The Royal Family has learned an important lesson about the modern digital age amidst Kate’s diagnosis.
A source has said that the Royal Family’s mantra to “never complain, never explain” doesn’t work in the digital age.
Leading up to the Princess of Wales’s cancer announcement the internet exploded with speculation surrounding Kate’s whereabouts.
Internet users began making up conspiracy theories about the princess’s health and where she was.
The princess was the subject of conspiracy theories online
Kensington Palace
The Royal Family learned that if there is an information vacuum, then others will rush in to fill it which could lead to "messy" results.
Ellie Hall, a royal correspondent, said: “The Royal Family's mantra is never complain, never explain.
“That really doesn't work in a digital age. It doesn't take much to get the crazy things going.”
Princess Kate announced her cancer diagnosis on Friday PAOn January 17, Kensington Palace announced that Kate had undergone a planned abdominal surgery and would not be attending any public events until after Easter.
Theorising about Kate’s absence intensified after Prince William missed his godfather’s memorial service due to a “personal matter.”
The conspiracies grew even worse after the princess released a Mother’s Day photo of herself and her children which was later found to be edited.
Daniel Allington, a social scientist at King’s College in London who studies disinformation said: “Once people start speculating that you are lying to them it’s very hard to get them back on board.”
The Royal Family learned that an 'information vacuum will be filled' on the internet
Getty
The rumours continued to circulate until the Princess of Wales released a video message on Friday, March 22 announcing that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
She said: “I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery.
“It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present.”
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Princess Kate underwent 'planned abdominal surgery' in JanuaryGettyCelebrities took to the internet to publicly apologise for joking about the Kate conspiracy theories after learning the seriousness of her condition.
Actress Blake Lively issued an apology for joking about Kate’s Photoshop blunder before the princess’s diagnosis was revealed.
Former royal correspondent Jennie Bond said: “I hope those social media trolls who are peddling such ghastly theories will realise what they have done.
“Her absolute priority will be those three children.”
