The tabloid scrutiny the Princess of Wales has experienced, which spiked prior to her cancer announcement, can be linked to the expectation that she act more like a celebrity than royalty, Sharon Osbourne has said.
In March, during her absence from the public eye while recovering from abdominal surgery, Kate was the subject of widespread speculation and conspiracy theories about her health, whereabouts and family life. On March 22, the princess released a video statement, saying that after her surgery, doctors had detected cancer and she had begun a course of “preventative chemotherapy.”
Discussing the backlash against the royal on a new episode of The Osbournes Podcast, Sharon Osbourne said there was a disparity between the way Europeans and Americans viewed the royal family.
“It’s the world press and celebrities who were just joining this ridiculous thing,” Osbourne said. “It’s like, excuse me, since when have you been interested in the Princess of Wales and her husband?”
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Osbourne—a reality TV veteran who made an appearance on Celebrity Big Brother with Gary Goldsmith, Kate’s uncle, earlier this year—said that in the United States, people expected the Prince and Princess of Wales to act like Prince Harry and Meghan and embrace the world of celebrity.
“It’s only because in the press, since Harry and Meghan came up and are celebrities, they expect William and Kate to be celebrities,” Osbourne said.
“And people don’t realize, especially in America, the difference between a celebrity and an HRH [Her or His Royal Highness]. They’re not celebrities. It’s a world that America does not understand. They don’t understand the history. They do not understand anything about royalty,” Osbourne continued.
She added: “They work for their country. That’s what they do. They’re not two-bit celebrities that go down red carpets every other week and are seen with famous Hollywood people. That’s not their world. Their world is serving their country.”
When contacted by Newsweek, Kensington Palace declined to comment.
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The relationship between royalty and celebrity has been analyzed in Britain over many years, often with members of the royal family being criticized for appearing to socialize with or behave in a way associated with celebrities.
Prince Harry, like his mother, Princess Diana, has faced criticism for moving in Hollywood circles. In 2020, the prince and Meghan signed a production deal with Netflix after they stepped down from their roles as working royals.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not the only members of the royal family to face criticism for appearing more like celebrities than public servants.
In 2021, Graham Smith, the leader of Republic, an anti-monarchy group, told the Daily Express that the royals had become a “branch of celebrity culture.”
“Ultimately, the monarchy has become a branch of celebrity culture more than anything, and that’s a difficult one for them to compete in,” he said, adding, “I think their appeal as celebrities is limited to say the least.”
Following the increase in global attention Kate has received since the beginning of the year, Kensington Palace has maintained that the princess is a private person with a public role, not a celebrity.
Since the first announcement that the princess had undergone abdominal surgery in January and was expected to be absent from her royal duties until Easter, the palace appealed for privacy, saying it would not provide a running commentary on her health.
Kate also restated this plea in the video statement announcing her cancer diagnosis.
“We hope that you will understand that as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment,” she said. “My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when I am able. But for now, I must focus on making a full recovery.”
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.