[ad_1]
Catherine, Princess of Wales, is aware of the media frenzy and even some of the conspiracy theories that have surrounded her in recent days, according to the British ministry. Sunday weather newspaper, which cited anonymous “friends” in a new story over the weekend.
The former Kate Middleton, 42, has generally remained out of the public eye since she acknowledged that a family portrait she posted on March 10 had been digitally altered. Video that circulated on March 18 appeared to show Kate and Prince William at a market over the weekend.
In the footage, posted by Sun and TMZ – the princess was apparently all smiles, black leggings and a sweatshirt as the royal couple carried their shopping bags. Kensington Palace declined to comment on the video.
Kate had been taking a long break from public appearances while recovering from planned abdominal surgery in January, according to Kensington Palace.
Notably, the former Kate Middleton was absent from this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in Aldershot, England, an event she attended in previous years.
Meanwhile, her husband has been carrying out solo royal engagements, including a recent visit to a youth center and an appearance at the Diana Legacy Awards on March 14.
Despite his commitments, the Welsh family “bubble” remains the prince’s top priority, sources close to William told The Sunday Times.
Sunday Times royal editor Roya Nikkhah, who authored the story, wrote that friends of William and Kate said “the couple hoped and hoped that that request would be honored for the duration of their recovery.”
On TODAY on March 18, Nikkhah said of the couple: “As parents of three young children, who are not immune to hearing some of the things that are circulating in the media and on social media, I think they find it very difficult.”
The newspaper also suggested that the princess would not be seen in public again until mid-April, which would be after the children’s Easter school holidays.
Nikkhah told TODAY: “In terms of resuming public duties, that definitely won’t be until the children return from their school holidays, and that will be on April 17.”
Earlier this year, Kensington Palace said in a statement to NBC News that Kate was “unlikely to return to her public duties until after Easter.”
What type of surgery did Kate Middleton undergo?
The princess had abdominal surgery planned on January 16 and was “fine,” a royal spokesperson told NBC News in February.
The palace has not shared any details about the nature of her surgery, but a royal spokesperson confirmed that the condition that led to the procedure was not cancerous.
The princess spent 13 days in a London hospital before returning home to continue her recovery. Kensington Palace said in a Jan. 29 statement statement that Kate was making “good progress.”
“The Prince and Princess would like to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care provided,” the statement continued. “The Welsh family remains grateful for the good wishes they have received from around the world.”
Where is Kate Middleton?
Kate’s prolonged absence from the public eye has sparked unsubstantiated online rumors about her health and whereabouts.
On February 29, Kensington Palace reminded the public that the princess’s long break from public royal duties had been previously planned and announced.
“Kensington Palace made the timeline for the princess’s recovery clear in January and we would only provide meaningful updates,” a spokesperson for the princess said in a statement to NBC News. “That guidance remains in place.”
However, that didn’t stop rumors from circulating online. In recent months, unfounded conspiracy theories have gained traction on social media claiming that Kate is missing or that she underwent a secret cosmetic procedure.
Online speculation about the princess accelerated in early March after she posted a UK Mother’s Day photo of herself and her children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8 , and Prince Louis, 5.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the past two months.” the caption of the photo said in the post shared on William and Kate’s official social media page. “I wish you all a happy Mother’s Day.”
Not long after the portrait was published, several major photo agencies issued “takedown notices” for the image because it appeared to have been digitally manipulated.
NBC News reported in March that the photo was probably not created using AI but was probably edited in a program like Photoshop. Professional photographs often receive editing treatment with effect adjustments such as brightness and color contrast. Because the actual photograph had been manipulated in multiple ways, it violated the policies of many news services. The Associated Press provided an example of how the photograph violated its standards in a statement to NBC News on March 10, saying, in part, “It appears that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photographic standards.” . “It shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”
Kate then appeared to personally address the photo editing controversy in a social media post.
“Like many amateur photographers, I experiment with editing from time to time,” reads a March 11 message on official account of the Prince and Princess of Wales. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion caused by the family photograph we shared yesterday. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”
What happened to Kate Middleton?
According to Kensington Palace, the princess has stepped away from public duties for a few months, as planned, to recover from abdominal surgery.
While she hasn’t made any real public appearances since December, she has been seen in a few unofficial photos since her surgery.
On March 4, a photographer took photos that appeared to show Kate traveling in a van driven by her mother, Carole Middleton, near Windsor Castle.
The following week, a new photo emerged showing William and Kate traveling together in the back of a Range Rover. Kensington Palace told NBC News that in this photo, the prince and princess were heading on a “private date.”
The Range Rover photo appeared just hours after Kate apologized for the “confusion” over her recent family portrait, and before long, rumors surfaced online that the photo of Kate and William had also been digitally manipulated.
The agency that took the photo of the Range Rover, Goff Photos, denied this in a March 12 statement, saying the photo had not been digitally altered beyond minor cosmetic touch-ups.
The agency said in a statement that “images of the Prince and Princess of Wales in the back of the Range Rover have been cropped and brightened,” but that “nothing has been manipulated!”
Still, baseless conspiracy theories about the princess’s current situation continue to circulate online.