Colbert acknowledges backlash to Princess Kate jokes, but doesn’t apologize

After Kate, the Princess of Wales, revealed her cancer diagnosis last week, late-night host Stephen Colbert acknowledged on his show Monday night that some of his jokes about the British royal have rubbed viewers the wrong way, though he stopped short of issuing an apology.

“You know folks, I don’t know if you have noticed, but we do a lot of shows. And I tell a lot of jokes,” Colbert said on “The Late Show.” “And I tell jokes about a lot of different things, mostly what everybody’s talking about. And for the last six weeks to two months, everybody has been talking about the mystery of Kate Middleton’s disappearance from the public life.”

“And two weeks ago, we did some jokes about that mystery and all the … reporting about that,” he continued. “And, when I made those jokes, that upset some people. And — even before her diagnosis was revealed — and I can understand that. I mean, a lot of my jokes have upset people in the past. And I’m sure, some of my jokes will upset people in the future.”

“But there’s a standard that I try to hold myself to, and that is I do not make light of somebody else’s tragedy,” Colbert said, adding that he’s sure “the future queen of England” is getting the “best possible medical care.”

Earlier this month, Colbert talked about Kate’s recent retreat from public life in a monologue on his show, stating that “internet sleuths are guessing that Kate’s absence may be related to her husband and the future king of England, William, having an affair.”

Last Friday, Kate revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer, stating in a video that “It’s been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family.” 

Colbert said Monday he is “sure they don’t need it from me: I and everyone here at ‘The Late Show’ would like to extend our well wishes, and heartfelt hope that her recovery is swift and thorough.”