William and Kate BUSTED by the Associated Press! - Part 2

Can't they just wheel her onto the balcony for five minutes, to prove she's alive and limit the speculation to the nature of the surgery only? I feel like they're unnecessarily adding fuel to the fire by pulling this Weekend at Bernie's shit.

R1 The Queen could when she was 90-something and close to death. Kate can't do that while she can sit in a car. Very strange.

R1, didn’t they do that with the pope? If the pope can do it, so can Kate!

Seriously, makes me wonder if there isn’t something mentally going on. I’m all for Kate doing what she feels comfortable doing, but it just invites rampant speculation and rumors when there’s silence.

The cloning process hasn't been finished yet.

I don't understand what all the fuss is about!

How is any of this relevant to your life?

(I figured I'd post these comments now, get them out of the way and save others the effort)

Lol R5.

That's for the diehard KGs, who still insist that there's "nothing to see here!"

Hmmmm. Colbert's theory is William is having an affair and this is Kate's way of getting back at him.

Meanwhile, King Charles is out and about taking photos with the Commonwealth Secretary General.

He looks pale, and a bit gaunt.

But at least he's making appearances.

[quote] King Charles is busy with work behind the scenes while receiving cancer treatment.

On Wednesday afternoon, the King, 75, received Baroness Scotland of Asthal, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, at Buckingham Palace. King Charles was photographed smiling and sharing a handshake with the diplomat during the private meeting.

According to the Court Circular, King Charles also held a council and several audiences, including with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, though those meetings were not caught on camera.

Baroness Scotland heads the Commonwealth Secretariat, the main intergovernmental agency of the global network of 56 countries united by the crown, and joined Queen Camilla, Prince William and other members of the royal family at the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on Monday. The King did not attend the event with 2,000 guests as he refrains from public-facing duties, in accordance with the Feb. 5 announcement from Buckingham Palace about his cancer diagnosis.

The monarch still addressed the Commonwealth Day congregation through a pre-recorded video, where he expressed thanks for all the well-wishes about his health and vowed to serve “to the best of my ability.” The service celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth — the family of nations mostly linked to the U.K. through the British Empire. Beyond the United Kingdom, Charles is King of 14 of the nations, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

There was a hiccup with the release of the remarks, however, as it was accidentally linked to the personal YouTube account of the Palace's Head of Digital Engagement, Emma Goodey. Courtiers quickly fixed the mistake.

Queen Camilla, 76, has been a steady presence while King Charles has been outside of the public eye and attended the Commonwealth Day reception that Baroness Scotland hosted in London on Monday night.

While King Charles was undertaking meetings at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, Queen Camilla stepped out at the Cheltenham Festival for a day of horse racing. Other royal family members in attendance at the event included Princess Anne, Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall.

A source close to the royal household says the King is "coping well" with his cancer treatment, but there’s still growing concern about his health. The monarch has not disclosed his specific diagnosis, which Buckingham Palace announced following his treatment for benign prostate enlargement in January, though a spokesman confirmed it is not prostate cancer.

"Everybody feels unsettled by uncertainty, and there is too much uncertainty that is surrounding the monarchy right now," royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith tells PEOPLE. "Queen Elizabeth used to say, 'I need to be seen to be believed.' It is important for Charles and his reign for the public to know a little bit more."

Bedell Smith also says, "Even though he has revealed that he has a form of cancer, that has done nothing to quell the speculation about how seriously ill he may or may not be. That is not doing the monarchy any favors. He is the head of state, and there are constitutional implications.”

I can’t believe Charles has aged so rapidly after a month of chemo.

Kate got it in the face somehow and the scars are still healing.

I heard this what happened and she just needs more time to heal after such a hard and difficult surgery

R10 you’re assuming that it’s chemo - nobody has confirmed that. He could well be receiving radiotherapy, which is incredibly debilitating and painful.

Damn it is kind of strange that these serious illnesses have befallen two of the “top four” most important BRF members at the same time. It was always thought they got the best of medical care, certainly the queen did. But the great medical care didn’t seem to help either of them in preventing serious illness.

[quote] I can’t believe Charles has aged so rapidly after a month of chemo.

He actually looks the same to me.

Here's my Guess -

Maybe she was pregnant. And, she had her previous morning sickness problems early on but got through the third/forth month. The sickness if gone and she sstarts gaining some weight. But she miscarried right when they thought all was okay. They rushed her to the hospital, she lost the baby. The London doctors had to perform a D&C. Which the doctors botched and she started bleeding badly. This is not so easily or quickly fixed. Transfusions, anemia, etc. And the shock of the loss of a baby that they thought was healthy and she was past what they thought was the worst. (All of this is just my speculation.)

This would be nightmare for her. And certainly, she wouldn't want all the gory details told to the world. Remember Meghan complaining about her miscarriage and nobody cared? Kate would do the opposite. But recovering physically and mentally from losing a fetus that is pretty far along, would take some time and privacy! Not the world's press talking about it!

And - maybe it explains her face being filled out more in the car photo. She would have been starting to gain weight.

I hope I'm wrong.

Middleton needs to get her ass to the balcony and start waving that pretty little princess hand of hers. This shambolic débâcle of a charade must end immedjately.

[quote]The "I-don't-understand-what-the-fuss-is-about" trolls are as dumb as those coming up with the wild conspiracy theories. (Quoted from the last thread.)

Seriously? Believing the announcement (that Kate has undergone abdominal surgery and will be recovering until some time after Easter) and wondering why there was a sudden demand for answers a month before she was expected to be recovered makes one a troll?

I contend that those who are speculating about her health and demanding answers prematurely are not wishing her well. They're concern trolls who have created an opportunity to spread gossip about her and her husband.

R15 he literally looks like his father during his last days. Yikes!

KC3 looks thinner in R9’s photo. He also looks more like his father Prince Philip now.

[quote] Like North Korea, Royals No Longer ‘Trusted Source’ After Kate Photo

Agence France-Presse (AFP) says it no longer considers Kensington Palace a “trusted source” after the truly bizarre case of the Mother’s Day photo which Kate Middleton apologized for editing this week.

Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s global news director, told BBC radio Wednesday about how his agency and others tried to get the palace to provide the original image to establish the extent to which the image had been edited. When they received no reply, they issued “kill” notices informing editors not to publish the doctored photo—a move which Chetwynd says has been more typically associated with images from the regimes of Iran and North Korea rather than the British Royal Family.

The image from Kensington Palace sent social media into meltdown when it was published over the weekend. It’s release was reportedly partly intended to firefight the conflagration of conspiracy theories and speculation sweeping across cyberspace about the princess’ health following her surgery in January. Instead, it poured gasoline on the flames.

“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” read a statement from Kate on Monday. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.”

Speaking on The Media Show, Chetwynd said AFP would previously treat Kensington Palace as a reliable source of images. He said that the offending photograph—which showed the Prince of Wales with her children, but contained several conspicuous anomalies that indicated editing—“clearly violated our rules” and it was a mistake for news agencies, including his own, to have initially cleared it for publication.

“It’s actually not even very well photoshopped,” Chetwynd said. “[There were] clearly a lot of problems with the photo, so it shouldn’t have been validated. I think as soon as it was, all the photo editors at all the major agencies immediately saw there was a problem and got together and spoke about it and [said] ‘what do we do?’”

Asked on the show if Kensington Palace is “still a trusted source” for AFP, Chetwynd answered bluntly: “No, absolutely not.” “Like with anything, when you’re let down by a source, the bar is raised,” he added.

Chetwynd did concede that the saga highlighted “major issues internally as to how we validated that photo” despite its clear violation of standards. “We have sent out notes to all our team at the moment to be absolutely super-more vigilant about the content coming across our desk, even from what we would call trusted sources,” he said.

Asked if he thought it would be helpful for Kensington Palace to release the original image so that the extent of the edits could be made clear, Chetwynd said: “That’s what we asked for.” “Before we killed the photo, we all sent a message saying: ‘Could you give us the originals? Could you, you know, have a reply?’ We didn’t get a reply, so that’s why we killed the photo.”

“It’s a big deal for an agency to issue a kill,” he went on, adding that a kill specifically “on the basis of manipulation” might only come around once a year. “Previous kills we’ve had have been from, you know, the North Korean news agency or the Iranian news agency, just to give you some background or context,” Chetwynd added.

