42-year-old Kate Middleton it had to grace thousands of covers and headlines until it reached a point where it would not be criticized, but admired by the public. When she revealed that she is undergoing preventive chemotherapy to stop the cancer she is suffering from, the shock was not hers, but of all the media and anonymous – and not only – people on social media who made jokes about her health here and two months.

Before she became known to half the world, first as the Duchess of Cambridge, then as the Princess of Wales and always as the wife of the heir to the throne, William, she managed to climb Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps and the highest in Western Europe, along with her father, Michael Middleton. He came from a very athletic family, which did not shy away from challenges.

“Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this mountain with you”Middleton’s brother James William Middleton wrote on his Instagram account, along with an old photo of the two, showing them as two smiling children still in nature.

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As soon as her flirtation with the eldest son of Charles and Diana became known, the British press accused Kate of “social climbing”. She and her sister, Pippa, were referred to as the ‘Wisteria’ sisters, with sexist overtones that still characterize British tabloids to this day. This was referring to a plant, which is popular on the facades of London houses: it is beautiful and decorative, has a strong aroma and climbs quickly, the joke goes.

Kate Middleton

There was also the nickname Waity Katie, to mock the young woman who was desperately waiting for Prince William to decide to propose. They called her a “common mortal” and mocked her nervousness in public, her shrill voice and boring dress. After years of Lady Di being the role model, such a conservative, conventional and undefined character was unpopular. Despite the fact that these characteristics were precisely those most admired in the late Elizabeth II.

Even the series “The Crown” (Netflix) latched onto the theory that Carole Middleton had carefully shaped her daughters’ social path to the top. She is credited with the decision to withdraw Kate from Edinburgh University, when she had only spent a year there, and send her to St Andrews, where Prince William had just enrolled and where their courtship eventually arose or ‘succeeded’.

On April 29, 2011, the wedding took place in Westminster Abbey. Since then, Middleton has not taken a single wrong step, at least in the eyes of that part of conservative and traditional British society that wants a monarchy with all its conventions. She is a devoted mother – the couple has three children – and supports her husband unconditionally. She was devoted to Elizabeth II and now follows her father-in-law, King Charles III. In other words, she possesses all the attributes required of a future queen.

Kate Middleton

The Windsors have always known that a smile is a far more effective communication weapon than any public statement, and Kate never stopped smiling.

When she confessed to author Giovanna Fletcher that she felt “slightly intimidated” when she introduced newborn Prince George to the media in 2013 from the steps of the hospital – a tradition that only Meghan Markle chose to “break” – Kate followed the rule that worked so well for her mother-in-law Elizabeth II: obligations always come before needs. “Being able to share that joy and appreciation with the public, I thought was very important”, Kate Middleton explained.

In recent days, the Princess of Wales has discovered that the public is “satisfied” when it comes to news. He doesn’t just want the joys, he wants the sadness too. Despite her initial resistance and her desire to protect her three children, Kate chose to reveal her health condition and her own anguish to the world. And in doing so, she climbed back to the top that took her so much effort to conquer: the only place where she can feel protected.