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The recent scandal and media spectacle surrounding the Princess of Wales marks the monarchy's transition from "respected institution" to "Kardashian episode," former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown said.
Kate's position as the basis of widespread conspiracy theories and speculation following her retreat from the public eye to undergo abdominal surgery in January "feels silly and scandalous" thanks to PR mismanagement, Brown said. She added that it's "no wonder" the princess needed a break after the demands placed on her to be the pinnacle of perfection.
Brown, who was friends with the late Princess Diana, discussed Kate and her recent publicity crisis in an interview with LBC radio's Andrew Marr on Tuesday.
It comes as the princess has become the subject of global discussion, connected with conspiracy theories over her health, personal life and whereabouts in the wake of her surgery recovery, spiked again by a disastrous Mother's Day photo release that was later revealed to have been edited by Kate herself.
After video footage of the princess with Prince William during a private shopping trip this month was released by media outlets on Monday, Brown said that coverage of the royal and the monarchy had become feverish.
"It's febrile and it's out of control," she told Marr. "It's conspiracy theories galore."
"Actually [its] a great sort of a final, I think, transition of royalty from being a kind of respected institution to being simply a kind of wild Kardashian episode.
"I definitely think there is a loss of stature that's accrued through all of this, because it all feels silly and scandalous, and there's a real feeling that, you know, the palace is no longer a kind of institution of great renown."
Newsweek reached out to Kensington Palace via email for comment.
Brown described the palace's actions over the past three months as a "total comms disaster" but noted her belief that it was "more cock-up than it is conspiracy."
On Kate herself, the former editor and royal biographer said she could understand the princess' need for space and time, going on to question whether monarchy was too "cruel" a system for the modern age.
"I think it's enormously stressful. No wonder she needs a few months to recuperate," Brown said of Kate.
"If your job is to be perfect all the time, look absolutely radiant all the time, never put a foot wrong, it is so stressful I can't imagine anybody being able to stand it.
"And I do think it sort of rather begs the question, maybe this institution is just too cruel for humans?"
So far, official statements from Kensington Palace about Kate and her surgery recovery have been scarce. At the time of the operation, it was announced that the royal was not expected to return to public duties until "after Easter" upon medical advice.
Therefore, the princess could make a phased return to life in the public eye from March 31; however, no confirmation as to how this will unfold has yet been given.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more