Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, Countess of Chester, Lady of the Isles, Duchess of Rothesay and… “the Chaos-Bringer of Humiliation and Mockery”? Nope, she’s not auditioning for a role in the new Elden Ring DLC, this is now what the British press has dubbed her.
British newspaper The Daily Star has just dropped a story headlined with this unwelcome (but let’s face it, pretty badass) new moniker. The wording comes via “Royal expert” Daniela Elser, with the paper quoting her as saying: “While the world is losing it, there is still Kate, a woman who has suffered a head-spinning, stunning nosedive from shining royal star to chaos-bringer; from dignified future Queen to global figure of humiliation and mockery.”
At first glance, this comment is nothing more than an interesting and somewhat inaccurate quote from Elser, who goes on to sympathize with Kate for the damage to her reputation and credibility after the doctored photo controversy, but concludes that she has officially hit “rock bottom”.
But the very fact that a British paper is running such an aggressive headline against Kate is notable. We should remember that, as per the official line, she’s recovering from abdominal surgery. Until now, stories around her have been universally positive, just as you would expect to see about a Princess in recovery. Even the tone of the post-Photoshop drama gave her the benefit of the doubt.
So a British newspaper that relies on access to the Royals calling her this, combined with a comment that her “shining star” has faded may indicate the tide is turning against her. We know all too well from the sad saga of Princess Diana and the ongoing monstering of Harry and Meghan that members of the Royal family don’t hesitate to plant negative stories in the press about each other and, if the building rumors of William and Kate’s marital strife (and even divorce) are true, headlines like these might be test shots to chip away at her reputation.
Make no mistake, if Kate really is planning to file for divorce against William the British press would turn on her in a heartbeat. Access to Royal stories is their lifeblood, William has a vested interest in keeping coverage of him positive to bolster the Crown as a whole, and they wouldn’t hesitate to throw Kate to the wolves.
We cannot know for sure what’s going on behind the walls of Kensington Palace, but we can see the ripples traveling across the British media and make some educated guesses. Either way, it’s going to be a dramatic few months for the Royal family.