“You cannot be distorting reality for the public,” he said, speaking generally about how much editing should be permitted for photos that are then published by the media. “There’s a question of trust. The big issue here is one of trust and the lack of trust—or the falling trust—of the general public in institutions generally and in the media. And so it’s extremely important that a photo does represent, broadly, the reality that [it was taken in], and therefore it is not, in a sense, telling some kind of lie or some kind of false truth around an event that happens.”

We already have an heir apparent, an actual heir and a spare. Why another baby?

Why another king?

Yikes, regarding that Daily Beast article at R21.

Royals' credibility being compared to that of North Korea???

Ouch!

That's definitely not good.

So… don’t know if there’s an answer to this but has it been pretty much accepted that Kate’s face was swapped out? Maybe she swapped it out because she thought she was haggard-looking.

King Charles in pic R9 has dropped a ton of weight. Al Sharpton shriveled level.

It is not a matter of wishing anyone well. Before the photo debacle, although it was strange for such a long and not properly explained disappearance (thus creating optimum scenario for speculation), everything was relatively calm.

After the edited photo is a complete different scenario. The Palace itself created this and the issue of its credibility is becoming a major issue, including a public one. They are comparing its reliability to dictatorial regimes, so the continued silence if injuring everyone involved, including the Monarchy.

Frankly, not being from England and against monarchies in principle, i think this is all for the best and maybe they will finally implode this system. But for them not to realize the type of damage they are creating with their silence is immensely stupid.

Exactly, R27.

This is a fuck-up of "royal" proportions.

No pun intended.

I hope the Daily Beast article at R21 shuts down the "What's the big deal?" morons, once and for all.

That article explains very clearly what's the big deal.

I feel sorry for her if it was just the typical “trying to get everyone at their best” photo edit. But if it was something worse—like putting an old, pre-surgery photo of herself into the mix—oh boy. Kind of makes you wonder why they don’t release the unedited photos.

Yes, the silence is deafening. But I think part of the dwadling is that they don't know what to do because it's such a novel situation with no playbook and the wheels are spinning and spinning.

And the rumored affair? That floated around Twitter for years and was previously only known to royal watchers until an American late night comedian bizarrely brought it up. That was from out of left field and must have stunned the staff.

Just got this in my Popbitch newsletter:

">> Caught in the Middleton <<

No way out for the old guard

When Princess Diana died in 1997, the blame was placed squarely at the feet of the media. The media's excuse – that they were only giving the public what they wanted – was given short shrift, but increasingly it's looking like they may have had a point.

At the moment, we're seeing exactly what happens when an unstoppable appetite for information meets an immovable news vacuum.

Today's privacy laws mean that the only people who can grant permission for the press to discuss the health of Charles and Kate are Charles and Kate themselves. As they're staying (mostly) schtum there can be no reporting on the matter. So, in the absence of detail, papers just resort to one of two modes: strange cheerleading or impotent questioning, both of which result in some truly bizarre stories.

Readers in the comment sections sense this, so whip themselves up into a fury that they are either being told too much – or not enough. Add in the unregulated social media sleuths who can speculate with impunity in a way that the papers can't – occasionally hitting an indisputable bullseye, like with this week's dodgy photo – and you have a perfect storm.

The Photoshop fiasco has shown the serious shortcomings of the modern relationship between the monarchy and the media. And if the public ever do get wind of just how much the Royals have been holding back from them these last few years, then they might properly be screwed."

Colbert doesn't have to worry about backlash, the way that the British media does.

They cower in fear of the British Royal Family and their minions.

Colbert doesn't give two shits.

He's an American comedian. He can tell the truth, without fear of being cancelled.

[quote] The Photoshop fiasco has shown the serious shortcomings of the modern relationship between the monarchy and the media. And if the public ever do get wind of just how much the Royals have been holding back from them these last few years, then they might properly be screwed."

Prince Harry has been saying this for years, but no one believed him.

Maybe now they will.

And this is precisely why the BRF is so pissed at him.

[quote]Because we still don't know what's wrong with her.

She had abdominal surgery. She's taking plenty of time off for recovery and rest. It was serious enough for her to need to be in inpatient care for two weeks, but she's recovering well. She said she touched up a family photo the Palace released, and obviously she's not a pro and didn't realize people were being so conspiratorial about her and her family. Someone took a snapshot of her and her head was turned at the moment while her husband appeared to look at his phone.

If there's anything else you need, I suggest a therapist and, possibly, medication.

[quote] She had abdominal surgery. She's taking plenty of time off for recovery and rest. It was serious enough for her to need to be in inpatient care for two weeks, but she's recovering well.

You don't know this.

There are no photos of her coming out of a hospital, or in recovery, or anything else of the sort.

She has been absent from view since December 2023.

For all we know, she could have left William and filed for divorce.

Now that the BRF has been totally discredited in the media, you can't believe a word they say.

And this whole "medical issue" story could be just as fake as her photoshopped picture.

R34, what, exactly, might the information that the RF is obliged to disclose? They’re figureheads. That’s it. They do figurehead things; they give speeches and cut ribbons. They are, essentially, actors, and they can’t always be in costume, performing. They do not owe us the complete “truth” about their private lives.

[quote] Today's privacy laws mean that the only people who can grant permission for the press to discuss the health of Charles and Kate are Charles and Kate themselves

Is that right? In the US the medical privacy laws, as I understand them, only apply to medical professionals. If a third party (such as a family member or a press office) has information and releases it, that is outside the scope of the HIPAA law.

R38 Yes - the UK has much stricter libel laws than the US. So if someone who isn't Kate or Charles tells the public the truth, they could be sued and fucked if they don't have absolute proof.

[quote]She had abdominal surgery.

That required a 2 week stay in the hospital. I think that's really what triggered all this. Even if you have gold plated healthcare, they're not keeping you in the hospital for 2 weeks. Open heart surgery/bypass patients are going home in two days now.

What's wrong with Louis' right hand??

It looks all mangled.

R41 That question is SO March 10th. Do try to keep up.

How do divorce laws work? What if William filed for divorce and she said no? Could he have her sent to the Tower?

I honestly don't see her giving all this up without going kicking and screaming.

You really do think that the BRF still send people to the tower, don’t you, R43.

You’re a fucking idiot.

[quote]She had abdominal surgery. She's taking plenty of time off for recovery and rest. It was serious enough for her to need to be in inpatient care for two weeks, but she's recovering well.

Thanks for the update.

BTW: Who are you and how do you know she's recovering well? What is your source for that info?

[quote]She said she touched up a family photo the Palace released, and obviously she's not a pro and didn't realize people were being so conspiratorial about her and her family.

Why did she release a photo with Louis's hand severely mangled, and with a finger missing? Why did she touch it up to look like that?

Divorce laws were changed relatively recently so that one party objecting can't hold it up. So if he wanted a divorce, she'd have no choice but to accept it.

^Louis'

Interesting take from Popbitch (UK based gossip,) the final sentence being most interesting. I’ve found Popbitch to be right on the mark for decades:

“When Princess Diana died in 1997, the blame was placed squarely at the feet of the media. The media's excuse – that they were only giving the public what they wanted – was given short shrift, but increasingly it's looking like they may have had a point.

At the moment, we're seeing exactly what happens when an unstoppable appetite for information meets an immovable news vacuum.

Today's privacy laws mean that the only people who can grant permission for the press to discuss the health of Charles and Kate are Charles and Kate themselves. As they're staying (mostly) schtum there can be no reporting on the matter. So, in the absence of detail, papers just resort to one of two modes: strange cheerleading or impotent questioning, both of which result in some truly bizarre stories.

Readers in the comment sections sense this, so whip themselves up into a fury that they are either being told too much – or not enough. Add in the unregulated social media sleuths who can speculate with impunity in a way that the papers can't – occasionally hitting an indisputable bullseye, like with this week's dodgy photo – and you have a perfect storm.

The Photoshop fiasco has shown the serious shortcomings of the modern relationship between the monarchy and the media. And if the public ever do get wind of just how much the Royals have been holding back from them these last few years, then they might properly be screwed.”

R48 Already posted at R32

Oops.

This is the most exciting thing to happen to so many of you, which is pretty sad. Is life in the square states that dull?

R51, the issue actually reveals several interesting questions of our times, about media manipulation, AI, relationships between the rulers and the rules, privacy vs the political, etc. it has gone beyond “Whatever happened to Princess Kate”.

But why all the SHOCK and OUTRAGE and ANGER about a story centered on the royal family of a foreign country? A family that many of you love to remind us you fought a war to dispense with? Can you not let go? It’s the same with the late sainted Diana - her most fervent defenders and admirers seem to be American.

