As the frenzied press descends on the Princess of Wales much as it once did the Princess of Wales before Kate—Princess Diana—Diana’s brother, Earl Charles Spencer, broke his silence about the rampant conspiracy theories surrounding Kate’s health. Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Spencer was asked if he thought the fervor around Kate was “more dangerous” than the media intrusion on Diana in the 1990s.
“No, I think it was more dangerous back in the day,” he said. “I think, if I look back to [19]97 and Diana’s death, I think that was so shocking, too—the circumstances of her death were so shocking that it did make the industry that supports the paparazzi really consider more carefully what it could and couldn’t do. Not because they had a moral judgment, but because it was unacceptable to the public.”
When asked specifically about the internet conspiracy theories surrounding Kate—married, of course, to Prince William, who is Spencer’s nephew—he admitted “I do worry about what happened to the truth.”
Diana died in a car accident in 1997, just 368 days after her divorce was finalized from the then Prince Charles on August 28, 1996. Much like the media has hounded Kate as she rode in a car alongside her mother, Carole Middleton, on the school run on March 4 or while riding in a car alongside William one week later on March 11 (the day after her Mother’s Day photo scandal), the press mercilessly chased Diana, including and up until the moment of her death in a Parisian tunnel at just 36 years old.
“My mum was harassed throughout her life with my dad, but after they separated, the harassment went to new levels,” Prince Harry said in an episode of the Harry & Meghan docuseries on Netflix. “I saw things, I experienced things. I learned things. The pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution. I remember thinking, ‘How can I ever find someone who is willing and capable to withstand all the baggage that comes with being with me?’”
It’s “baggage” that Kate has faced for over 20 years, but perhaps never more vitriolic towards her than right now. When Kate does return—Kensington Palace said back in January that it wouldn’t be until after Easter, which is in less than two weeks’ time now—“I can see a world in which the princess might discuss her recovery out on engagements,” a source told The Sunday Times, noting that she and William are “at their most open” when out interacting with members of the public. “If she was going to do it, that’s how she would do it,” they said, adding that William and Kate will only speak out when “they feel” ready.
“I would expect that to be her instinct, and it will be her call,” they said. “They’re not going to be rushed.”
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
20 Bobbi Brown Products Marie Claire Editors Can’t Live Without
Vitamin-Enriched Face Base and Longwear Eyeshadow Sticks are team favorites.
By Brooke Knappenberger Published
-
Padma Lakshmi Says 2010 Scrutiny Over Her Daughter’s Paternity Was “As Horrible As Is Possible to Be”
“I mean, talk about slut shaming.”
By Danielle Campoamor Published
-
The East-West Bag Trend Dominates From Every Direction
Styles like Louis Vuitton's Pochette Métis and The Row's Tote have become increasingly popular among celebrities, street style icons, and on the red carpets.
By Emma Childs Published
-
Princess Kate Makes History with New Appointment from Father-in-Law King Charles
The two have grown especially close in recent months as both undergo treatment for cancer.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis “Are Following Some New Rules” at Home to Help Make Life Easier for Princess Kate
As their mother receives treatment for cancer, the Wales trio is reportedly pitching in and taking on some extra chores around the house.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Diana Spencer, Then 19, Started Sobbing in the Ladies’ Room As She Asked Princess Grace of Monaco for Advice About Marrying Royalty
As their stars collided that night in March 1981, neither the former Grace Kelly nor the future Princess of Wales had any idea that they’d both someday die far too young in the same manner.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William Single-Handedly Planned His and Kate Middleton’s Romantic Honeymoon
Kate had no idea where they were headed on their two week luxurious break from reality until after their 2011 wedding.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Diana Revealed to a Royal Author the Real Reason Why Her Marriage to Prince Charles Ended Not Long Before She Died in 1997
And no, it apparently wasn’t Camilla Parker-Bowles.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Kate Reportedly Carries These Four Items in Her Enviable Collection of Handbags
Guarantee we all carry at least one of these items in our own, as well.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Kate Rarely Wears These Three Colors—and a Fashion Stylist Digs Into the Reason Why
“She tends to avoid certain colors, not because they’re ‘wrong,’ but because she knows what really brings out her natural beauty.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Diana Told Queen Elizabeth Through Tears That Her Then-Husband Prince Charles Was “A Nightmare” and That She “Hated” Him, Royal Author Claims
Ingrid Seward’s new book examines the relationship between mother and son, Her late Majesty and her heir, Charles.
By Rachel Burchfield Published