King Charles Shares Health Struggles To Protect Kate Middleton, Royal Expert Claims
King Charles might have opted to share his health battle to help his daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, amid the health scares that hit the Palace recently, according to a royal expert.
Last week, the Palace announced that the Princess of Wales, 42, was in a hospital following abdominal surgery. At the time, the monarch, 75, was also to be treated for an enlarged prostate. The King's diagnosis was made public, while the reason behind Middleton's surgery remained unkown. The diagnosis revelation surprised many as it wasn't a usual move from the Palace amid the double health scares.
British historian and writer Tessa Dunlop, author of "Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy," weighed in on the British royal family's health struggles. She believes the King decided to share his health battle to protect Middleton by "deflecting" the issue.
"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," she told Mirror.
"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. 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."
Dunlop added that aside from the "obvious strategy," there was something else at play. She pointed out the lack of "real detail" about Middleton's condition as there was no reason provided why the Duchess of Cambridge had to undergo a medical procedure.
"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," the royal expert noted.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry was accused of snubbing his father and sister-in-law in his acceptance speech when he received his Living Legend of Aviation award. The Duke of Sussex made jokes in his speech but did not mention King Charles or Middleton despite their health battles.
"It was a deliberate snub -- to prove that he's independent and doing very well," Prince Harry's biographer Angela Levin claimed.
"He was cracking jokes the whole time, and it seemed phony," Levin continued. "It felt like it was 'look at me' and 'it doesn't affect me.' He could have been more serious and said he's thinking of them."