The problem is that the BRF including the Princess of Wales (a.k.a “Princess Kate”, “Duchess Catherine”, “HRH Kate Middleton” etc) are famous. They aren’t celebrities. So many of you don’t understand that there is often a difference.

A better question R53, is why are YOU so defensive?

R53, why assume everyone here is American? I have posted twice in this thread and I am from Portugal.

Famous, celebrities, whatever you call it these people are in the public sphere. Scrutiny is unavoidable. It does not mean rage or anger.

Colbert needs to bring his affair theories to DL, not blurt them out in public.

R54 you see it as defensive, I see it as posing a legitimate question. We’ll have to differ on that!

R55 I don’t assume that everyone here is American, just most people, hence my use of “many of you”, not “all of you”.

I get the same thing in reverse p - if I call people on their views in these threads, people assume that I’m English. I’m not.

[quote]They aren’t celebrities.

They are most definitely celebrities. Do you understand the English language?

Oxford English Dictionary:

Celebrity: "The state or fact of being well known, widely discussed, or publicly esteemed. Personal fame or renown as manifested in (and determined by) public interest and media attention."

Yes of course, R59 - I can always rely on some DL troglodyte to query someone’s grasp of the English language when they disagree with the post.

Try this:

The Kardashians are celebrities - their business model is based on social media hits and being famous for its own sake.

The BRF are, depending on the member, famous. Apart from a couple of recent examples they don’t pursue fame for its own sake. Rather, it’s a byproduct of their position. It comes with a high level of scrutiny which hopefully is ameliorated by the money, houses etc, but their role is not to be famous but to support the monarch as head of the family as well as Head of State.

That’s what I see as the difference and I didn’t have to go to the OED to look it up.

YMMV.

R60, I’m not the OP, but the BRF are most definitely celebrities, by the very definition of the word. Doesn’t matter if they pursued or didn’t pursue fame. Doesn’t matter if they support a head of state or make their bucks on Onlyfans.

I think the photoshop fiasco was due to simple vanity. She did not want to release a photo of herself with her face looking bloated.

[quote] But why all the SHOCK and OUTRAGE and ANGER about a story centered on the royal family of a foreign country? A family that many of you love to remind us you fought a war to dispense with? Can you not let go? It’s the same with the late sainted Diana - her most fervent defenders and admirers seem to be American.

The American Revolution was a political break with the UK not a cultural break.

Clever attempt but no cigar, R63.

Kate could be slowly healing after emergency surgery. The photo was an error in judgement.

After the Revolution, did the Americans go on to disown the English language and take up German instead? Did the King James Bible and Protestant-Episcopal Christianity die out after 1776? Did American Gilded Age tycoons seek titles for their daughters among Spanish nobility?

R36 exemplifies the problem. The problem does not reside with the Windsors of Windsor.

It sits with the crazed cunts here.

But congratulations for the parody! Well done, R36. IF you meant it that way.

R67, really? I’m not OP, but I guess if DL is your oniy source of social media, it might appear to be the case. But in case you haven’t noticed, this is a huge story. It’s well beyond just social media. I mean, YOU are on here arguing your point.

And part of the problem lies with the Windsors. I get their need for privacy, but they are public figures. It’s naive to expect people won’t be curious.

lol at R67. Yes, DL is the seat of ALL of the palace’s problems. You delusional nut bag.

[quote] The BRF are, depending on the member, famous. Apart from a couple of recent examples they don’t pursue fame for its own sake. Rather, it’s a byproduct of their position. It comes with a high level of scrutiny which hopefully is ameliorated by the money, houses etc, but their role is not to be famous but to support the monarch as head of the family as well as Head of State.

Kate Middleton set out to marry into the British Royal Family. She pursued fame. Now she has the consequences.

The NYPosrt is reporting Kat'w senior staff didn't know about the surgery and haven't seen or spoken to her! Mary!

Post not Porst.

Definitely sounds like she was leaving Prince William, R71.

Almost like she was trying to make an escape, and they stopped her.

Which would explain the weird photo release.

She didn't release it. The Men in Gray did, and they botched the photoshop.

They've locked her up in the tower! Free Kate!

We all know what happened to Anne Boleyn after she went to the Tower. I wonder if William will use a French head chopper offer like Henry 8 did.

Scoff if you want, R74.

But everything in this strange chain of events points to Kate trying to leave.

The abrupt disappearance on December 28.

The announcement that she wouldn't be seen again until Easter.

The total non-communication with her staff.

The bizarre photoshopped photo release that is very unlike Kate.

Then the immediate "apology" from Kate for the photoshop fiasco.

Then the strange photo of William and Kate in a car, where she's looking away from him.

And of course, she stopped wearing her ring.

William hasn't said a word.

Kensington Palace has barely said a word.

The only official statements have come from Kate, even though we haven't seen her or heard from her in months.

The whole thing is completely bizarre, and I think it hints at a major crisis in the House of Wales.

Kate Middleton and Prince William's united front fell apart

Exactly a week after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's interview with Oprah Winfrey catapulted the royal family into crisis in March 2021, Prince William and Kate Middleton released a photo on Mother's Day in the UK.

The picture, posted to their joint Instagram on March 14, 2021, was of a cake they said their three children made to remember Princess Diana. It was endearing and casual, far from Kate and William's typical social-media content.

Fast-forward three years, and the royal family has found themselves surrounded by controversy yet again. But this time, Kate and William are at the center of it, igniting weeks of speculation with a match in the shape of a digitally altered Mother's Day photo.

The scandal has been breathtakingly swift, turning the once-golden Prince and Princess of Wales into joke fodder for American late-night hosts — not to mention all of social media. The publicity has been so bad that even the British tabloids' loyalty is starting to crack.

Where did it all go wrong? When Kate and William stopped acting like a united front.

The royal family went on the charm offensive after Harry and Meghan's interview with Winfrey, and they knew Kate and William had to be on the starting lineup.

As the world slowly emerged from lockdown, William and Kate were suddenly everywhere. They visited Westminster Abbey to mark their 10th wedding anniversary, hung out with children on a farm, launched a joint YouTube channel, played soccer with more kids, and hosted a drive-in movie night — all before June.

The ensuing photos were a PR dream for the royal family: Kate with a goat! Kate laughing with a golf club! Kate holding a tarantula! Kate in sneakers!

There were also plenty of snaps of the couple together, and many noticed that William and Kate were suddenly more affectionate in public. That May, they visited the University of St Andrews — where they first met — and an Access Hollywood story noted that William "even affectionately put his hand on Kate's back in a tender moment we don't often see from the perfectly poised heir."

It came just a month after the couple released an anniversary portrait, accompanied by a playful Instagram video far more relaxed than their previous pictures.

William and Kate's public appearances in 2021 were a huge PR shift for the royal couple, celebrity brand management expert Eric Shiffer previously told Business Insider.

"They were manicured to the nth degree," he said, adding that they "played their public persona with a Buckingham Palace excellence, out of the playbook that's been mastered for centuries."

Kate and William's formal and polished persona was opposite to Meghan and Harry's easygoing and affectionate demeanor, which didn't go unnoticed by the public or press. By sharing their mental health struggles during the Oprah interview, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex positioned themselves as the antithesis of the royal family's tight-lipped and stone-faced "never complain, never explain" mantra.

"Harry and Meghan successfully came off as more human, more approachable, and more affectionate with their subjects," royal commentator Kristen Meinzer recently told BI. "Meghan was doing these things that came off as her own heart's desires, rather than 'I am doing this because I have to cut another ribbon.'"

Royal historian Clare McHugh previously told BI that Kate and William "really adjusted their style" after the Oprah interview.

"They realized if they don't, they'll be overshadowed by this couple living in California, so they have to show themselves," she said. "They have to reveal who they are more because that's the currency now. So they let the anniversary film out, and they have YouTube, and they make jokes. It's a new world."

Until it wasn't.

In the weeks leading up to the Mother's Day photo fiasco, rumors swelled around the royal family, who are underwritten by UK taxpayers and cost about $300 million annually. Kate's most recent royal appearance was on Christmas, and there have been minimal updates since Kensington Palace's announcement in January that she'd be undergoing a "planned abdominal surgery" and wouldn't resume her public duties "until after Easter."

Eyebrows were raised when William released a rare solo statement in February regarding the conflict in Gaza and when he pulled out of his godfather King Constantine's memorial service "due to a personal matter" a week later.

As speculation over Kate's whereabouts grew, Kensington Palace told BI on February 29 that she was "doing well" and that "we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates."

