because William didn’t want anyone to worry. It’s up for individuals to decide if they will/can trust KP after this, not the media, who has their own agenda

I agree. Plus it is up to the individual when he wants things known and at what time, otherwise every political human would be required to give an accounting of their medical position whenever asked by media. So that means that everyone in Parliament and House would be required to give their health status immediately when asked. After all they are the ones passing the laws of the land and running the citizen's lives......not the Royals. To people now saying "Oh he lied and we can never again believe" please, look into the mirror. To me this held back illness was nothing as it didn't harm anyone and he didn't go into public at that time or did his family. More than I can say about others. He didn't break any law, but certain other politicians did with their traveling, etc. and god knows how many people they infected doing so. This is all just political nonsense now and I admire William for coming out and saying that he was ill back 7 months ago. He certainly didn't have to admit and no one would have ever known. Gives the public hope that when they too come down with this crap that they know it is not a death card. Life does get back to normal. Just my personal opinion

 

[Lady Daly]

IMO, it is difficult to conclude that contract tracing protocols were not complied with .

It's actually contact tracing not contract tracing and was most likely done. I am sorry to hear Prince William apparently had covid but he is well again and to our knowledge no one else in the Cambridge household contracted the disease. Moving on...

 

[Lanka]

The queen is a very old lady and Chalres is over 70 and was also ill...

Yes, but on 1 April Charles was out of isolation and with mild symptoms before, it was said. By the time of William's illness the POW was OK, as was the Queen. So no immediate danger to the throne.

 

[Betsypaige]

I agree. Plus it is up to the individual when he wants things known and at what time, otherwise every political human would be required to give an accounting of their medical position whenever asked by media. So that means that everyone in Parliament and House would be required to give their health status immediately when asked. After all they are the ones passing the laws of the land and running the citizen's lives......not the Royals. To people now saying "Oh he lied and we can never again believe" please, look into the mirror. To me this held back illness was nothing as it didn't harm anyone and he didn't go into public at that time or did his family. More than I can say about others. He didn't break any law, but certain other politicians did with their traveling, etc. and god knows how many people they infected doing so. This is all just political nonsense now and I admire William for coming out and saying that he was ill back 7 months ago. He certainly didn't have to admit and no one would have ever known. Gives the public hope that when they too come down with this crap that they know it is not a death card. Life does get back to normal. Just my personal opinion

The media needs to understand that just because they ASK, doesn’t mean they should GET the full answer they want THAT moment ...if we held everyone to that standard, it would mean that the media is in control of public figures’ lives (because the public figures would be “forced” to respond despite their wishes”).

This isn’t the British version of Watergate - William withholding the information and KP lying at the time didn’t hurt the system, didn’t hurt the public. William is not in a position of power; he has the right to decide when he wants to reveal anything about his private life, including the fact that he had COVID.

 

[Somebody]

[...]

Why couldn't they say that they would not comment on the health/Covid-infection of any other members than the Queen and the PoW - unless hospitalization was involved? That would be truthful without revealing whether anyone was infected. It might still have raised speculations but it would be truthful without providing information they were not willing to share at that point. [...]

 

[muriel]

It's actually contact tracing not contract tracing and was most likely done. I am sorry to hear Prince William apparently had covid but he is well again and to our knowledge no one else in the Cambridge household contracted the disease. Moving on...

Thank you for point out my typo, of course it is contact tracing and not contract tracing that I meant!

 

[Heavs]

[..]

Why couldn't they say that they would not comment on the health/Covid-infection of any other members than the Queen and the PoW - unless hospitalization was involved? That would be truthful without revealing whether anyone was infected. It might still have raised speculations but it would be truthful without providing information they were not willing to share at that point. [...]

[...] There have been many rumours that HM and Prince Phillip have been more ill than they're letting on to the public over the years and as long as the people who need to know both officially and family wise know, then so be it. If the worst happened and someone died then things would swing into action at that point anyway, no use dozens of panicking outrageous headlines before that. Of course if the person involved wanted to make an official announcement, that's different.

Could they have done things slightly differently and said no comment or informed people earlier than now, of course and maybe they should have but I don't think it's that big a deal.

[...]

Personal/family issues get an official "no comment" for the most part and most people believe what they're going to about William vs Harry or William's suitability to be King or any other rumours without anything official from KP. Journalists writing from leaks or "leaks" from real insiders is taken as gossip anyway.

 

[caethi]

I’m glad William didn’t announce it. He’s not an elected official, the Queen or Pow. He has the right to privacy! The RR are just upset that they didn’t get to break the story!

I completely agree. There was no reason to announce it. Charles is the heir, so I suppose it makes sense for him to announce, but William is a different story.



[...]

 

[Alison H]

I agree - what a fuss about nothing. Neither Charles nor William were seriously ill, thankfully. They did not need hospital treatment. Their lives were never in danger.

 

[Denville]

we dont relaly know. THe PTB were cagy about how ill Boris was, and I daresay the Palace were teh same about WIll and Charles...

 

[Somebody]

we dont relaly know. THe PTB were cagy about how ill Boris was, and I daresay the Palace were teh same about WIll and Charles...

It was pretty clear that Boris Johnson was seriously ill on Sunday when he was admitted to hospital. At that time, I also didn't understand why they would try to make it sound as if he was just going in for some tests... As that was clearly not the case and only made it clear things were much worse than they were willing to admit.

