The Princess of Wales announced in a video message that she is undergoing cancer treatment. (Alamy)
Several celebrities have publicly apologized after the Princess of Wales announced her cancer diagnosis.
Last Friday evening, 42-year-old Kate announced in a video that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
In the clip, recorded last Wednesday, she said the diagnosis had been a “huge shock” and that she and the Prince of Wales were “doing everything we can to deal with this privately for the sake of our young family”.
Watch: Princess of Wales reveals she is being treated for cancer
Her announcement ended weeks of online conspiracy theories about her condition after she underwent abdominal surgery in January, delaying her return to public life.
Thousands of social media users spread speculation about the princess, especially after she posted a Mother's Day photo of her and her children, which she later admitted had been edited.
But among those who joined in were a number of celebrities, some of whom have apologized since Kate's emotional announcement.
Blake Lively
Blake Lively has apologized for making a joke about the Princess of Wales. (Getty Images)
Actress Blake Lively was one of the first celebrities to apologize following Kate's announcement.
The 36-year-old star, who is married to actor Ryan Reynolds, posted an apology on her Instagram page.
Lively wrote, “I'm sure no one cares today, but I feel like I need to acknowledge this.”
“I wrote a silly post about Photoshop failing, and oh man, that post put me to shame today. I'm sorry.”
Lively previously pointed out Kate's Mother's Day photo in a March 13 post promoting her beverage range.
She had written, “So excited to share this new photo I took today to announce our 4 new @bettybuzz and @bettybooze products! Now you know why I was MIA.”
Gary Goldsmith
Gary Goldsmith gave an interview to a newspaper before Kate's announcement. (PA)
The princess's maternal uncle, Gary Goldsmith, apologized after an interview he gave to The Times newspaper was published on Saturday, just hours after Kate announced her diagnosis.
The story goes on
Goldsmith, who recently found himself in the public eye after appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, posted on X on Saturday: “As many have seen, I will be featured in The Times Magazine on Saturday.”
“This interview and filming took place over a week ago and was printed before I learned of the sad news about my niece Kate.
As many have seen, I will be featured in The Times Magazine on Saturday. This interview and shoot was conducted over a week ago and was printed before I found out the sad news about my niece Kate.
My thoughts and prayers are with Kate and the family during this difficult time.
— Gary Goldsmith (@GaryGoldsmithX) March 22, 2024
“My thoughts and prayers are with Kate and the entire family at this difficult time and I am deeply saddened by the timing of this article. I hope this puts an end to the ongoing speculation and terrible conspiracies.”
In the Times interview, Goldsmith said of Kate and William: “Are they the happiest? No. Their children give them a lot of joy, but no.”
Owen Jones
Owen Jones said he was “very ashamed” for speculating about the Princess of Wales. (PA)
Left-wing political commentator Owen Jones apologized for speculation about Kate ahead of the announcement of her cancer diagnosis.
A few minutes after posting Kate's video, Jones apologized on X, formerly Twitter, for his previous comments about the Mother's Day photo.
As someone who speculated about it without considering that it could be a serious health condition, I'm honestly very ashamed and wish her well. https://t.co/CvLUGtjdet
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) March 22, 2024
Jones, who resigned from the Labor Party earlier this week, wrote: “As someone who speculated about this without considering that it could be a serious health condition, I am frankly very ashamed and wish her well. “
In another tweet, he said: “I speculated that the photo was fake without considering that the reason could be a health condition.”
Sarah Vine
Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine apologized following Kate's announcement. (PA Images via Getty Images)
Columnist Sarah Vine, the ex-wife of Secretary Michael Gove, used her column in the Mail on Sunday to apologize.
She wrote: “Never explain, never apologize, as the old saying goes. But there are times when you have to do both.”
“We all, more or less, owe the Prince and Princess of Wales an apology – myself included – for making their lives so difficult over the doctored Mother's Day photo and Prince William's last-minute decision to withdraw “of his godfather’s memorial service.”
In a previous column earlier this month, Vine wrote that Kate's admission of editing the Mother's Day photo “just added another layer to the mille-feuille of conspiracies and raised far more questions than it answered.”
Kerry soldier
Kerry Katona has apologized for spreading conspiracy theories about the Princess of Wales. (PA)
Reality TV personality Kerry Katona, 43, also apologized for spreading conspiracy theories about the princess.
Katona told The Sun: “There were so many conspiracy theories. I’ll hold my hands up.”
“I think I was one of them too. It was like the royal family was our family.
“Everyone thinks they know who you are as a true human being, and I just feel like we've all fallen into this rabbit hole and I got sucked into it.”
“Absolutely ashamed”
Kim Kardashian was urged to apologize to the princess herself after the reality TV star made a joke about the situation earlier this month.
In a post on her Instagram page last Saturday, Kardashian wrote, “I'm on my way to find Kate.”
Kim Kardashian has been asked to apologize for a joke she made about the Princess of Wales. (Getty Images)
Following the princess' announcement on Friday evening, Kardashian's Instagram post was flooded with comments from angry users demanding an apology from her.
Meanwhile, broadcaster Piers Morgan criticized those who have spread conspiracy theories about the princess, writing on this is not a parody.
“Shut up, you shameless hypocrites.”
People here are screaming, “LEAVE KATE ALONE!” If they've spent the last few weeks spewing insane conspiracy theories about her, this isn't a parody.
Shut up, you shameless hypocrites.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 22, 2024
And former ` royal correspondent Jennie Bond told Sky News: “I hope that those social media trolls who spread such terribly hurtful theories now realize what they have done and are absolutely ashamed.”
“Inhumanity of social media”
Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said the speculation surrounding Kate before her announcement was evidence of the “inhumanity” of social media.
He told the `'s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “When you have a young lady like the Princess of Wales who has clearly suffered a medical emergency, you see people being inundated with conspiracy theories and you see how they are amplified on social media platforms.” [and] passed on to millions and millions of people.
“What really upset me was to see her then re-victimized by being accused of not coming out straight away. And of course a family has to have its time and privacy.”
“I think it's the inhumanity of our behavior on social media that forces people to talk about things that can be very personal. And I also see the impact this has had on our society: how quickly it was understood by millions of people and how much damage it has done to the royal family itself.
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