White House Wishes Princess Kate ‘Speedy Recovery’

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The White House on Wednesday wished British Princess Catherine of Wales a speedy recovery and said it would respect her privacy after a doctored royal photograph sparked a torrent of speculation about her well-being.

"I have not spoken to the president about Kate Middleton," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters traveling with US President Joe Biden on a campaign trip when asked about the controversy. .

"We certainly wish her a speedy recovery. She has asked for privacy, her family has asked for privacy and we are certainly going to respect that," Jean-Pierre added aboard Air Force One.

The princess, widely known in the United States by her maiden name, Kate Middleton, is the latest in a long line of British royals who have inspired breathless fascination across the Atlantic.

The American media is avidly following the "Kategate" controversy, with late-night talk shows even speculating about the status of her marriage to heir to the throne, Prince William.

Kate, 42, has not been seen since undergoing abdominal surgery in January, and her apology this week for editing a palace-issued photograph of her with her three children simply fueled speculation about her health and whereabouts. .

The doctored image was removed by news agencies, including AFP.

Jean-Pierre briefly addressed the issue Tuesday in a light-hearted exchange with a reporter who asked whether the White House ever digitally altered photographs of the president.

"Are you comparing us to...what's happening in the UK? Why does the monarch have anything to do with us?" he said at a briefing.

"No, that's not something we do here."

In the past, British royalty have often been used to add a touch of pomp and glamor to links between the White House and Downing Street.

Biden met with Prince William and Princess Catherine in Boston in 2022.

Meanwhile, William's estranged brother, Harry, is married to an American, Meghan, making his eldest son, Archie, the highest-ranking American citizen in the line of succession to the British throne.

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