 

[Osipi]

You're right, according to Palmer, in 2018 when the Queen had Cataract Surgery, he "asked a senior royal aide whether there was any medical reason why the Queen had worn sunglasses to a number of events and that person told me no, it was just because it had been sunny." (quoted from his tweet). Only to be announced few weeks later that she had surgery.

I don't believe this to be a lie when it was stated "because it's sunny". I've recently had surgeries on both eyes for cataracts and other than the day of the surgeries, I never found the need to wear sunglasses afterwards. If HM had the same experience I did with the cataract procedures, it was in, done in 15-20 minutes, home again and using eye drops for a while.

So, she wore sunglasses because it was sunny. Her eyes probably felt fine and actually she probably felt that she could see so much better and colors were more vibrant and crisp. Her eyes *may* have been sensitive but there was no reason for a cover up that she'd had the cataract surgeries. The word "surgery" is actually a misnomer for the procedure although it is a "surgery". I'd describe it more like going to the doc's office and having a wart removed or needing a colonoscopy done. Not even close to life threatening "under the knife" kind of surgery.

Tip to anyone that is going to have cataract surgeries done: Take a music player with you with preferably Pink Floyd on it. You get some good "float me away" drugs and the procedure itself is like watching a Pink Floyd light show.

 

[Somebody]

I don't believe this to be a lie when it was stated "because it's sunny". I've recently had surgeries on both eyes for cataracts and other than the day of the surgeries, I never found the need to wear sunglasses afterwards. If HM had the same experience I did with the cataract procedures, it was in, done in 15-20 minutes, home again and using eye drops for a while.

So, she wore sunglasses because it was sunny. Her eyes probably felt fine and actually she probably felt that she could see so much better and colors were more vibrant and crisp. Her eyes *may* have been sensitive but there was no reason for a cover up that she'd had the cataract surgeries. The word "surgery" is actually a misnomer for the procedure although it is a "surgery". I'd describe it more like going to the doc's office and having a wart removed or needing a colonoscopy done. Not even close to life threatening "under the knife" kind of surgery.

Tip to anyone that is going to have cataract surgeries done: Take a music player with you with preferably Pink Floyd on it. You get some good "float me away" drugs and the procedure itself is like watching a Pink Floyd light show.

So, if there was no reason for a cover up; why didn't they confirm that yes, her eyes are currently a bit more sensitive due to cataract surgeries? Given that in this example the question was about a medical reason (which it clearly was; she would not have worn those sunglasses had she not had surgery).

However, this discussion would probably be better for a different kind of topic about 'communication by the Palace' or so

 

[Osipi]

So, if there was no reason for a cover up; why didn't they confirm that yes, her eyes are currently a bit more sensitive due to cataract surgeries? Given that in this example the question was about a medical reason (which it clearly was; she would not have worn those sunglasses had she not had surgery).

However, this discussion would probably be better for a different kind of topic about 'communication by the Palace' or so

I just think that the "palace", in and of itself, its really touchy when it comes to releasing news to the public of *any* health issues with *any* of the British royal family. They, to me, skirt around the questions until it becomes necessary to actually issue an official statement such as "Prince Philip has been admitted to the hospital". Even then, the palace won't comment on "why" Philip was admitted. Usually we wait for statement released by Philip's doctors.

Long story short, I imagine that William's Covid-19 infection was not made public solely because William didn't want it to be. Even here in the States, there are such beast called the HIPAA Privacy Rule. The Rule requires appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy of personal health information, and sets limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures that may be made of such information without patient authorization.

Health issues are a private affair and should remain private at the patient's discretion about who knows what about any health issues they have.

 

[Denville]

Yes, but on 1 April Charles was out of isolation and with mild symptoms before, it was said. By the time of William's illness the POW was OK, as was the Queen. So no immediate danger to the throne.

At the queen's age nothing can be taken for granted.. and Charles was probably far from well but he's not someone who would slow his work down unless he really had to....

 

[Jacknch]

This thread has been cleaned up to remove or edit speculative and off-topic comments (together with responses).
We can now move on from the discussion concerning William contracting the coronavirus several months ago, his health and the health of other members of the Royal Family.

 

[yukari]

From The Sun:
'CALL ME CATHERINE' Kate Middleton secretly volunteers during coronavirus with phone calls to lonely pensioner

Kate, 38, and Len were connected earlier in the year by the Royal Voluntary Service, which The Sun has partnered with this year for our Christmas Together appeal to tackle loneliness.

During two lengthy conversations during the first lockdown, Kate chatted away to her new friend about making pasta and taking her children to watch sheep *shearing.

Len, from Batley, West Yorks, said: “Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would be talking on the phone to the future Queen of England.

“I will treasure our conversations for the rest of my life. Those calls helped me because they gave me something to look forward to.”

So The Sun is actually not a complete evil incarnate ...
(This is part of The Sun’s Christmas Together campaign in partnership with Royal Voluntary Service. Although sure, it could be the usual CSR).

 

[TLLK]

Excellent news that this campaign has helped Len along with many others who have been experiencing loneliness during this very stressful time.

 

[eya]

"Today The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have become Joint Patrons of @NHSCharities.

The 240 UK NHS charities provide extra funding and additional services above and beyond NHS core funds, supporting hospitals, community and mental health services and ambulances services."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1335911768879730689