Internet trolls still target Kate for ‘not revealing cancer diagnosis sooner’

The Princess of Wales has been “victimized” again by online trolls who accuse her of not revealing her cancer diagnosis sooner, a leading social media expert has said.

Kate released a pre-recorded video statement on Friday night and told the public that she had begun preventive chemotherapy after the cancer was discovered following major abdominal surgery in January.

This comes after weeks of speculation and conspiracy theories about her absence from public office.

Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Center to Combat Digital Hate, said the baseless accusations against the princess and her family had reached “millions of people” via social media.

Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg on BBC TV on Sunday, Mr Ahmed said: “When a young lady, the Princess of Wales, suffers a medical emergency “You see people flocking to conspiracy theories and you see them amplified on social media platforms and pushed to millions of people.”

“I think what really pisses me off is that she was re-traumatized by being blamed for not coming out right away.

“Of course, a family needs to have their own time and privacy.

“I think social media dehumanizes the way we act and forces people to talk about very personal things.

“And, of course, seeing the impact it had on our society, how quickly it was accepted by millions of people, and how damaging it was to the royal family itself.”

It is understood the Princess and her husband, Prince William, had been aware of her condition for a long time, but her recorded statement was deliberately timed to coincide with the start of the Easter school holidays.

This ensures that their three children – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 – can spend time with their parents away from the public eye.

Paddy Haverson, who has served as Kate and the Prince of Wales’ official spokesman, responded to the question on the same show whether the pressure came from social media or the mainstream media.

“Well, it survives on its own,” he said. “It’s a perpetual cycle of doom. It’s the worst I’ve ever seen.”

However, he added that even if there was no pressure, the royal family would still announce the news in the same way.

“I absolutely believe that if we didn’t have all the craziness and social media, if we didn’t have the Mother’s Day photo bug, they would still be doing this,” he said.

“They were still going to wait until school was out last Friday to make the announcement.”

Online rumors about the princess intensified after William withdrew from attending a memorial service for his godfather, the late Greek King Constantine, on February 27.

It is understood that the prince’s last-minute decision not to attend was related to his wife’s illness, but it is unclear when the princess was informed of the positive cancer test.

Some photo agencies have sparked further speculation after they discovered Mother’s Day photos of the princess and her children had been doctored and then deleted. After being asked for an explanation, Kate admitted to “editing” the official photo and apologized.