"With Kate, there's been a shroud of secrecy," Meinzer told BI. "The vague language around Kate's health, William's absence from the funeral, and an update from Kensington Palace that sounds exasperated and very defensive."

"It's so glaringly different from the messaging coming from Charles' office," she added. "Charles seems more human these days than William and Kate."

King Charles' cancer diagnosis was announced on February 5, a few weeks after Kate's hospitalization. And while the public still doesn't know exactly what type of cancer he has, nor how severe, Charles has been photographed multiple times since resuming public duties.

"The Buckingham Palace team has been far more transparent than the Kensington Palace team," Meinzer said. "When we look at Charles' case, they were forthright about him having cancer, they did tell us he'd be having outpatient treatment, and they gave us photographic updates."

"Less than a week after the announcement of his cancer, he was attending church with Camilla and waving at the camera people and his subjects," she added. "There are hundreds of witnesses to see that this is actually happening in real time while these photos are being taken."

Unlike Charles, only three photos of Kate have been released since the January announcement from Kensington Palace.

The first, a grainy paparazzi photo published by TMZ on March 4, showed Kate's face obscured by big sunglasses as she sat in the car with her mother, Carole Middleton. The third, published by the Daily Mail on March 11, showed Kate in the car with William — but her face was turned away from the camera.

The only recent clear photo of Kate's face was the picture she and William released on Mother's Day on March 10. The snap shows Kate smiling with the couple's three children, and the caption credits William with taking the picture this year.

Within hours, the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse announced they would no longer distribute the image due to concerns it had been digitally altered. They sent kill notifications to media outlets worldwide with instructions to remove the picture from all platforms, including social media.

According to ABC News, the Mother's Day photo was edited twice with Adobe Photoshop — once on the night of March 8 and once on the morning of March 9 — before it was released. During an appearance on BBC Radio 4's "The Media Show," Phil Chetwynd, the global news director at Agence France-Presse, said Kensington Palace is no longer a trusted source.

"'Photogate' is a PR disaster, no matter how you look at it," royal historian Marlene Koenig told BI. "It's a major, major story, whether the fangirls like it or not. It's not about Kate being sick. It's not about Kate being a member of the royal family. It's about someone who manipulated a photograph to make it look better. Now there's definitely a lack of trust."

Kate took responsibility for the photo on Monday, writing on X: "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."

It was a move that only heightened confusion — and fuelled more rumors.

Royal fans and pundits alike were shocked to see an explanation come from Kate rather than a joint statement by Kensington Palace.

"An organization of this size and this international level would normally put out a statement that does not throw one of its most esteemed members under the bus," Meinzer told BI. "I'm kind of surprised that they specifically chose to essentially hang Kate out to dry."

Kate's post on X went against the PR strategy helping her and William for years. Where was the royal family's united front?

But the Prince and Princess of Wales have been diverging from the tactics of their successful 2021 comeback tour for a while now. There's only a handful of photos and videos of the couple together in the past six months on their Instagram page, the most recent being the official Christmas card.

With the black-and-white color, matching outfits, and plain backdrop, it starkly contrasts the sunny, laid-back, and cheerful picture they had shared the year before.

There's no denying Kate and William have reverted to the royal family's former strategy of stiff formality. It's led to increased speculation surrounding the stability of their marriage and a lack of connection to the public that's crucial to the monarchy's popularity and, in turn, its survival.

"I would have focused more on the realness of what Kate's going through. Not everything has to be elevated," Schiffer recently told BI. "People understand that when you're coming back from surgery, it can be difficult, and that's OK too. Part of Kate's charm has always been her ability to be fairly approachable and down to earth, so why move away dramatically from that strategy?"

"One thing that Kate and William should have learned from Harry and Meghan is to come across as more human," Meinzer added.

It remains to be seen if the royal rota — the British tabloids that Harry said have an "invisible contract" with the royal family — will continue to support Kate and William. While stories with sympathetic spins have continued to run on the likes of the Daily Mail, The Mirror, and The Sun, there have also been several negative takes calling Prince William "ungentlemanly" or saying that "the palace can no longer be trusted."

"We're starting to see some very, very loyal members of the royal rota who have always been in William and Kate's corner suddenly not 100% in their corner," Meinzer said.

"I'm surprised any of them are asking any questions right now," she added. "I usually expect them to be firmly in the pocket of the palace."

While it's rare for the royal rota to go against the heir, or the crown for that matter, it's not unprecedented. One only needs to look at how the tabloids covered the Queen's response to Princess Diana's death.

"Show us you care," one headline screamed.

"SPEAK TO US," another shouted.

When it comes to being royal, that stiff upper-lipped silence can be your downfall.

This is what happens when parasocial relationships gone wrong. A parasocial relationship is the one-sided attachment a fan has for a celebrity. Through modern media, we have the illusion that we “know” intimate details about a celebrity. We become attached to who we think they are, and we love them or hate them accordingly.

In most cases, this is harmless behavior. But in this case, people are acting like scary stalker fans who believe that Catherine OWES them an explanation for whatever she is doing. How dare she not tell us everything! Aren’t we entitled to assume the worst when she doesn’t? No, actually, I don’t think so.

R73 I’m curious. Who are “The Men in Gray”? They sound like a bad covers band.

R81, I’ve said this before, but people don’t think that Kate owes them anything. However, the circumstances surrounding her illness, non appearances and now the doctored photo can’t help but make people wonder what the eff is going on. I don’t see anyone demanding that she appear, but it sure would stop the crazy rumors if she does.

How does this affect you personally, R83?

[quote]Who are “The Men in Gray”?

Fergie called the courtiers "grey men."

Right, so R73 is blaming people who were employed by Buckingham Palace in 1996 for doing the bad photo editing using software tools that didn’t exist at the time, in response to Kate attempting to leave William in 2024.

That makes perfect sense.

[QUOTE]As the world slowly emerged from lockdown, William and Kate were suddenly everywhere. They visited Westminster Abbey to mark their 10th wedding anniversary, hung out with children on a farm, launched a joint YouTube channel, played soccer with more kids, and hosted a drive-in movie night — all before June.

How exhausting! No wonder she needs months of recovery. /s

R84, it affects me as much as it affects you. We’re both here, right?

[quote]"One thing that Kate and William should have learned from Harry and Meghan is to come across as more human"

Doubt "Kate and William" look to these two as role models.

Kate Hits Rock Bottom

The Queen is rolling over in her grave at what a shambles her family has become. Sad!

[quote]The Queen is rolling over in her grave at what a shambles her family has become. Sad!

Plenty of reversals before all this, when the old girl was still around to register dismay. Three children divorced, son-and-heir recorded wanting to be his lover's tampon, daughter-in-law photographed sucking toes, 'favourite' son the close consort of a paedophile suicide. And much else besides. Photoshopping, by comparison, is quite innocuous.

Really? More, PLEASE!

It’s been resolved, can we move on now please.

Two things I'm wondering:

If Kate has a "revenge dress" picked out for her return

What kind of Queen and stepmother will Rose make

Wow, that article at R90 is devastatingly harsh!

I never noticed the discrepancy in the brick wall until now.

For those who are saying, "What's the big deal? It's just a picture."

It seems now that EVERY picture of Kate will now be scrutinized as to whether or not it's fake.

And that's not a good thing.

R96, the brick wall discrepancy has been explained. The top of the pic is a building, while the bottom (the different brick showing in the window of the car) is a wall in front of the building.

She’s been at fat camp.

r97 r98

[quote] Proof Kate Middleton and Prince William have lost it

For a long time, Kate the Princess of Wales and her late grandmother-in-law Queen Elizabeth had little in common.

One believed in dogged hard-work; the other spent a few too many years lolling about Mustique languidly applying Ambre Solaire sun tan lotion.

One never had any jot of formal education beyond conversational French and basic instruction in how to invade France; the other had a respectable second-class art history degree.

One saw herself as a supplicant to God and country; the other ended up on the path to Queendom via a catwalk lap in her panties.

No longer. This week Kate has been put through the wringer, spat out the other side and brutally meme-ified, in a reversal of fortune of such a magnitude that it is only a matter of time before we get the inevitable hasty, mop-up stage plays, books and some sort of cheaply made biopic. (Content is indeed king.)

Translation: Kate is currently having a moment sadly similar to the one the late Queen endured in 1997 after Diana, Princess of Wales was killed in Paris.

Her late Majesty’s handling of Diana’s death – her utter refusal to respond to national grief; the unfeeling shell she wore for the cameras – was such that for a while there was no guarantee that Buckingham Palace would remain standing.

