Actress Keira Knightly has criticized Prince William’s wife, the Duchess Kate  in an essay, “The Weaker Sex”, which Knightley wrote and which was published in a book, “Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (And Other Lies)”.

Keira seems quite angry with Kate over the fact that the latter appeared in public looking little the worse for wear after giving birth to her and Prince William’s three children. Somehow Knightley seems to believe this was an affront to women in general because the Duchess didn’t appear as though she’d been handcuffed and chained to the bumper of a London bus and dragged for a mile.

Women have differing experiences regarding the trauma of childbirth. At best it is an extremely painful and messy affair. Apparently Keira was completely unaware of the fact that the experience wouldn’t exactly  be a glittery, champagne sipping, opening night, pregnancy wrap party.

In her essay, Knightly wrote of her experience with obvious anger and indignation. “My vagina split. You came out with your eyes open. Arms up in the air. Screaming.” “They put you on me, covered in blood, vernix, your head misshapen from the birth canal. Pulsating, gasping, screaming.” “You latched on to my breast immediately, hungrily, I remember the pain. The mouth clenched tight around my nipple, light sucking on and sucking out. I remember the s***, the vomit, the blood, the stitches. I remember the battleground and life pulsating. Surviving. And I am the weaker sex? You are?”

I’m not sure why Keira Knightley doesn’t recognize the pressure put on royals to appear their best in public and appreciate whatever effort Kate might have had to put into appearing so well so soon after giving birth. I also don’t understand why Keira doesn’t see how Kate being able to do so showed her extraordinary strength, rather than she seeming subservient.

I wonder if Ms. Knightley suffers from post partum depression…or is it simple envy of a woman so much stronger than she? In any event, Keira Knightley would do well to forego having more children and focus on steeling herself for the future trauma of raising a teenager.

Keira’s husband, James Righton, owes Kate a note of apology and thanks for taking some of the heat. It seems Keira, herself, doesn’t feel any complicity.