The courage of Princess Catherine "You are„, not alone"

It was a rare personal address that she shouldn’t have had to make. But with conspiracy theories swirling and the slimmed-down “Firm” under fire, Princess Catherine silenced critics with searing courage and dignity.

- JULIET RIEDEN

 t was just two minutes and 15 seconds long, but in that time, the Princess of Wales cut through the noise – and there was a lot – to reach into hearts around the world with a

video address that will surely go into the annals of royal history. She was poised and calm. Those carefully chosen sentences were poignant, expressive and powerful.

These were Catherine’s own words – not from a speechwriter, private secretary or media adviser. She wanted to talk to her public directly, unfiltered, without any hint of spin-doctoring. And what she said touched on every aspect of her persona – public figure, working mother, wife and an active young woman shocked to be going through preventative cancer treatment.

The princess wasn’t inside a palace or castle, but sitting alone on a simple bench, a field of yellow daffodils behind her, the hopeful signs of an English spring and also the flower associated with cancer charities – surely not a coincidence.

Looking straight into the camera, Catherine showed us what dignity and courage looks like. She was gentle, honest and a little shaken but full of purpose. From what she said, the Wales family was still processing the news and, most of all, Catherine was in mother-bear mode, eager to protect her three children from the anxiety of her health issues and – of course – from the media storm.