Why a New Video of Kate Middleton Isn’t Quelling Concerns
Footage of Kate Middleton shopping has emerged amid a sea of rumors and speculation about her health and marriage.
March 19, 2024 8:34 AM EDT

As speculating royal observers watch hawkeyed for updates on Kate Middleton’s health and whereabouts, a new video of the royal has reportedly emerged. 

The clip was filmed by a member of the British public and published by tabloids TMZ and The Sun, and shows the 42-year-old Princess of Wales with Prince William at a farm shop in Windsor. The couple is seen wearing casual clothing while walking outside with shopping bags.

The Sun reported that the video footage was captured on Saturday, and TMZ says it verified the video from meta data. 

But the footage has not been enough to satiate spiraling questions about the princess’ health and marriage, in part because Kensington Palace remains tight-lipped and has not addressed the video.

Kensington Palace did not immediately respond to TIME’s request for comment.  

No other video footage of the Princess of Wales has been released since her December Christmas festivities. The Princess of Wales has taken a break from royal duties to recover from “planned abdominal surgery” undertaken in January, with the aim of returning to work around the Easter period. The Palace said the princess was discharged on Jan. 29, and is doing well.

Read More: An Updated Timeline of Recent Events Involving Kate Middleton and the Royal Family

Very few images of Kate have emerged, and they have been met with controversy. The first was a grainy paparazzi shot of her in a car with her mother Carole Middleton published by TMZ on March. 4. Most British news outlets did not publish the image citing privacy concerns.

The second was a Mother’s Day photo showing Kate with her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Last week, royals author Tina Brown appeared on CBS Mornings to weigh in on her public absence. Brown told hosts she believes the image was a “jigsaw” of multiple other images.

“The strangest thing about it is that Kate is so punctilious about her own image… so the mess of this picture is a curious thing,” Brown said.

By the evening of March 10, major news agencies such as the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse (AFP) issued kill notices on the image so it would not be published via their platforms. AFP later removed Kensington palace as a “trusted source” and said it would review past images.

The Palace was quick to issue a statement from the Princess of Wales the next day, apologizing for any confusion caused by the family photo. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she wrote on X.

Hours later, the Daily Mail published images that appeared to show a shadowed and small part of Kate’s side profile leaving Windsor Castle in a car with Prince William.

Adding fuel to the fire, the U.K. army took down an event that advertised the Princess of Wales would be in attendance on June 8. Tickets were on sale for the annual Trooping the Colour parade, but the event was reportedly advertised without confirmation from the Palace.

Given the secrecy from Kensington Palace, many Brits seem unwilling to put the matter to rest before hearing directly from the royal herself.

Read More: The Royal Family Has a Trust Problem

During Brown’s CBS appearance, the royal watcher also said Kensington Palace could end the speculation very easily with a small appearance or gesture, as Queen Elizabeth II had previously done during her health issues. “All she needs to do is wave from a car window,” Brown said.

The intrigue has also spurred misinformation and disinformation about other working royals. On Monday, Russian media spread false news that King Charles had died. Leading media outlets in Ukraine and Tajikistan also subsequently reported the false claim.

Social media users are now circulating an unsubstantiated claim that the Royal Family has told the BBC to be on-alert for an announcement.

https://time.com/6958318/kate-middleton-farm-shop-windsor/
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