It almost got lost in the hubbub surrounding Kate Middleton.
It was almost completely forgotten.
And yet, the unfortunate fact remains true: King Charles has cancer.
Kensington Palace confirmed this shocking news around six weeks ago, simply stating that the 75-year-old learned of this diagnosis during a prostate exam.
The Monarch has been mostly out of the spotlight since the public was informed of his illness, but little has been said about this disappearance for two reasons:
UM, we know he has cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. There is no mystery here.
TWO, there is a lot of mystery swirling in all directions related to Middleton, who underwent some type of surgery in January and who may or may not have been seen with her children this weekend.
However, now we have a reason to turn our attention to Charles for a bit.
On Monday, a Russian news agency issued a statement that featured the seal of the king’s official residence in London and said:
“The following announcement is made by real communications. The king passed away unexpectedly yesterday afternoon.”
Yes, This Report Claimed King Charles Is Dead.
Almost immediately, before mass panic could truly grip the globe, Buckingham Palace responded with a statement of its own.
“We are happy to confirm that the King continues with official and private business,” the Royals said in a short and simple message on March 18.
This statement needed to be released because a number of Russian media outlets and popular pro-Kremlin Telegram channels rushed to spread the news of King Charles’ supposed death this morning.
The Telegram Mash channel – which has 2.27 million subscribers – was one of the first to publicize this fake news, writing in a post:
“King Charles III of Great Britain has died, reports Buckingham Palace. Elizabeth II’s son ascended the throne less than a year ago – the coronation took place on May 6, 2023. He was 75 years old.”
Note how quickly the Palace overturned this dangerous speculation.
Now… compare such a quick response to the general silence that followed rumors about Middleton’s physical, mental and/or medical status.
The Royal Family has not yet specified what prompted Kate’s abdominal surgery in January and has only said in the coming months that they will provide an update when there is “significant” news to share.
But what about the significant questions? Does this continue to abound?
While the world wonders exactly where Kate Middleton is and why she has so completely disappeared from public life, the Palace might be well served if it at least tried to provide us with an answer.