Kate, for the first time, must have a sense of what that experience was like – to get things so badly and so publicly wrong.

It took Queen Elizabeth years upon years to recoup the lost ground.

How long will it take for the princess and Prince William, the Prince of Wales to recover from the train wreck of the last couple of weeks? Moreover, how do they even start?

Let’s all agree: the Waleses have mishandled and bungled the last few weeks. Their credibility is shot and the large stores of public faith and belief they had built up over the last decade have just been vaporized.

In the process, they have also inadvertently lent credence to the longtime grumblings of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, about the string-pulling and wily puppeteering that goes on behind the palace walls.

Reputation-wise, William and Kate have just suffered their biggest blow to date – and it is wholly by their own hand. (The schadenfreude has truly overrun social media …)

Yes, none of what the prince and princess have done has been particularly malicious or all that tricky.

William clearly wants to protect Kate who has been through surgery significant enough to warrant months off work.

Yes, they were just trying to get a grip on the noxious conspiracy theories that have taken over the social media bloodstream.

Of course, all the princess wanted to do was to share a nice, heartwarming photo of herself and her children to prove that she was doing nothing more controversial than drinking tea.

And c’mon, what photos these days aren’t tweaked and buffed for public consumption?

However, none of this changes the end result – of the prince and princess looking like they have been caught red-handed obscuring or at least blurring the truth.

We might tacitly know that they and their Kensington Palace office have always been in the business of propagandizing but they have just been exposed doing the actual deed.

The madding crowd – getting madding-er by the hour – has responded by adopting a state of malignant skepticism and trolling the Waleses with breathtaking creativity and zeal.

The events of this week mean that the prince and princess have not just eroded trust in whatever they say or share going forward, but, more importantly, trust in Crown Inc. as a whole. (Is Buckingham Palace the new Area 51?)

The question that someone with an HRH should be demanding of their large staff of highly experienced functionaries and pen pushers is, how the hell do they start to fix this?

How do they start to push back against this week’s recasting of the royal family as a slightly shifty bunch intent on pulling the organic Scottish wool over the world’s eyes?

How do they get back to a place where they are believed and taken at face value?

Going forward, whatever blueprints and memos are carefully typed up by the sweating palace professionals who let this Hindenburg of a situation combust on their watch, one factor they won’t be able to control is time.

Any sort of recovery or rebuilding of William and Kate’s reputation is going to take a while.

Unlike the Sussexes, who have made a name for themselves sharing, sharing, sharing (oh-so-much sharing) for cameras, microphones, checkbooks and in service of their seemingly perpetual need to cathart, the Waleses have built up the highest of high walls around themselves.

They might occasionally make personal comments but the control they have for so long exercised over their brand and their lives means that they don’t have recourse at this moment to do some sort of heart-on-the-sleeve media outing to try and clear the air.

What lies ahead for the Prince and Princess of Wales is a process that is not going to be painless or fast or easily managed via an economical personal Tweet.

If there is one lesson that the Waleses should have learned over the past seven days is that whatever control they thought they had over their image and their messaging has been lost. William and Kate are going to have to rebuild confidence and trust, brick after clichéd brick, and have no choice but to suck up the slog ahead of them.

If only the late Queen was still alive, I’m sure she would have some sage words about royalty and having to take one’s lumps in the face of an irritable, nasty world.

But I also bet her advice would be simple: Have a triple gin and tonic and nice hot bath. This too shall pass. Even the memes.

Who would have thought that a fake photo would bring down William and Kate?

It's quite delicious to watch.

I hear Princess Charlotte is quite clever at the computer.

The entire thing is a bit ridiculous. The edited family photo was a misstep, but a huge one? They admitted that Kate did a bit of photoshopping, as many mothers do all the time, and apologized for it. How does this bring down the monarchy?

Kate's been very ill, there's no way she's been out of sight this long over a minor ailment. It's weird for the British public, given she looked hail and hearty and full of rude health over the holidays, then bam! hospitalized for weeks and out of commission for months. And no detailed explanation. I get it, rumors will abound. But if the rumors of colon surgery/colostomy end up correct, the public is going to feel crappy for piling onto a sick young mother as they have. The apology tour won't be long & the re-embrace of the Waleses, esp Kate, will be fast.

[quote]They admitted that Kate did a bit of photoshopping

Will you just stop it.

It has been shown, over and over again, that there was not just merely a "bit" of photoshopping....which for amateurs usually means color correction, contrast, cropping....instead there was major photo manipulation. So much so that news agencies had to withdraw the photo.

Will you please look at Louis hand in the photo. Does that look like a "bit" of photoshopping?

Seriously starting to wonder if William and Kate just got bored and decided to fuck with us all for the lulz

Frankly, I don't get the feeling many people are actually holding this against Kate. I imagine most of us understand that she doesn't REALLY get to call any shots when it comes to decisions like these. If the palace decided tomorrow that they wanted a video message out of her after all, they'd haul her ass out of her deathbed if they had to, slap some lipstick on her, and rig her up to a pulley system.

The media/twitter seems to have turned on William more than anyone, fearing this might be some kind of a Charles & Diana Pt 2. At least that's the impression I'm getting—that people are worried about Kate's well-being in one way or another and don't trust the palace's intentions (even if just in protecting her reputation). Kate's always done all this princessing stuff perfectly (often irritatingly so). So if anyone's screwing this shit up, it's probably not her. But she's paying for it, and the palace (i.e. Charles, Camilla, and most of all, William) is letting her.

That's an interesting theory r107, and may have some weight. I can't see how the British public would turn so fast and hard on someone as popular as Kate. William, yes, but Kate?

It's okay, Kate is fine! She was seen with William at a farm shop yesterday! "A witness" says she looked happy and healthy! I mean, it's a pretty weird coincidence that not a single person there took a photo of a princess who hasn't been seen in nearly three months and whose whereabouts is the subject of intense media speculation, but never mind! She's fine!

Ugh, r109, that is so lame it almost made me blush.

One of the things that became evident is the english media blackout over this. Except from some opinion pieces, this has been absent from newspapers, tabloids included. It is a failure of any serious journalism in the country.

I don’t think people are blaming Kate. No one knows what is going on with her and it maybe serious. But there is blame to go around. Mainly from Kensington and the news as well.

(And to the inevitable shill that knows for sure Kate was operated for the very specific abdominal surgery and is recuperating fine and should be allowed her three months privacy, no, this does nor affect me personally. I am just shocked (and enjoying) this very messy circus.

It must be so creepy for her to know that not only are so many losers are discussing and speculating about potential medical procedures but they are enjoying the media circus it has become. The ick factor is off the chart.

Maybe, R109, anyone who was at the Windsor farm shop at the time respected her privacy enough not to take a picture of her. Additionally, people who live on the Windsor estate, where the farm shop is located, would be quite used to seeing the Waleses out and about and seem to be quite protective of their royal neighbours.

Not everybody is some unhinged conspiracy theorist filling their sad empty lives with gossip such as - well, I could say “you”, but that’s obvious.

R111 Homegirl didn't just climb out from under a rock and marry the future King of England by accident. She was there for the headlines about Charles and Diana, same as we were—about the affair, the divorce, the tampon, the bulimia, the yacht shots, the paparazzi literally hounding her to death—and she was like, "Yes, please! Gimme THAT job."

Come on, R112, do you honestly think Kensington Palace didn't plant that story in a misguided attempt to quell speculation? A week ago, I still believed that Kate was probably just recovering from an operation in private, and that people who thought otherwise were overreacting. But it's become painfully obvious in the last week that something serious has happened.

As for filling our sad empty lives with gossip - well, it's DL. That's our raison d'etre.

That New York Post article is unbelievably stupid.

Were Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and the Loch Ness Monster also spotted at this farm shop? Asking for a friend.

[quote] The media/twitter seems to have turned on William more than anyone, fearing this might be some kind of a Charles & Diana Pt 2. At least that's the impression I'm getting—that people are worried about Kate's well-being

Why is the woman always given the benefit of the doubt?

Maybe Kate is the one beating up on William.

A BIG announcement expected tomorrow.

[quote] It must be so creepy for her to know that not only are so many losers are discussing and speculating about potential medical procedures but they are enjoying the media circus it has become. The ick factor is off the chart.

Now you know how Meghan feels about the Klan Grannies who have been doing this to her for years.

Where did you hear that, R118?

[quote]A BIG announcement expected tomorrow.

