Kate Middleton’s recent absence from the public eye since her abdominal surgery back in December, 2023 has sparked a flurry of theories and conspiracy theories online.
“The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress,” Kensington Palace said in a statement on January.
The princess was last seen in public at a Christmas Day church service in December 2023, until TMZ spotted the Princess of Wales in an SUV near Windsor Castle last week, and her lack of public appearances has been telling various issues relating to his whereabouts and well-being.
That fascination intensified when several news organizations altered the images Kate published, covering them with a digital transformation. Kensington Palace later confirmed that the portrait had been altered, adding to the growing talk of his absence.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.,” she wrote in an X (formerly Twitter) Story.
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Timeline of Kate’s ‘disappearance’
In January, the palace announced that the princess had undergone a planned abdominal surgery and was expected to spend two weeks in hospital before returning home to rest from official duties until after Easter.
“The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided. The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world,” the Palace sent their regards.
Prince William was not seen in the hospitals during this relief, arousing public curiosity and concern about their relationship. Where many speculated the royal pain may have filed for divorce.
Despite assurances from the Palace of his progress and appreciation of the care provided by The London Clinic, his lack of public appearances drew widespread media attention, with conspiracy theories spreading on social media These range from the logical to the bizarre
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On February 29, the palace addressed the allegations, repeating the previously stated timetable for the princess’ recovery and insisting that only necessary additional information be provided to dispel rumours, but the mystery surrounding her disappearance continued.
On March 4, some US publication published a grainy picture of a Princess-like figure in an SUV near Windsor Castle. Although this is the first sighting in more than two months, many British media outlets have chosen not to publish paparazzi shots out of respect for his privacy during his recovery.
Kate stirred the internet with ‘edited’ family image
Kate broke her silence on Mother’s Day with a photo surrounded by her children, released by Kensington Palace. In the attached Instagram post, she adorned her family photo which was edited by using a photo from Kate’s 2016 Vogue photoshoot.
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As the palace tried to maintain a sense of normalcy and comfort, the Princess of Wales who was sorely absent, left the publish the paparazzi shots out of respect for her privacy during her recovery.
The princess broke her silence on Mother’s Day with a photograph of herself surrounded by her children, which Kensington Palace released. In the attached Instagram Story, she edited her family picture with a 2016’s Vogue cover.
