The royals aren’t your average family, but the last few months have been unusual even for them.
Much has been made about Kate Middleton’s absence from public life while recovering from abdominal surgery. But a botched editing job on a family photo shared to social media in hopes of calming down conspiracy theories has only fueled them. The frenzy over Middleton’s health and whereabouts has been dubbed “Katespiracy.”
Here’s what’s been happening across the pond, from the princess’s last public appearance in December through her apology for the Mother’s Day photo snafu:
Dec. 25, 2023: It’s seemingly a typical holiday as Middleton and Prince William attend Christmas Day service with their three children as well as King Charles and Queen Camila at St. Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham, the royal family’s country home in Norfolk, England. Middleton, in a bright blue coat, is all smiles greeting well-wishers along the way.
Jan. 16: Middleton is admitted to the hospital for planned abdominal surgery, the palace announces a day after the fact. The surgery “was successful” but she’ll be hospitalized for 10-14 days and then return home to recover. Her public duties are paused “until after Easter.”
The announcement sparks online speculation over her condition and treatment. Prince William is photographed leaving the London Clinic, where Middleton is recovering. King Charles, in the same hospital for treatment on a benign enlarged prostate, visits his daughter-in-law. (He’s later diagnosed with cancer.)
Jan. 29: Middleton is discharged from the hospital after 13 days and returns home “for a period of private recuperation,” according to the palace.
Feb. 2: A palace source denies Middleton was in a coma after surgery, calling a report from Spanish news program Fiesta “total nonsense” and “totally made-up,” per the Times (U.K.).
Feb. 27: A palace source says Middleton “continues to be doing well” after Prince William cancels plans to attend the memorial of his godfather, citing “a personal matter.”
Feb. 29: The gossip and speculation grows, leading to Middleton’s spokesperson saying in a statement, “We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant.”
March 4: Middleton is photographed for the first time since her surgery, from a great distance, while driving with her mother, Carole Middleton. Conspiracy theories flourish after the grainy photo is published, with some even suggesting the person depicted is a body double.
March 10: For Mother’s Day in the U.K., a cheery photo of Middleton with children George, Charlotte and Louis is posted to the social media pages she shares with Prince William. The hope is that it will calm the noise around her absence from public life.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” the caption states. However, the photo has the opposite effect. There is speculation that the image looks digitally altered. It’s pointed out her hand is blurry, her hair appears changed and part of Charlotte’s sleeve is missing, among other things. One person believes that Middleton’s face was swapped out for a 2016 photo that appeared in Vogue. The photo feeds the frenzy with other reports saying she’s not wearing her wedding ring. The AP and other news outlets pull the handout photo from distribution, saying it appears to have been manipulated.
March 11: Middleton, clearly getting no rest time amid her surgery recovery, issues a statement via the Kensington Palace X account admitting she retouched the photos. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” the statement said. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.” PR experts declare the situation a royal mess.
Later that day, Middleton was photographed alongside Prince William in the back of a car. The palace said she was headed to a “private appointment.”
Meanwhile, the March 31 Easter holiday, the day Middleton is scheduled to return to public life, is fast approaching. Stay tuned to see if that date is kept, and what happens next.
