After Prince William pulled out of attending a huge royal event due to a ‘personal matter’, many suspected it was due to his wife Kate’s health following abdominal surgery
Prince William’s one decision set wild conspiracy theories about Kate spiralling.
William pulled out of the memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece, at Windsor Castle on February 27, where he was due to give a reading. He sighted a ‘personal matter’ as the reason for his absence and called the Greek royal family to let them know personally.
Kensington Palace did not elaborate on William’s non-attendance but it was understood to not be in relation to Kate’s continued recovery from abdominal surgery in January. Amid speculation about her whereabouts and health, a source said at the time: “The Princess of Wales continues to be doing well.”
As the mystery over William’s absence continued to spread, several started to share their own theories about ‘where Kate is’ on social media. Then in a rare statement on February 29, a royal spokesperson said: “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands.”
The vacuum left by Kate removing herself from public life sent online sleuths into overdrive and began to spiral. Apparently frustrated by the lack of updates, a number of wacky theories then emerged. One particularly bizarre theory suggested the princess was in Miami recuperating from a Brazilian butt lift, and another joked that she had found work at the unimpressed Willy Wonka Chocolate Experience in Glasgow.
Another theory suggested Kate is Banksy, while yet another said she had donated a kidney to the King. One X user joked: “The Kate Middleton reveal on Masked Singer is going to make all of us look silly.” But light-hearted conspiracy theories soon turned sour after Kate’s photo on Mother’s Day stirred claims of Photoshop editing.
The senior royal surprisingly held her hands up and admitted to manipulating the photo. Kate issued an apology to clear up ‘any confusion’ and confessed to experimenting with ‘editing’. Outlandish rumours spiralled on social media and #WhereIsKate and Kate-gate began trending online – which escalated even more after she was spotted in Windsor with William.
Footage of Kate and William at Windsor Farm Shop on March 16 sparked controversy when wild conspiracy theorists claimed Kate had been replaced by a body double, due to the blurred video and alleged changes in her appearance. In less than 24 hours, the false claims had racked up more than 12 million views on site X and more than 11 million on TikTok.
But the truth is that the Princess is still recovering from abdominal surgery. As Kensington Palace said in January, Kate is at home in Windsor to ‘continue her recovery’. The official statement said: “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
