Kate Middleton's video marks a shift in the way royals tell stories

(LONDON) — Public displays of affection in a royal video? My goodness, how times have changed!

When the Princess of Wales announced in a blurry, Insta-worthy video that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment, she entered realms that the British royal family, traditionally known for the late Queen Elizabeth II's attitude of “never complain, never explain,” had not previously entered.

Here it was the most popular royal, a public figure mostly known simply as Kate, who used the tools of social media to share the fact that, for all her wealth and privilege, her life had been turned upside down by cancer, just like those of millions of other people.

But it wasn't just what she said that mattered, but how she said it. Unlike previous updates on Kate's health, which sounded like matter-of-fact news, this one had a very different tone. The slickly produced mini-film, released on Monday, showed the princess hugging Prince William and their three young children, and sharing intimate moments at home with her parents.

There is even a chaste kiss on her cheek.

“It's a real rupture,” said George Gross, a royal historian at King's College London. “But I think people will look at it and not necessarily recognise that. I think they will think: that's just right, that's normal. That's just how it is in a family.”

A tradition of secrecy

Kate's video marks the royal family's latest experiment with greater openness since King Charles III ascended the throne in 2022. That was repeatedly tested this year when both Charles and Kate were treated for serious health problems and later announced they were undergoing cancer treatment.

For centuries, the British royal family withheld news of disease for fear it would undermine their authority. This reticence and secrecy continued even when they became constitutional figureheads.

The British public was not informed that King George VI, Charles' grandfather, had been suffering from lung cancer before his death at the age of 56 in February 1952. The public obituary simply stated that the King had “passed away peacefully in his sleep”.

Read more: Kate Middleton and the history of royal health secrecy

King George V died in 1936 from complications of heart and lung disease. Rather than discuss the king's health, palace officials manipulated the timing of his death to gain more favorable coverage. Diary extracts published 50 years later revealed that the king's personal physician injected the terminally ill monarch with morphine and cocaine to hasten his death – partly so the news could be published in the morning papers “rather than the less appropriate evening papers.”

Charles is keen to be more open than his mother Elizabeth, who, according to Buckingham Palace, suffered from “mobility problems” in the months before her death.

In January, the palace announced that Charles would be undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate at a London hospital. A few weeks later, the king announced that he would step back from public duties while he was treated for an unspecified type of cancer, but these announcements were made in factual press releases from the palace press office.

A new generation of royals

But Kate and William, both 42, belong to a new generation that is more comfortable sharing personal matters on social media.

Kate's video was directed by William Warr, creative director of Detail Films. The company says it combines film production techniques and strategic marketing to create “beautiful branded films.”

“We exist to help brands tell stories that resonate with their audiences,” the company says on its website.

In the video, Kate described how difficult the last nine months had been for her family and expressed her “relief” at the end of her treatment.

“Life as you know it can change in an instant and we had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and the unknown path,” she said in the video, which was shot in a wooded area near the family's summer home in Norfolk.

Read more: Kate Middleton is receiving preventive chemotherapy. This is it

Some see the film as a reflection of a family sticking together in a crisis – as many people do when faced with illness – and sharing their thoughts with others.

“It's a love story,” former BBC royal correspondent Michael Cole told TalkTV. “You see it here. You see what it means to a family.”

Mark Borkowski, a public relations and crisis consultant, described the film as “a tectonic shift in the way the royal family controls its image.”

“Kate's journey is profound and deeply personal, but they've learned that emotions can be controlled – and weaponized – in small, effective doses,” he said. “By doing this in a polished film, they maintain dignity and control while still coming across as relatable.”

It is the age of social media

That the royal family needs new techniques to keep their stories under control in the age of TikTok and Instagram became clear after palace officials announced in January that Kate would be hospitalized for abdominal surgery. While the palace released few details about her condition, social media was abuzz with speculation about what was really going on as Kate retreated from the public eye to focus on her recovery.

When the princess announced two months later that she had cancer, she addressed the public directly in a somber video, asking for “time, space and privacy” for the duration of her treatment.

In June, Kate posted a video update in which she said she had had good days and bad days.

While the princess has withdrawn from most public duties during her treatment, Kate has made two appearances this year, first during the King's birthday parade in June, known as Trooping the Colour, and most recently during the men's final at Wimbledon in July, where she received a standing ovation.

After completing her chemotherapy, Kate plans to slowly return to her public duties and make “a few more public appearances” in the coming months.

But Kate said in her video that the road to full recovery will be long and that she will “take each day as it comes.”

“William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn a lot of strength from all those helping us during this time,” she said. “We have been truly impressed by the kindness, compassion and empathy shown by everyone.”

The video is part of the king's efforts to increase the openness of the royal family while gaining support for the monarchy, Gross said.

“It's a company. It's the whole company together,” he said. “And I think it really aligns with the feeling that we're being as open as possible while still maintaining that natural sense of privacy that you need in these things.”