Princess of Wales

I couldn't believe all the folks obsessed with the "royals", having meltdowns and speculations about why she hadn't been seen in public for a few months, even though it was public info that she had undergone surgery. You'd think they would have a bit of respect and give her some privacy.

I'll never understand people who think they are somehow entitled to know everything about some celebrity's private life just because they have a public persona. I guess reality show TV makes people think everyone wants to share their private life with the public.

It's not the people. It's the news media melting down.

RoyD

Not to excuse the British Tabloids, BUT the Royal Family is paid 83 million pounds a year ($105 million USD) in exchange for appearing at public events.  

While they are indeed celebrities, they are also government employees who are paid quite handsomely for their services.  

You can argue that that Royals are entitled to privacy, but since they are paid for being out and about in the public, long-term absences should be explained.

And I'll go a step farther.  Neither the King nor the Princess has yet to reveal the type of cancer they have, evidently a word that is still whispered in Great Britain.  They should use their illness as a teaching moment.

Secy. of Defense, Lloyd Austin tried to hide his cancer diagnosis.  After it was revealed, he did remind all men and especially African American men to get tested for prostate cancer.  It is one of those cancers people don't like to talk about, but when public figures share their experiences, it almost always results in people getting tested and getting treated. And lives being saved.

BisbeeGal, I don't disagree with your basic premise, I was more thinking in terms of timing. While someone who is paid by the taxpayers, whose duties include or even mostly consist of appearing at public events should certainly not be secretive about why they haven't been seen for awhile, it isn't necessary for the public to know RIGHT NOW all the gritty details. When it was made known that she had undergone abdominal surgery, I assumed that there were complications that the family was dealing with and it seemed to me that the public could be a bit patient in being told exactly what was going on.