Princess of Wales video on her cancer treatment

Luckygirl3

To be honest I find this video quite disturbing, although I have only seen scenes on the news and not the whole video.

I am not a royalist, but I am a fellow human being, and why should this woman have to expose her family to the public gaze and invite them into her private life just to satisfy the press and public curiosity?

I found the video over-contrived with the romanticized soft-focus passages and hand holding - a bit like a cosmetics advert.

This is Meghan territory - and I do not criticize her for this - it is her style - that is fine. But it is not William and Kate territory and they do not need to be sucked into this.

By all means let us have a monarchy if it wipes its face financially (?) and benefits our international image, but we do not need to push a young family in the direction of exposing their lives at a time of serious illness and being all lovey-dovey in public for our benefit. I find it slightly creepy.

The media control our lives enough as it is. Move with the times by all means, but a bit of dignity and mystique is what keeps the royal family afloat and is part of its persona - this video is a step too far.

I could not have put it better myself. They should not have to resort to this nonsense to appease the general public. I am not a royalist but they are entitled to privacy when it comes to their health issues. I think they have been badly advised.

I doubt they were advised.

Perhaps so overwhelmed by the millions of kind messages following the sharing of having cancer they have responded the way they think is appropriate

The video was made by a company that also does adverts for Tesco. Enough said. Good luck to her but this video should not have been necessary. Taking a leaf out of H and Ms playbook.

I doubt they are even allowed to sneeze without being advised! Haven't watched it, mainly because I can't bring myself to care, but any threads on here about the RF always turn out so predictably.

I have no problem with H and Ms playbook - it is their style, influenced of course by Meghan's nationality and show biz background. That is fine - they do it their way.

But it is not really William and Kate's style and they should not be sucked into it.

I'm not sure that any of us over 60 are really that familiar with contemporary style when it comes to people putting their "journey" across on SM. What we might see as schmaltz or nonsense due to the way in which emotions are portrayed, might seem quite normal to 30 year olds brought up on Facebook, ticktock, Instagram. Kate and William want to be relevant to the modern generation, and I guess this is their way of going about it.

I really think a short statement saying the Princess of Wales has finished her chemotherapy, would like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and wishes etc would have been enough. They should not feel forced into making videos, including their children etc. That has never been their style and, at the moment, Kate shoukd be allowed do what makes her feel comfortable.

I don’t imagine for one minute that the Prince and Princess of Wales felt ‘forced’ into making this video.

I think (but obviously none of us know) that a lot of thought, planning and yes, advice came into the equation.

It may not be how us older folk would do things, but they will be looking ahead to how best to make things relevant for the British public nowadays.

If that includes soft focus videos, family togetherness, trees and butterflies, floaty frocks, outward signs of affection which the Royals don’t normally show, perhaps that is the way forward in a move from a more traditional and formal past.

And actually, there was nothing at all forced about the children's inclusion and interaction in the video.

I find it rather depressing that you can't have a view about the video being schmaltz, unbecoming or whatever without accusations of being mocking. The palace has never ever said that Catherine was fighting death from cancer either. I believe they said it wasn't life threatening but needing treatment which is very different. I don't suppose it felt like that to Catherine when she was told or any of her family and her journey was undeniably horrible as she had Chemo but there are some very over dramatic statements here. Let's get this into perspective, disliking the video doesn't detract from understanding the journey Catherine has been on, it's just a statement of opinion about a video. I think she's doing a wonderful job of being a Princess but I don't have to appreciate every little thing she does just because she has had the misfortune to have the big C.

No over dramatic statements here either way, as I see things. Just people commenting on the style of cinematography used in today's world.

The palace has never ever said that Catherine was fighting death from cancer either

That's a bit harsh. She's obviously been very ill and undergone gruelling treatment. Preventative chemotherapy tends to be given to reduce the original cancer returning, not every cancer patient has this treatment, but it's a worry that minute cancer cells night remain.

She's actually said that she's not out of the woods yet.

escaped

I'm not sure that any of us over 60 are really that familiar with contemporary style when it comes to people putting their "journey" across on SM. What we might see as schmaltz or nonsense due to the way in which emotions are portrayed, might seem quite normal to 30 year olds brought up on Facebook, ticktock, Instagram. Kate and William want to be relevant to the modern generation, and I guess this is their way of going about it.

This is spot on. The fact is we've moved on. Short statements don't work in this world.

I've mentioned before the likes of Insta and Tiktok . That's where we are now.

That is another angle I struggle with.
I thought she was having preventative chemo, having had surgery on the cancer itself.

Its complicated, I know, but my friend came round convinced that Kate still has cancer.

I'm not demanding to know anything, by the way.

escaped

No over dramatic statements here either way, as I see things. Just people commenting on the style of cinematography used in today's world.

Mockery and criticism of a woman fighting death from cancer

This

I'm sure Catherine was doing exactly what.she felt comfortable with, and that no one forced her into anything. The children were completely natural. Ever tried forcing a 6 year old lively boy, or a strong.minded 9 year old??!!

I agree with Calendargirl. They are modern royals. Why should they do things in the same old, sometimes stuffy way, as their predecessors?

MissAdventure

That is another angle I struggle with.
I thought she was having preventative chemo, having had surgery on the cancer itself.

Its complicated, I know, but my friend came round convinced that Kate still has cancer.

I'm not demanding to know anything, by the way.

Preventative is to do with the fact that there might be microscopic cancer cells that scans and MRIs can't see.

So it's to hopefully eradicate these to prevent the cancer recurring.

I truly didn’t know there were cancers which were not life threatening

So, something like tamoxifen, Rekarie?

That's what I thought, but again, my friend insisted that she was still having chemo.

Jaberwok

I'm sure Catherine was doing exactly what.she felt comfortable with, and that no one forced her into anything. The children were completely natural. Ever tried forcing a 6 year old lively boy, or a strong.minded 9 year old??!!

Maybe, but it's so unlike her normal modus operandus that I wouldn't be sure. She's always been a very private person and I felt sorry for her having to be videoed telling the world that she had cancer back in March. Presumably because of the awful and irresponsible rumours swirling around. She just seems to be being pushed into letting everyone know her medical details and progress to pre empt criticism.

Perhaps they are moving with the times, and this sort of thing seems to be enjoyed by a lot of people.

Anniebach

I truly didn’t know there were cancers which were not life threatening

Some cancers are very slow growing, so if you have one of those, you are far more likely to die of something else (even old age) before it would kill you. My mother had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but her consultant told us it would not prove fatal - and in the end, it was the dementia which killed her, many years after the cancer diagnosis.

Thank you MissInterpreted

My friend has just been told she has leukaemia, but doesn't need treatment, and that lots of people have it and are unaware.