UPDATE: On the afternoon of March 22, Princess Catherine announced that she is undergoing treatment for cancer. Our thoughts are with her and her family, and we wish her a swift recovery. This discussion primarily focuses on what the public reactions to her stepping back from public life say about the culture / the role of the royal family.
Nearly three months after the last official appearance of Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and following approximately 17 waves of fevered speculation about the cause of her unusually long absence from the public eye, we decided it was time to dedicate an episode to KateGate. Where is Kate? Why has the U.K.’s future queen and preeminent momfluencer — a woman who thrice appeared for photos in heels, a blowout and full makeup mere hours after giving birth — disappeared from view for months at a time? And what does it mean that so many of the public, including American non-royal-watc…
