Adelaide de Clermont-Tonner. “If Kate and William didn’t want to upset public opinion, it was a failure.”

Hospitalized for “abdominal surgery” at a London clinic on January 16, the Princess of Wales has since returned to her Adelaide Cottage home to continue her recovery. Although Kensington Palace has not resolved the uncertainty of its first press release, novelist and editorial director Adélaïde de Clermont-Tonner; Opinionenlightens us about the long silence of the Chamber and the various hypotheses arising from it.

Madame Figaro .- On January 17, Kensington Palace announced the hospitalization Kate Middleton then no more radio silence until Monday January 29th with this press release announcing his departure from the London Clinic. Why the “so little information” strategy?
Adelaide de Clermont-Tonner. To be honest, this shows that the situation is serious. At least, this is what strikes all observers. Usually, there is no cult of secrecy among the Windsors. On the contrary, they tend to talk about what is happening to them, including their health, because it contributes to raising the awareness of their fellow citizens affected by the same pathologies. Hence the fact that Charles III talked about his enlarged prostate without taboo, while few dared to boast about it in public. He said it without difficulty to help reduce this benign pathology. In hindsight, it’s true, the Windsors didn’t really face such a situation. They have iron health, are fairly hard to damage, and resist cold and bad weather. They have a very balanced life, eat organic and local, spend a lot of time outside, drink alcohol of course, but not in absolute excess, except for the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. As Gainsbourg would say. “Alcohol preserves fruits. the smoke preserves the meat. Elizabeth II was hospitalized only twice in 20 years.

The other thing is that they are very closely watched…
Especially Charles III, and before him Elizabeth II. The monarch, in fact, has a dedicated medical team and bodyguards who closely monitor his health. Therefore, it is true that the members of the royal family are supported and helped a lot. It remains to see the developed medical equipment in the palaces.

What is the relationship of the royal family to medicine?
There is a certain curiosity about medicine among the Windsors. Charles III, a proponent of alternative medicine, also caused some controversy by appointing Dr. Michael Dixon as head of his medical team, as the latter advocates a global approach to medicine and is known as an advocate of alternative medicine and homeopathy. The royal family has always been interested in medicine, health and well-being. As early as 1835, Queen Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, wife of William IV, was a proponent of alternative medicine, which is saying something.

Going back to Kate’s “tummy operation” and the deafening silence in her office, can we say that this is new in the relationship between Kate and William, or do they usually prefer not to announce just the bare minimum?
No, generally Wales is very transparent. The last time Kate was hospitalized, the cause was officially stated. At the time it was due to very severe nausea associated with pregnancy. There was no question of hiding anything at all, and that is why the situation is so worrying. On the one hand, because the hospitalization is long. On the other hand, because two to three months of recovery is a long time and involves major surgery. Kate, however, seemed to be in perfect health. Knowing that she, along with her husband William, is one of the most beloved figures in the royal family, a family that has been in a state of revolution lately, the British concern is real.

In the past, Kate and William have never maintained such a cult of secrecy.
Never. It is the first time, hence the concern. Maybe because it affects Kate a lot here and we want to protect her as much as possible. But that’s not how Wells usually communicates. The opposite. As they follow in Diana’s footsteps, they tread the line of openness and transparency, as opposed to the modest line dear to Elizabeth II. This is evidenced by William’s confessions about mental health and the need to consult a psychologist after his mother’s death. Result: if they did not want to disturb the public opinion, then it was a failure.

During the reign of Elizabeth II, the principle of “never explain, never complain” prevailed. Has this strategy paid off?
It bore fruit, but it was the Queen’s specialty to make announcements on medical subjects immediately afterwards. A way to avoid people’s worries. Especially since it was never a big problem. We talked about a routine check-up, a back problem, an occasional urinary tract infection for Prince Philip. Not so glamorous…

It is surprising that the English press and especially the tabloids are not stingy about Kate’s hospitalization. Why so much reserve?
Without this reservation, tabloids run the risk of alienating public opinion. Kate’s health worries the British, so if some of the titles are junk funds or try to break into the princess’s hospital, that will be a problem. We should remember a precedent that left its mark in 2012. At that time, an Australian radio station trapped a nurse from the clinic where Kate was hospitalized. [enceinte du prince George, elle souffrait alors d’hyperemesis gravidarum, des nausées très intenses qui entraînent déshydratation et perte de poids, NDLR] The presenters at the time pretended to be Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles to get news about Kate. The nurse responded honestly, unaware of the hoax, and it created quite a scandal. The poor nurse, distraught at being wrong, eventually committed suicide.

Did this 2012 hoax strengthen privacy protocols?
It is certain that they have been greatly tightened since then. The security services had to pull out all the stops so that nothing was left this time. What’s more, we see that Kate managed to leave the London clinic in complete secrecy through the back door.

But is there a tacit pact between the Windsors and the tabloids?
I’m not sure the tabloids operate by any rules unless they’re all negotiating the first interview with Kate or exclusivity about her surgery or the reason for her first outing. Negotiations must certainly continue.

In his memoirs, Spare (The substitute Prince Harry has condemned the close and ambiguous relationship that exists between the royal family and the popular press. Can we imagine that the lackluster media coverage of Kate’s hospitalization here is a way to stay in the House’s good books?
Honestly, I don’t think so. Even if the Royal Gotha and the Royal Chroniclers are playing the game, the others have not stopped at anything for a long time. Murdoch’s press group headlines in particular: And for good reason, it would be such a global scoop to release the slightest photo or piece of information about Kate. What’s more, the royal family generally doesn’t sue the press. William had done it against Closer In 2012, when Kate was photographed topless in the south of France, or when it was revealed that former BBC journalist Martin Bashir had framed his mother, Diana. Other than that, the Windsors don’t tend to attack. Instead, they avoid putting pressure on the press.

But then, what do you think royal experts know about Kate’s health?
Not too much or too little or it would already shrink. Many conversations suggest gynecological causes. Nothing is confirmed yet. There are insufficient sources to confirm the diagnosis. When we look closely at the London clinic, this hospital treats more than 150 pathologies and has an extremely wide range of care. Of course, there is a very popular cancer center, but its other services are just as popular.

LISTEN TO SCANDALS!