This grab taken from a video released on March 22, 2024, shows Britain's Kate, the Princess of Wales, recording her message announcing that she is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer following a major abdominal surgery. Photo: VCG

The "where is Kate" saga has come to a temporary close when the Princess of Wales says she is in the early stages of treatment after a cancer diagnosis. Apart from messages of support pouring in for the Princess, Chinese netizens have engaged in a hot debate about maintaining credibility and reputation becoming a major challenge for the royal family in the "post- Queen Elizabeth" era.

Although the royal family has been strained by a recent slew of negative news, Chinese observers said the royal family is still needed in the UK. However, the recent crisis should serve as a wake-up call for the royal family to change strategy in seeking balance of maintaining a sense of mystery, while adapting to the fasting-changing world.

Support poured in from around the world Saturday for Kate, the Princess of Wales, after she revealed in a video message that she is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer following a major abdominal surgery.

The poignant video, in which she spoke about the "huge shock" and "incredibly tough couple of months" for her family after her diagnosis, came after weeks of frenzied speculation on social media about her health and well-being.

"This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family," Kate said in the video, which was recorded Wednesday in Windsor.

On China's X-like platform Sina Weibo, hashtag "Princess Kate issues statement" and "Princess Kate said she is receiving cancer treatment" have been reviewed more than 11 million times as of press time. 

"Get well soon. Cancer is a huge blow to a family with three young children. In such a situation, anyone would want to rest quietly and undisturbed," a Sina Weibo user commented. 

The princess's months-long disappearance has become a trending topic on China's social media platform. On Sina Weibo, some netizens thought she had "probably died," while others suspected that she was seriously ill.  

To make the situation worse, on March 10, Kate shared a photo on her personal account of herself smiling, surrounded by her three kids, to mark Mother's Day in the UK. The post credited William as the photographer. 

Shortly after the image was recalled by image agencies, the Princess of Wales apologized, writing, "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day." But the message did not do much to quiet conspiracy theories.

After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, aged 96, there was actually a significant drop in the influence of the British royal family, Cui Hongjian, a professor with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times. 

The British royal family had largely shifted to relying on personal charisma during the Queen Elizabethan II era. If there is not another monarchy with the same charismatic personality as her, I believe there will be increasing skepticism toward the British monarchy, Cui noted.

While the royal family still holds significance in UK politics and public life, it must now strive to find a balance in navigating the fast-paced world of mass media and rapidly changing society. At the same time, it must maintain its sense of mystery. Cui pointed out that the recent Kate case demonstrates the challenges the family faces in achieving this balance.