Let me guess, let me guess... Elvis isn't dead, but running a little farm shop in Windsor. They will be releasing a video of Kate and Elvis duetting Hunka Hunka Burning Love to a small group of shoppers, tomorrow.

[quote] A BIG announcement expected tomorrow.

I hope there's not a mass offing of Klan Grannies in front of Buckingham Palace, when William and Kate announce that they're divorcing.

That creepy "Lady" Colin Campbell will be at the front of the pack.

I’m not r118, but I read some stuff on Twitter. But then again, the scuttlebutt was there was going to be an announcement today. Someone should post a poll so we can guess what it is. Winner is King/Queen of DL for the day.

I just hope the press don't give Elvis a hard time if his voice isn't what it used to be, R121. He's eighty-nine, after all.

I wonder if he’s still fat, r124…

I'm sorry to disappoint everyone but a source at the BBC has just told me that the Elvis rumour isn't true. Instead, Kate will enter the Celebrity Big Brother UK House tomorrow, accompanied by Jimmy Hoffa, Lord Lucan, and the entire crew of the Mary Celeste.

R113 your vernacular gives you away. Go drop by CVS, pick yourself up some “bargains” then relax at home with a jumbo bottle of Pepsi.

[quote] Kate will enter the Celebrity Big Brother UK House tomorrow

This bitch is always trying to steal my thunder!!

[quote] Kate Middleton’s Photo of Queen Elizabeth With Grandchildren Was Altered, Too

The Associated Press and several leading international photo distribution agencies issued a kill notice on an unlikely image last week: the beaming Kate Middleton, surrounded by her three children as they celebrated Mother’s Day. The notice was issued after it became clear the photo had been manipulated; the following day, an apology was issued via the Princess of Wales’ social media for her alleged Photoshop work.

Now it’s come to light that another photo purportedly taken by Kensington Palace, if not Middleton herself, has also been Photoshopped. A photo released in 2023 to celebrate what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 97th birthday came under scrutiny as media outlets and people on social media have found clear signs of alterations, edits and manipulation.

The photo in question was released in April 2023. At the time, Kensington Palace explained that the photo was taken by the Princess of Wales the year before, while the family was on a trip at Balmoral, the queen’s favorite of her homes. The photo features Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, as well as grandchildren Mia, Lena, Lucas, Savannah, Isla, James and Lady Louise.

The Guardian’s Sunday paper, The Observer, noted several instances in which the photo was digitally altered. It seems Prince Louis, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ youngest child, was moved back in the frame, and the hair of Zara Tindall’s daughter has been copied and pasted.

The outlet posed a question that sums it up well: “How could the news agencies possibly protect their reputations if they did not respond last week to mounting amateur claims that the image was not trustworthy?”

By many counts, Kensington Palace is becoming an increasingly distrusted source, something that was unimaginable only weeks ago. Conspiracy theories about Middleton’s prolonged absence were already operating at a steady hum; the release of the clearly altered photo on Mother’s Day threw those into overdrive.

Manipulation of the Balmoral photo was also called out on Twitter/X, where user Le__Katerina wrote, “Did the late Queen ever pose with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren? Seems like no. This photo, taken by Kate Middleton, was edited at least in nine places. Now the mass media are reporting about it, too. A little thread.”

She then proceeded to point out several inconsistencies and mistakes throughout the editing the photo, some of which appear to suggest some of the children were not actually in the photo at all.

At the heart of the conversation surrounding Middleton and Kensington Palace is a breakdown trust between the royals and the public — a public that funds the very existence of the monarchy through the Sovereign Grant. In 2023, that amount tallied up to £86.3 million, “£51.8 million which funds official travel, property maintenance and the operating costs of The Sovereign’s household.”

The main question surrounding the edited photos and secrecy surrounding Middleton’s whereabouts and well-being is simply, why? Why go to such great lengths to alter and manipulate images, and why not clear up speculation, confusion or concern with a video release or press conference of some sort?

It seems clear that the palace misjudged a public that has the time and interest to dig into conspiracy theories and suss out the truth, a public that has dealt with politicians insisting whole elections were stolen, and a world in which it’s startlingly easy to fake nude photos of one of our biggest pop stars.

Maybe the palace really didn’t think people would care enough about Middleton’s prolonged absence from the public eye to question it, or maybe they’re relying on an outdated approach to the monarchy in general, one that harkens back to an earlier time when the monarchy could count on the public to buy the line they’re being fed.

Either way, it’s clear there is still some explaining to do.

There was talk back then that it was photoshopped. But there was no drama going on, so no one cared.

I don't understand the whole #IStandWithCatherine thing on Twitter. From what I can see, no one's accusing Kate of wrong-doing (apart from the Sussex stans, who already hated her). People are worried that something's happened TO her.

[quote] I don't understand the whole #IStandWithCatherine thing on Twitter. From what I can see, no one's accusing Kate of wrong-doing

Clearly, even her fans think she did something wrong.

You know the weirdest bit of all this is finding out William as a roided out nutjob who's beat his wife so badly she's had a nervous breakdown or is divorcing him but luckily he found a use for one of those unused royal dungeon and has locked her up with no end game plan in site for when people begin to wonder what all the wailing coming from under the stairs is, and threatened the 6,000 royal staff who normally leak like a sieve to not reveal any of this psychotic behaviour for years. Oh and also has 2 or 3 pregnant mistresses. All these years I just thought he was a relatively boring middle aged man with male pattern baldness.

This has really exposed the UK press as a complete sham. They are completely beholden to the royals and have zero agency. What an embarrassment. I’m shocked that the big papers and broadcasters have allowed themselves to be shit on like this. It will take years for them to regain trust. What a fucking mess this is.

None of this is anyone’s business.

R135, Britain doesn’t have a free press. They can get sued easily.

Do people think she’s actually dead or something?

Only extremely stupid people, of whom there seem to be a growing number.

[quote] [R135], Britain doesn’t have a free press. They can get sued easily.

You can sued easily for reporting false stories that damage the reputation of the person it’s about.

R135. I think the UK has press agencies.

[quote]You can sued easily for reporting false stories that damage the reputation of the person it’s about.

You can also get sued easily for running stories that you know are true but have no definite proof of. E.g. the William-Rose story - it could be widely known but unless you have video of them fucking, you cannot report on it directly...

[quote]You can also get sued easily for running stories that you know are true but have no definite proof of.

The rich will pay for a super-injunction to prevent the press running a true story likely to cause major embarrassment.

In such a case the tabloids might run a big story with a blacked-out head graphic, to let their readers know something of what they've been prevented from printing.

The broadsheets might run an oblique story full of odd allusions, provoking mystification for many, but with lines to read between for the knowing to draw their conclusions.

[quote]It will take years for them to regain trust.

MARY!

[quote] The rich will pay for a super-injunction to prevent the press running a true story likely to cause major embarrassment.

A perfect example of the oppressive class system at work in the UK.

No wonder Indians blended so well into British society. They basically worked the same way.

Even though Lainey Gossip has become a shadow of its former self and can even be borderline frau, I still sometimes pop over a few times a year to see her take on big gossip stories. Her post about the farmer's market spotting was quite enjoyable:

"Well, I guess this is the trend now – once a week, the British royals, Kensington Palace in particular, can be depended on to make us smash our heads against the wall in frustration with their incompetence. How is it that a family with this much access, this many resources, this much f-cking history keeps fumbling over and over and over again?!

A week ago the entire internet was screaming over the “Kill Notification” and that embarrassing photo of Princess Kate and her children that had been so badly altered, news agencies rejected it and declared Kensington Palace not a trusted source.

After several days of worldwide speculation about Kate and her whereabouts, with mainstream American media addressing rumours of Prince William’s infidelity and all kinds of chaos, and an assist from Meghan Markle who decided to announce her candidacy as the new Christian Girl Autumn six months before autumn, the geniuses at Kensington Palace thought that the best way to assure people that Kate is fine was to send her and William out to pick up some produce at a local farm shop not far from where they live.

The problem?

It was reported by the UK Sun with onlookers telling the publication that Kate looked “happy, relaxed, and healthy” and …that’s it. The witnesses were not named. As far as I can see, they did not speak on camera, even though the Sun has released video version of their report. But, really, there are no visuals at all. It is 2024, phones are practically growing out of our bodies, and somehow the world’s most high profile missing person went to the farmer’s market and nobody, not one person, was able to sneak a photo but instead used their phones to CALL A TABLOID AND VERBALLY CONVEY THE NEWS?!??????

