Whether you're browsing social media, chatting at work or meeting friends, right now, conversation always seems to turn to the Princess of Wales and where exactly she is.
The official line from the palace is that Princess Kate underwent abdominal surgery and is in recovery, with no public appearances expected until Easter – which is now just a week away. Given that this explanation is entirely plausible, why has the world gone into such a frenzy about where the royal is?
HELLO! spoke to psychotherapist Tasha Bailey about why we're all so fascinated about Princess Kate's whereabouts.
1. We love conspiracy theories
“As human beings, we are uncomfortable with the feeling of uncertainty," Tasha explains. "Motivated by our intrigue and need-to-know, we lean into playing detective by creating fictional, sometimes outlandish narratives to fill in the blanks.
"This can be really enjoyable as it taps into our childlike need for playfulness and can also make our world feel less chaotic as compared the conspiracy theory we’ve created about others – such as Princess Kate."
2. Our fondness for the royal family
“The Royal Family is a family that none of us know directly, but we know the most about," says Tasha. "We’ve seen interpretations of their family history in the news, read the autobiographies and even watched the drama play out on Netflix. This can sometimes leave us with an entitlement that we deserve to know more about the ins and outs of their narrative. Because we know so much about them, whether we want to or not, many of us might be feeling concern or at least curiosity about Princess Kate and her whereabouts.”
3. We love seeing secrets unravel
“We each have a shadow self, the parts of ourselves that we hide from others, and this includes the royal family," says Tasha.
"As much as we hide our own shadow, we relish in learning and seeing the secrets that other people might be keeping. As the communication from the press has been so elusive and inconsistent, it gives the impression that there is something to hide that we need to discover. As our brains typically seek novelty and new information, it can be fascinating to focus on what we think royals might be hiding in their shadows."
INSIDE: Meghan Markle and Princess Kate's approaches to recovery couldn't be more different
4. Perfection vs. Reality
“Whether we believe that Princess Kate is recovering from surgery or something else is afoot, it reminds us that the royal family deals with normal, human challenges just like everyone else," Tasha laments.
5. Projection of our own fantasies
"Many of the thoughts on social media allude to people believing that Princess Kate has run away to live her best life. This is most likely a projection from people and their own wants and desires, to hide, run away or escape to their dream life."
With Easter just one week away, we're hoping to see Princess Kate out and about on Easter Sunday, putting paid to all the rumours.
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