Let's admit it. The British royals have always weaponsed secrecy.  It used to add to their charm. But not in the internet age.

Kate's absence fits into a long and evolving history of how royals have chosen to handle health issues or other personal issues.

Perhaps most famously, in the 1950s the British public was not told when King George VI had lung cancer. In 1951, he had his left lung removed because of what was vaguely described as “structural abnormalities," and cancer was not mentioned in his death announcement.

Occasionally, past generations would be more open about less significant problems. Once in 1982, when Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother had to visit the hospital after nearly choking to death on a fishbone, she issued a statement to the press, joking, “It was only the salmon getting its own back."

“The fishbone is quite revealing because they tended to be more open about minor instances,” Gareth Russell, a historian and author who focuses on the British royal family recently told the Time magazine

“Britain was a much more reserved society in the 20th century, and in families across the land and across the social spectrum, cancer or fatal illnesses often weren't discussed.”

Kate and William’s approach has proved to be starkly different, as they’ve addressed private matters with far more candor, to be fair to the young people.

Neither Kate or William have shied away in the past from speaking out about health matters. Prince William has spoken extensively about the importance of mental health, and Kate spoke about the difficult morning sickness she faced during her pregnancies. She also revealed her postpartum baby bump in photos hours after giving birth to her son, Prince George.

About the picture: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth sit with Princesses Margaret Rose and Elizabeth in their box in London’s Palladium Theater, on Nov. 13, 1950.