I am shouting because THIS.IS.ABSURD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On top of all that dumbassery, the Sun then ran old photos to accompany their story which, considering how many conspiracy theories are flying around, has only amplified, yet again!, an already nuclear situation. "...

..."Who actually thought that this would actually fix it? We’ve gone from a very problematic and altered photo to NO photo at all – and they expected TikTok to be satisfied? Some might argue that there is no satisfying a thirsty mob and this is true, but if that’s the case, then why bother with a half-assed attempt? Just stay home! Do not engage!

But if you do engage, THIS IS NOT IT.

They’ve just added another layer to the conspiracy, now a living, breathing unpredictable insatiable thing that is growing more aggressive with its demands. Like at this point, with all these horribly backfired moves, these f-cking royal idiots have basically set it up so that the only option for Kate is an OnlyFans livestream.

Which brings us to this morning and if you’ve been on social media, you would have seen that “#Royal Announcement” is blowing up. It’s fake, there is no imminent royal announcement, but thousands of social media users were led to believe from a doctored image of royal letterhead that Buckingham Palace is set to make some kind of announcement and that BBC is currently on high alert. So now there are a lot of people thinking that King Charles has died even though he is very much alive.

Mess on mess on mess on mess on mess.

Sure, part of this is just the internet’s usual f-ckery and poor social media hygiene. But much of this has to do with the fact that the British royal institution has lost so much public trust, has bungled so many recent plays, has been so f-cking amateur hour with their communications, that they no longer have any control of their own narrative and their own image.

We are beyond crisis now. This is catastrophic. There are people out on these streets doing CSI on the hunt for Kate Waldo. Now they’re on royal standard watch, waiting to see if the flag will be lowered – in other words anticipating the death of the monarch whose coronation just happened less than a year ago. This is the opposite of strength and stability.

And even though everybody’s now looking ahead to Easter for Kate’s big resurrection, which is not for another ten days, and God knows how much more disaster these royals will invite into their house between now and then, the pressure they’ve just inflicted on themselves, and the awful level of scrutiny that’s forthcoming – are they prepared? Do they have the right people who can come up with the right strategy to even begin to stop them from sinking any deeper into an abyss from which they may never recover? For the millionth time, what is going on over there, seriously? And, um, how can we help? At this point it feels like volunteer services are required. "

[quote] Another Kate Middleton sighting? Unedited pics or it didn't happen

Catherine, Princess of Wales, is said to be out and about again for the first time since December, making a casual public appearance after weeks of speculation about her well-being — not to mention less than a week after Kensington Palace's instantly infamous proof-of-life photo fail.

The former Kate Middleton was reportedly spotted Saturday near her home in Windsor, according to the Sun. The British princess visited the Windsor Farm Shop, which is about a mile from her Adelaide Cottage home, and onlookers said she looked "happy, relaxed and healthy."

Prince William, the heir to the British throne, joined her for the shopping trip but their three children — with whom they reportedly spent the morning — did not, the tabloid said. No photos or videos of the outing accompanied the Sun story, further fueling viral suppositions about the future queen.

Kensington Palace and the Windsor Farm Shop have not commented on the outing.

If authentic, the purported Saturday jaunt marked the first time that she was spotted in a public space since her Jan. 16 abdominal surgery and corresponding recovery that have resulted in Kate's retreat from public duties until Easter. But in the weeks since Kensington Palace's mid-January announcement, conjecture has filled the void of her absence, giving way to the Case of the "Disappearing" Princess and a fringe internet obsession that has evolved into a bona-fide international incident.

Although Kensington Palace has said that the princess wishes to keep her personal medical information private, the lack of transparency and increased opacity with which the monarchy has handled her illness in the face of conspiracy theories has created more headaches for the embattled institution.

"They've forced a recounting of all the times the royal family and the palace press have covered up, often with outright lies, scandal, indiscretion and health scares," wrote Times culture critic Mary McNamara last week. "Whoever is running Kate’s information campaign is making it far too easy for us to remember Princess Diana’s eating disorders, mental health issues and instances of self-harm, not to mention Meghan Markle’s description of suicidal ideation."

Catherine had reportedly been "spotted" twice since her hospitalization, apparently photographed riding in vehicles around her home. But even doubt has been cast on those alleged sightings given the tenuous details about her condition and the dearth of appearances since.

The doubt was further compounded last week when the palace released a doctored image of Catherine and a questionable apology attributed to the mother of three for "any confusion" her amateurishly edited image caused.

The image manipulations were so flagrant that news agencies including the Associated Press, AFP, Reuters, Getty Images and Britain's PA had to withdraw it from circulation or issue "kill" notices.

And Instagram, where the Waleses originally posted the photo and where it remains , also slapped an "altered photo" disclaimer on the March 10 post that said, "Independent fact-checkers say the photo or image has been edited in a way that could mislead people, but not because it was shown out of context."

X, formerly Twitter, also posted a disclaimer on the Prince and Princess of Wales' official account that said that the image is "believed to be digitally altered."

Goff Photos, which snapped several images March 11 of Kate allegedly in the backseat of a car with William, has since confirmed that its photos had been "cropped and lightened" but that "nothing has been doctored."

Prominent celebrities piled on, and a notable two — Kim Kardashian and Blake Lively.

"On my way to go find Kate," the "Kardashians" star wrote Sunday, captioning an image of herself next to a vehicle.

r135 How does the press treating Kate so badly prove the press are in thrall and beholden to the royals??

Your logic has me stumped! Recent events suggest the exact opposite of what you claim. Are you someone who has an emotional need for everything to be a conspiracy ans will stretch and contort your interpretation of reality to fit that?

[quote]Lainey Gossip has become a shadow of its former self and can even be borderline frau

The quoted report crossed the border to frau central, with its hysterically melodramatic faux-concern.

[quote]The former Kate Middleton was reportedly spotted Saturday near her home in Windsor, according to the Sun

It was The Sun which recently front-page boomed, 'Lay Off Kate' - seems TPTB are using said brutally populist tabloid to try to massage opinion - not entirely effectively.

R150 Eh, I'd call it more MARY! than frau. Frau central is the #IStandWithCatherine brigade.

[quote] The former Kate Middleton was reportedly spotted Saturday near her home in Windsor, according to the Sun

The Sun has absolutely no credibility.

It's basically "Pravda" for the British Royal Family.

Nothing more than a propaganda mouthpiece.

I'm glad that the Los Angeles Times article at R148, called them out on their lies.

The photo of Charles looks like chemo to me. He's very gaunt and his hair is much thinner on top. Much. Radiation (radiotherapy) can lead to fatigue but in and of itself it's not painful. Depending on the type, it can affect some adjacent areas (for example, urethra next to prostate) but if there's this much weight loss it's probably from the cancer itself, or from chemo-related nausea and not eating or not absorbing food.

I’ve had radiotherapy and “in and of itself” it is fucking painful.

Kate has been recorded, TMZ of course got the scoop. She looks fine, definitely very thin. Close down the bar, the gossip’s over.

Interesting that only TMZ will publish pictures.

Well, at least we know now she wasn't in eating disorder treatment.

Why does William never look happy?

Given that she looks normal, Lainey is right - why have their comms been so awful about this? It would be easy to put a simple, short video out of her thanking people and saying that she will be back when better. An unnaturally long recovery time too given that she's able to go to a farmer's market. It makes me wonder if there was some kind of mental breakdown.

Her face looks thinner, not surprising for someone who’s had a serious operation.

Also: “The rich will pay for a super-injunction to prevent the press running a true story likely to cause major embarrassment.” Doesn’t that only apply for UK papers? So a Euro or US one could publish the scoop but then the UK papers wouldn’t profit.

I guess the clone was ready to take out for a spin!

#FakeKate

Like clockwork.

R158 to be fair that's the same look of misery I get in garden centres as well.

Someone just posted this on Twitter.

Another mouth breathing halfwit at R165.

Shut up R149. Racist.

I cannot believe TMZ posted those ridiculous pictures, and tried to pass it off as her. That is not her. Even remotely.

It's from a video and other stills of it do look like Kate. The woman seems to be the right height, kind of walks like Kate too but because it's far away it's hard to be 100% sure.

I still do not understand why they don't just put out a video of her talking to the camera to clear all this up - she must be personally unwilling to.

Look at the still from the video at R165. That is clearly not her. Not even close.

The woman in video doesn't even walk like Kate.

The idiocy on these threads is off the scale.

I suppose that if the BRF caved to the demands of you bunch of tin hat wearing hysterics by providing an up close talking video of Kate going into all the gory details of her surgery/divorce/nervous breakdown/anorexia that you’d say it was a deep fake?

