This month has taken an unexpectedly strange turn, with both King Charles and Kate, the Princess of Wales, admitted to the same London hospital. The royal family now faces its most significant health crisis since the infamous spoiled lobster thermidor incident.
But the strangeness doesn’t end there: why haven’t Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis visited their mother?
It’s been 12 days since the princess underwent abdominal surgery at the London Clinic, marking nearly two weeks since her three young children have seen her. Prince William, after announcing he would focus on parenting during this time, has been seen leaving the hospital in his $268,000 electric Audi, and reports confirm he’s been visiting Kate daily.
Yet, the absence of the children raises questions. Similarly, Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and her siblings, Pippa and James Middleton, have not been publicly noted visiting her either. James, who has openly discussed his struggles with depression, has spoken about Kate’s unwavering support during his therapy sessions.
The lack of visits isn’t about avoiding the media. According to royal editor Rebecca English from the Daily Mail, an agreement ensures no photographers, camera crews, or journalists are stationed outside the hospital, offering Kate and her fellow patients complete privacy.
This means Prince William or the Middletons could bring George, Charlotte, and Louis to visit their mother without facing public scrutiny.
One explanation comes from The Sun, which reported that William and Kate want to maintain a sense of normalcy for their children. This reasoning seems reasonable during the school week, but what about weekends?
Instead of visiting Kate, the children reportedly spent their weekend at their grandparents’ $7 million Bucklebury estate, enjoying time with Carole and Michael Middleton. While a loving grandparent’s care is undoubtedly comforting, is it really a substitute for a mother’s hug?
Adelaide Cottage, the family’s home, is only a 45-minute drive from the hospital. Logistically, a visit would not pose significant challenges.
This situation becomes even more puzzling when viewed against the broader image of the Waleses as hands-on, devoted parents. William and Kate are known for prioritizing family time, even structuring their schedules around their children’s school holidays.
A royal aide recently told The Sunday Times that their new motto is “100 per cent family first, day job second.” But does that align with their children not visiting their mother during her recovery?
Yes, hospitals can be intimidating, especially for young children. But seeing their mother in person, offering hugs, and witnessing her recovery firsthand could provide far more reassurance than absence.
The argument that royals rarely visit each other in hospital doesn’t hold much weight here. These conventions are shifting, as shown by King Charles making a direct visit to Kate’s hospital room upon his arrival and Queen Camilla visiting her husband three times within 24 hours.
At a time when stability and togetherness are most needed within the royal family, things feel far from normal. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider these traditions and prioritize connection over protocol. In the meantime, some sage, crystals, and maybe even a royal shaman might not go amiss to dispel whatever strange energy seems to be lingering over Buckingham Palace.
I’m 18 and obsessed with using sunbeds… but people online are saying I look “burnt to a crisp.”
Megan Blain, an 18-year-old who’s hooked on sunbeds, says she won’t stop tanning, even though online trolls are constantly insulting her. They’ve compared her skin to a “dirty 2p coin,” but she feels stuck in a tanning habit she can’t break.
Megan, from Seaham, County Durham, started using sunbeds at 16 to keep a tan all year. She ditched fake tan products for daily sunbed sessions and even began using tanning injections to get a darker glow. Although she didn’t know much about the risks, she spent up to 30 minutes on sunbeds, sometimes using baby oil to boost the effect.
Teenager Megan Blain, 18, has admitted to being addicted to sunbeds, despite facing harsh criticism online and noticing concerning changes to her skin
Megan said, “I liked how I looked with a tan. I wear bright colors, and the tan made them stand out more. Once I saw how good it looked, I started going to the sunbeds more often.”
But her intense tanning routine has raised health concerns. Megan now admits she’s addicted and has tried to cut back on sunbed use.
She also says the tanning injections make her feel sick, and she’s noticed a strange patch on her skin that changes size. Even though she’s scared it could be cancer, she hasn’t stopped tanning yet. Megan has tried to go to the doctor several times but gets too nervous to go inside.
“I’m the type of person who worries about everything, so it’s strange that I’m not more worried about this patch. I know it could be melanoma, but I still use sunbeds, which shows it’s an addiction. I never feel dark enough,” she explained.
She says she’s stuck in a cycle of overusing sunbeds and taking injections that make her feel sick and unable to eat. She used to go every day, but now she goes about four times a week.
Despite getting negative attention from strangers, with some saying she looks like a “burnt chip” or a “cremated” version of herself, Megan still can’t imagine life without tanning beds.
Megan said, “Everywhere I go, people stare at me. When they say I’m dark, I don’t believe them. I don’t feel dark at all, like I can’t see it myself.”
She admits she wants to stop using sunbeds one day, but she can’t imagine quitting. “I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone because you could get addicted without even realizing it, like I did,” she warned.
Megan has tried to cut down, now only using sunbeds four times a week, and she’s using her TikTok platform to warn younger people about the dangers of sunbed addiction. She’s especially worried because more young people seem to be using sunbeds than older ones, and she knows how easy it is to get hooked.
However, Megan has also faced online trolls who make fun of her tan. Some compare her to “burnt chips” or say her skin looks like a dirty “2p coin.” One person even asked if the sunbeds “cremated” her.
While Megan’s views on tanning have changed, she still struggles to break her habit of using UV lights.
Megan said, “After two years, I’ve changed my mind about sunbeds. If I could go back, I’d never start. Now, it’s not even about wanting to be tan anymore—I just feel like I have to use them.”
She explained that once she’s on the sunbed, it’s hard to turn it off. “I don’t even like using them anymore, I actually dread it, but I feel like I physically can’t stop.”
Another tanning addict, Fionnghuala Maguire, 35, from Belfast, shared her story, saying she feels “lucky to be alive” after using sunbeds almost every day for 15 years. She started at 14 and never used sunscreen during that time. Fionnghuala is now warning others not to make the same mistake, having been hooked on tanning and going to salons up to seven days a week at the height of her addiction.
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