Princess Kate’s uncle Gary Goldsmith has hit out against wild conspiracy theories online about his niece following the royal’s pre-planned abdominal surgery earlier this year.
Kate spent 13 nights at The London Clinic after undergoing surgery and was discharged on January 29.
Kensington Palace announced she would step back from official duties while she recovered. She has not been seen since Christmas Day, when she was pictured at Sandringham with the wider Royal Family.
Speaking on social media, Gary said conspiracy theorists should “leave her alone right now because there’s a reason why they’re [the Royal Family] are not talking about it”, as reported in the Mirror.
He added: “They are giving her a little bit of space. I just think it’s fundamentally wrong and if it was happening to anybody else they would think to give them some space.”
The businessman, who has currently spent one night in the Celebrity Big Brother House, said “she’s the number one royal for a reason” and hoped the public would give her some space following her surgery.
Gary attended William and Kate’s wedding in London in 2011. He also attended her sister Pippa Middleton’s wedding to James Matthews in Berkshire six years later.
Speaking proudly of Kate, the uncle gushed in an interview just before entering the house that Kate is “most perfectly perfect person”.
However, Gary is at risk of being one of the first to be evicted from the show, according to bookmakers. He insisted he wanted to show the public a different side to him and go far in the competition.
The new series – which follows a six-year Celebrity Big Brother hiatus – has also reunited The X Factor’s Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh.
In Monday’s launch episode, Walsh and Osbourne were tasked with watching their fellow contestants and rating them. The pair nominated three housemates as “in danger” of facing a public vote, based on first impressions.
They chose Gary, David Potts, and Zeze Millz. When asked for their reasoning, Louis replied: “We didn’t like them.”
Meanwhile, PR expert Carla Speight likened Gary’s Big Brother appearance to that of Paul Burrell, the former butler of the late Princess Diana. She said the 58-year-old uncle could make “great television”.
Celebrity Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