Of course you would, you bunch of halfwits.

Kate Miscaviage Middleton

I wonder if carrying a big bag like that after abdominal surgery is part of her post-operative therapy.

It contains her colostomy bag and/or divorce papers, silly!

Whatever the case, it's sad that these two had to be forced to be honest with the public and the media.

I think that after this, the honeymoon between The Waleses and the media is definitely over.

R169 - I'm leaning toward a refusal to cooperate. I think Kate had a breakdown over William and Rose (even though a planned surgery might have been in there too). I've read speculation that the affair with Rose has heated up significantly in recent months, that Rose is pregnant with William's kid, she wants to keep the baby, with William supporting that decision, which set Kate off. Not sure of a divorce unless it is William wanting one. That's a pretty messy angle, but also, entertaining. This whole thing smacks of an obstinate refusal by Kate to follow any kind of BRF protocol and what kind of circumstance would compel her to act that way? She's always been the dutiful royal wife. Essentially, I don't buy that surgery and recovery are the entirety of the reason for Kate being MIA. And these shoddy photos and video clips? Just making it worse.

Where did you read the speculation re William and Rose, R177? A link would be great, thanks.

I must start knitting bootees for Wil and Rose’s new baby!

[quote] Why does William never look happy?

Because his life is not his own.

R178 - I wish I had one. I was following a livestream discussion talking about random pop culture weirdness. The person putting forth this take on Kategate didn't seem that invested, just matter-of-fact (he's British). I had to turn my attention back to work and missed the rest. I recommend checking out Reddit because this sounds like a Reddit type of topic. I know I want to comb Reddit when I have time.

But r178… what will we do now that Joann Fabrics is closing??

That is not Kate in the farm stand photo

I think she should wave her colostomy bag on live television. That is what America demands.

Ok R180 but you said above that you had read it “somewhere” and now your memory has been jogged and you heard it - not read it - on a livestream discussion then you referred me to go through Reddit for the reference.

That sounds completely plausible!

iPhone videos today are sharp as a tack, this one looks like it was taken with a Nokia 6100.

The metadata disagrees with you, R185, but I’m sure that you know best.

R184 - sweetie, have you ever participated in a livestream? There is a live chat (which participants read as it scrolls concurrently). This live chat occurs at the same time as what is being discussed by the individual(s) on video. Livestream plus live chat (which you read). Together. At the same time. Get it? There were many opinions being expressed in the live chat, and commented on/discussed in the livestream (beyond Kategate). The individual commenting in the chat with that rumor (which I read. In the live chat stream, which his ongoing and can be read) said they were British and lived in London. The individual live on video also opined on that chat comment (that they read as it posted live) who is also British. So there was a livestream that I listened to, and a chat stream, which I read. Is that clear enough for you pookie?

[quote] That is not Kate in the farm stand photo

Not unless she got a higher cheekbones, a longer nose and lost even more weight (from where?).

Still doesn’t explain why he directed me to Reddit, sweetie.

Ooops - I meant “fuckwit”. Is hope that that’s clear enough for you.

It’s always entertaining when a sad old American queen like R187 attempts to condescend.

And fails, as usual.

I take it all back, I didn't believe the story about Kate visiting the farm shop for a second. But that's definitely her and William in the video. Looks as though she's had cosmetic surgery - looking much younger than she did last year - and lost even more weight. I still think something serious happened behind the scenes, though, and that that's why William pulled out of his godfather's memorial service at the last minute. But I think it was health-related, not a marriage crisis. Maybe there were complications after her surgery. Regardless, Kensington Palace handled the whole thing poorly.

Thank you, R182! I feel like I’m going insane. People here and in the press keep insisting it’s her. It is absolutely NOT HER. What the fuck is TMZ smoking? I can’t believe they haven’t retracted yet. This just gets crazier and crazier. Wtf is going on over there?

I've booked my tickets and hotel, I'm going over there to find out what the hell is going on. Quick trip, back next Tuesday. I'll keep you guys posted.

That is NOT a still from the video. It is upscaled AI - ie. imaginary

R192 the only crazy around here is you.

[quote]I still do not understand why they don't just put out a video of her talking to the camera to clear all this up - she must be personally unwilling to.

She's probably wondering why the announcement detailing the timeframe of her surgery and recovery wasn't sufficient when she's still well within the recovery timeframe announced. People on social media who suddenly started speculating about her condition and spreading rumors a month before her full recovery was expected shouldn't be indulged with a video proving anything just because they demand it.

Exactly, R196!

DL's fave weighs in ;)

R198 No wonder he’s DL’s fave - yet another clueless American who thinks that his opinion matters.

r199 my wink was that he actually is not DL's fave, they tear him apart here which he often deserves

Whew! I can finally sleep at night now that Andy 'cocaine' Cohen has weighed in.

[quote] That is NOT a still from the video. It is upscaled AI - ie. imaginary

So the BRF is inept at photoshop but suddenly become AI specialists when it's time to "prove" that Kate is still alive? The laughs just keep on coming with the conspiracy crowd, although now I'm wondering if people are purposely posting ridiculous theories to social media for attention because they're bored and living in the internet echo chamber.

Ha R200! I missed that. Whoosh on me!

The article that compared Kate truthers to QAnon level retardation was really on the ball. Fucking hell we're now on the level of theories about body doubles walking around Windsor because a women who's been ill looks slightly thinner? They'd have done this with Diana years ago if they have this power. it'd have saved themselves so many problems. Or was the Buckingham palace troublesome wife replacement agency only set up after her?

R201 que??? It’s been run through the Remini face app, that’s all. You need to take remedial comprehension.

R204 I think you need to take your own advice. The internet has given this whole fiasco way too much thought and energy, and it's boring now. Move on.

The Queen should have stepped down long ago and let Charles take over so she could teach them how to handle things like this when they happened. I also think that since both these things happened at once to Charles and kate it became very complicated. If they had pulled it off it would have been a miracle.

quote] so she could teach them how to handle things like this when they happened

... This would be the Elizabeth II who was seen about twice in the final few years of her life due to chronic illness? Yeah no I'm sure she'd be telling Kate to get out there and shut up the theorists.

R206, add to that William canceling at the last minute attending the memorial service for Constantine, the day (day after?) the Kent’s son in law shot himself. Even though most people wouldn’t have know the guy if they’d bumped into him on the street, it was on the front page of the newspapers and the sudden death of a young, good looking, royally connected, (fairly) recently married man is sad and shocking.

I don’t know if the two events are connected, probably not, but William’s cancellation when Kate is recuperating is what set off the current round of she’s dead/in a coma/been beaten by abusive husband rumors.

R180 - you were directed to Reddit merely as a suggestion with the implication that certain topics on there might have engagement centered around that particular angle of speculation. I'm guessing you need everything explained in detail to you because you seem unable to grasp nuance. Perhaps DL isn't the place for you then?

It’s her. She’s wearing an umbra men’s England rugby hoodie. She usually wears something from one of her charities when she’s doing a planned/not planned photo op like this. She is president of the rugby association.

Why does she have a pointy elfin ear?

[quote] She’s wearing an umbra men’s England rugby hoodie. She usually wears something from one of her charities when she’s doing a planned/not planned photo op like this. She is president of the rugby association.

Wow, that's crazy. He has Kate's body-double wear her clothes?

What’s crazy is you, R212. You must have a very basic life if this is how you get your kicks.

A professional Kate lookalike staged the footage and sold it to TMZ.

Yes of course R214. Absolutely. That’s exactly what happened. Totally.

R214 that certainly explains the higher cheekbones and the longer nose.

Definitely. Without a doubt. Don’t forget the pixie ears that she acquired when the original was shopped.

No, no, this is Kate *post-surgery*. She had a complete facial reconstruction after William beat her up at Christmas!

There is no proof of life photo that will satisfy Kate Truthers.

William was acting on Charlotte’s orders.

[QUOTE][R214] that certainly explains the higher cheekbones and the longer nose.

And the pointy elfin ears.

Sorry, r215. Didn't see your response.

That girl at R214, doesn’t really look like Kate at all, which is exactly my point.

Yes, R222, because the image has been manipulated.

It may not suit your tin hat narrative but if you look at the short clip on TMZ from which the original clip was published before manipulation, you’ll see that it is obviously Kate and William.

Maybe you could focus on the non existent Christmas decorations in the shop. Your fellow nut jobs have been.

We need Scooby on the case