The Palace Is Doing Everything It Can to Avoid Another “Out of Control” Conspiracy Theory Crisis Surrounding Kate Middleton, Royal Expert Says

Life is all about lessons learned—knowing that, while we will always make mistakes, we should endeavor to not make the same mistake twice. The Palace is not immune to making mistakes, as was evidenced earlier this year with how the Princess of Wales’ absence from the public eye was handled, and royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said that it now, forged through fire, has a blueprint for how it will handle any more “out of control” Kate conspiracy theories that might emerge in the future.

Fitzwilliams told Us Weekly that he doesn’t think it will ever get as unhinged as it did in February and March of this year, before Kate ultimately announced her cancer diagnosis in a video message on March 22. “Lessons should have been learned from what happened earlier,” he said, adding that it would be “appropriate” for Kensington Palace—where Kate’s office is based—to chime in with updates when necessary on Kate and her health.

“I mean, if you’re not told at all, and months passed, clearly there’s speculation and that could happen again,” Fitzwilliams said. “So, I’m sure that it will be handled in a different way.”

Though it certainly hasn’t reached the fever pitch that rumors of her whereabouts and well-being did earlier this year, as Kate continues to undergo treatment for a still-publicly undisclosed type and stage of cancer, rumblings are starting to build about when we can expect to see Kate again, as it has been over two months since she’s been seen in the public consciousness. (The March 22 video marked her last public appearance, as she has been laying low at home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor and also at the Wales family country home, Anmer Hall, since that day.) Some reports speculate that Kate will return to public duty by the fall; other reports indicate that it could be 2025, and, when her return does happen, it might never be quite the same as it was pre-diagnosis.

A source recently told Us Weekly that Kate’s “recovery is going well,” but that her team is “reevaluating what she’s going to be able to take on when she comes back” to work. Her husband, Prince William, echoed the Palace’s statements yesterday during an appearance, telling well-wishers that his wife was “getting better” as her treatment remains ongoing. 

“I think the palaces recognize that it is essential from time to time to update the press—and through them, the public, of course—[on] important issues,” Fitzwilliams said. “I mean, with King Charles, it’s very good to see what’s happening now, and I think everyone’s very pleased in that. I would hope by the fall or by the end of the year, matters will have resolved themselves. But you just don’t know.” (The King returned to public duty on April 30 after nearly three months away, following his own cancer diagnosis earlier this year.)

Fitzwilliams praised Kate’s decision to go public with her diagnosis, and said he hoped the public understood her decision to stay under the radar as she recovers: “The video message in March was, I would say, the most moving given by a public figure in Britain on a health issue,” he said. “So, I mean, I think that people understand the very difficult situation that she’s in.” 

He noted that her “plea for time and space” is sure to be respected, and that “People genuinely feel for her and Prince William and their family in this extremely difficult time.”