Less than six months after revealing her cancer diagnosis, the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) posted some good news many people all over Britain and beyond have been waiting to hear.
In an emotional video showing footage of the princess, Prince William, and their three children Kate shared the update that she has finished chemotherapy and is now doing “all she can” to stay “cancer-free” writing: “I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment. Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”
But within two hours of the royals sharing that happy update, like clockwork, there was an attempt for their estranged family members, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, to garner headlines of their own. Here’s more on that and what royal watchers are saying about it now.
What was released soon after Kate’s candid video
It’s become all too common that any time the royal family has an important date to mark or a big announcement, the duke and duchess feel the need to leak some news from Montecito in an effort to steal the limelight away from Britain’s most famous family.
But if you thought announcing or releasing anything the same day Kate gave her cancer update was beneath the Sussexes, think again. The trailer for Prince Harry’s POLO documentary to be featured on Netflix dropped just 100 minutes after Kensington Palace posted the touching video of Kate and her family.
GB News host Isabel Webster spoke to royal commentator Kinsley Schofield about the timing asking: “What’s your take on that? Do you think they would have been tipped off that this has just come out?”
“I think this is the worst possible coincidence,” Schofield replied per Express. “I thought it was very vulgar and opportunistic to release it at such a compelling and intimate message from the Princess of Wales.”
Are Prince Harry and Meghan really to blame?
Royal correspondent Cameron Walker had a different take though and doesn’t believe it was Harry and Meghan’s decision or that they had any control over when the trailer would drop.
“I think it was unfortunate timing. Prince Harry wouldn’t have had any say on the publication,” Walker explained. “That was Netflix’s choice — not Harry and Meghan’s. Whether it was a coincidence or deliberate only [Netflix] can answer that.”
However, Schofield argued that someone on the Sussexes’ team could have asked Netflix to pull the plug on releasing it so soon after the princess’s video, saying: “I think that Netflix, their PR team, and marketing team were probably as good as they’re paid to be. Knowing Harry and Meghan got $100 million from their deal, they should have seen [Kate’s] video and known it was time to pull [the trailer] and release it at another date.”
