Prince William
Prince William’s choice to skip a significant family event on Tuesday, along with the lack of any explanation, has led to a surge of rumors, speculation, and outlandish conspiracy theories surrounding the British royal family. As the memorial service for William’s late godfather, former King Constantine II of Greece, was about to begin at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor on Tuesday, royal insiders disclosed that the Prince of Wales would not attend due to a personal issue. According to a source who spoke to CNN, William reached out to the Greek royal family to inform them of his sudden change of plans.
Typically, missing events does not generate the kind of speculation that has recently occurred. If we look back two years, there was not nearly as much online conjecture as we’ve seen in the past few days. The palace did not specify the reason William missed the service. Due to this uncertainty, some have connected his absence to that of his wife, Kate, who is still recovering from surgery at home. Many interpreted the prince’s recent return to royal responsibilities as a sign that the situation in the Wales household is improving rapidly.
Some have argued that it would have been simple for the heir to the throne to meet his extended family at Windsor Castle, given that he resides just a five-minute drive away at Adelaide Cottage and his three children were at school during the event.
However, many people are feeling anxious due to the continuous string of royal tragedies and health concerns. The passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the illnesses affecting King Charles III and Catherine, Princess of Wales shortly after, along with the public’s lack of sightings of Kate since Christmas Day, have all fueled this speculation.
Although William did not attend the memorial service on Tuesday, he remained scheduled for public events in his diary and resumed his duties on Thursday.
Fill In the Dots
The palace has been working to share as much information as possible while still respecting medical privacy. This presents a challenge for an ancient monarchy navigating a changed environment, where the public demands instant updates. It’s not necessarily that people are being inconsiderate; rather, they are concerned and curious about the absence of someone they are accustomed to seeing.
As a society, we have grown used to having easy access to information and have a natural urge to fill in any gaps in our knowledge. A prime example of this is seen in Netflix’s “The Crown,” which started out grounded in historical facts. However, as the series progressed towards more recent events, the writers and producers had to embellish certain moments for the sake of the narrative.
The truth is that aside from those directly involved, no one really knows why William decided to withdraw from this family gathering or how Kate is feeling on a daily basis.