For days, or more accurately, weeks, Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William, the future queen, Princess of Wales – continues to dominate global headlines.
From the major outlets in the United Kingdom and the United States to as far away as New Zealand and Türkiye, without exaggerating I could say there were hundreds of reports in the past couple of weeks. Whether they were proper news-style narratives trying to provide the latest updates on her mysterious health condition or "Katespiracies," as I think the French news agency, Agence France-Presse (AFP) first termed the speculations, it is crystal clear that interest in the very smallest details regarding the royal family persists.
While unquestionably Kate's well-being matters, the massive interest in her whereabouts remains astonishing despite her role. The whole intrigue prompted some social media pundits to even say "The Crown" makers have made a mistake by wrapping up the widely popular drama, whose last season contributed to higher revenues and growing subscriptions to Netflix in the last quarter.
The hype and extent of media coverage of the long absence of the Princess of Wales from official duties and public appearances rivals that of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry leaving for California. But on the whole, this vortex of countless pieces of information and guesses about the severity of her post-abdominal surgery condition has raised a very serious question: Does this divert our attention from other major global or local happenings?
In particular, are we forgetting about the ongoing crisis and suffering of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip that has been going on for months?
The sheer desperation of the media coverage and the hunger of the public for even the tiniest details leaves one stunned.
The recent British media reports indicated that the country's watchdog allegedly was looking into a report that staff in the hospital where Kate received the treatment attempted to access her medical report.
Similarly, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer urged people on Thursday to leave Kate alone and said he was speaking as a "human being" rather than a politician regarding the issue.
The speculation, rumors and bizarre conspiracy theories that flooded social media platforms such as X or Instagram, however, have not heeded the calls for restraint.
I will not even try to delve into the controversies around altered photos and their withdrawal.
Elsewhere, officials from different governments were urging Israel to stop its planned assault on Rafah, the last shelter for many in Gaza, and mulling over a cease-fire. In recent periods the major security crisis impacting Haiti and the armed conflict in Sudan that triggered massive migration and famine also managed to find their place among some of the top headlines.
More front pages or opinion articles in leading outlets should focus on ongoing injustices rather than unchecked theories related to Kate's health condition.
While we can not for sure know how she is recuperating after the surgery announced in January, it was clear according to the official statement from Kensington Palace that she is expected to return to the public eye most likely in April.
From a woman's perspective, I also truly believe the Princess of Wales should be granted the needed privacy, far away from dayslong events and cameras in a time that apparently requires "a break." We all do, sometimes.
Different regions of the world are grappling with issues and problems unique to them, and while maybe for Britain or Commonwealth states the importance of being aware of the condition of most senior figures of the kingdom really is a priority, I believe we should not ignore the hardest global questions and major issues and must prioritize them consistently.
Whether it is high inflation, or as I said earlier a dramatic situation unraveling before the world's eyes in Gaza or maybe even elections – we should try to focus on a wider spectrum of current events and escape the gossip that does not produce any particular good.
