Daily Mail op-ed calls for British royal family to be forthcoming about health scares

Amid situations in which two major royals, namely King Charles and Princess Kate, have had serious health problems in recent months, a Daily Mail writer wrote an op-ed Thursday urging the royal family to be transparent about where things stand.

The first part of the piece pointed out that the internet and social media have rendered the idea of privacy almost obsolete.

The more they try to hide what's going on, the more people will speculate and spread rumors, writer A.N. Wilson said.

"The only way to stop this kind of frenzy in our ugly social media age is, I am afraid, for the Palace to come clean about the health of the royals. And I say this as a monarchist who admires both the King and the Princess of Wales," Wilson said.

After all, the royals are supported with taxpayer dollars, the author argued, so people have something of a right to know whether they are seriously ill and what's going on.

If Charles' cancer becomes fatal, after all, William will be king. And if he isn't performing royal duties at the moment in order to take care of his sick wife, taxpayers are entitled to that knowledge.