Princess Kate has released a rare statement amid her months long absence during treatment for cancer—after a tragedy involving an iconic World War II aircraft.
Squadron Leader Mark Long was killed in a crash as he flew a Spitfire fighter plane belonging to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire in England on Sunday. An investigation has been launched.
BBMF preserves wartime aircraft and has six of the last few dozen airworthy Spitfires.
Princess Kate is seen during a visit to the annual Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in England on July 14, 2023. She has released a statement after a pilot was killed in a Spitfire crash…
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Prince William is Honorary Air Commodore of the base and the couple paid their respects to Long on X, formerly Twitter: “Incredibly sad to hear of the news this afternoon from RAF Coningsby.
“Our thoughts this evening are with the pilot’s loved ones, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and the wider RAF family. W & C”
It was a rare public statement from Princess Catherine, who has been off work since abdominal surgery in January after which she was later diagnosed with cancer.
Incredibly sad to hear of the news this afternoon from RAF Coningsby. Our thoughts this evening are with the pilot’s loved ones, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and the wider RAF family. W & C
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) May 25, 2024
A major report was released by Kensington Palace on one of her biggest projects, her work on early childhood, on May 20 though she did not give a statement to accompany the press release.
Aides stressed at the time that she had not yet been cleared to return to work by doctors. It is therefore noteworthy that she was included on the post paying tribute to Long.
The princess was the subject of wild speculation on social media in February and March as part of a trend for asking “where is Kate Middleton?”
However, her announcement on March 22 that she had begun chemotherapy for cancer stopped the rumor mill in its tracks.
The newfound online respect for Kate’s privacy around her health has mostly been holding since then, though it is clear careful decisions are being taken about when she should comment and when not.
Kate has put her name to another social media post since her announcement after a series of stabbings at Westfield shopping center in Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, in April.
“We are shocked and saddened by the terrible events in Sydney earlier today. Our thoughts are with all those affected, including the loved ones of those lost and the heroic emergency responders who risked their own lives to save others. W & C,” the couple’s post on X read at the time.
William could easily have responded alone to the tragedy at RAF Coningsby as he is the one who has the role of Honorary Air Commodore at the base.
However, clearly Kate felt she wanted to support him and also pay her respects to a family in grief.
Quoted in The Guardian, Group Captain Robbie Lees, Commander, Display Air Wing, said: “It is with great sorrow that I must confirm the death of Sqn Ldr Mark Long.
“Mark was a Typhoon pilot here at RAF Coningsby and for the last four years he has been a pilot with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight [BBMF]. A great friend, colleague, and a passionate, professional aviator, he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
“An investigation into the cause of this tragic event has now begun.”
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek’s The Royals Facebook page.
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