As the world’s interest in the Princess of Wales has perhaps never been greater (save for, possibly, her wedding in 2011), many are concerned about her health and well-being following abdominal surgery in January. (Some, admittedly and unfortunately, are just interested in conspiracy theories—but the best of us actually care.)
One fellow human who is reportedly and almost assuredly concerned is Prince Harry, who was once fiercely close to his sister-in-law. As media attention and vitriol leveled against Kate currently rivals that of the media attention and vitriol often (sadly) reserved for Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, Page Six reports that “Harry is worried about the press surrounding his sister-in-law” as she not only physically heals from surgery but emotionally recovers from being the world’s punching bag these past couple of weeks.
One source speaking to the outlet said Harry has lately been “distracted” with concern over the headlines surrounding Kate “and her mysterious retreat from public life,” Page Six reports. Harry apparently thinks that “any hint of scandal is untrue” as Kate continues to receive blowback over her Mother’s Day photo scandal, now known colloquially as “Photogate” or “Kategate.” Harry, of course, knows the narrative of the press treating royal women terribly all too well—his mother Princess Diana and Meghan have both received similar treatment by the media.
Harry recently hit the slopes in Aspen last week, though Page Six reports Meghan didn’t join him for this trip. Who was there is an interesting group: The Daily Mail reports that Harry was there with Kris Jenner’s longtime partner Corey Gamble, as well as Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd and her husband Michael. Harry was seen getting breakfast at Bonnie’s, a popular lodge located on Aspen Mountain, and shopping for hats at Kemo Sabe, a favorite of many celebrities, including two people Gamble knows pretty well—two of Jenner’s daughters, Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner.
“Harry’s been skiing with Corey,” a source speaking to The Daily Mail said. “They’ve been skiing during the day and going to one of the better-known speak-easies in the evening.”
As for Kate, royal author and friend of the royal family Hugo Vickers said, per Page Six, “I would have thought that Catherine would have done a good enough job [in her royal role] to be left in peace for three months, but evidently not,” he said. “Why should she have to talk about her personal and private health? This must be very upsetting for her. Personally, I don’t think she needs to talk about it.”
One Page Six source said of Kate’s husband, Prince William, that he is “justifiably worried about the parallels to his mother, Diana,” they said. “This is the reason for keeping everything under wraps. This is haunting him. He thought [the world had] learned lessons we hadn’t.”
Unfortunately, Vickers admitted, there will always be people who want to spin the truth into twisted, weird fiction. “The fact that Catherine disappeared for three months, people were bound to say, ‘Well, why, what’s going on?’—and the void can be filled with these ghastly conspiracy theories,” he said.
Referencing William and Kate’s outing over the weekend, “One would think the farm shop footage would stop the conspiracy theories, but no, because conspiracy theorists love their theories,” Vickers said. “Look at [conspiracies surrounding] Marilyn Monroe and Diana, Princess of Wales—however much evidence you produce, these things are bound to go on.”
