There has always been a rash and chaotic media circus surrounding the British royal family, especially in recent years. In lieu of Kate Middleton’s strange absence from both the public and online world, and the bizarre attempts by the media to quell the public’s curiosity about her health and safety, the hypocrisy and lack of transparency of the British press are on full display.

Catherine “Kate” Middleton, the Princess of Wales and wife to Prince William, underwent abdominal surgery on January 16th, 2024. At the time, the royal abode of Kensington Palace issued a statement that Kate would be in recovery and would not make any major public appearances until Easter. However, people grew concerned when there were no photos released of Kate for weeks after she supposedly left the hospital. This was especially strange given the fact that Kate has previously allowed photos of her to be posted only hours after she gave birth to each of her three children. 

A blurry photo that was said to depict Kate and her mother Carol in their car was published on March 4th, but after a month and a half of silence from the Princess, the public was skeptical that the grainy silhouettes were actually the Middletons. What really added fuel to the conspiracy fire, however, was the photo posted by Kensington Palace six days later. What at first glance looked like a wholesome picture of Kate and her children out on their lawn, turned out to be much less candid than it appeared. Imperfections in Kate’s hand around her son Henry, and in her daughter Charlotte’s sleeve, revealed that the image had been photoshopped. Within hours, the photo had been retracted from all online platforms.

That day, Kate and William’s shared account on X published a statement about the doctored photo.

“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” Middleton said, according to @Kensingtonroyal. 

Immediately, royal watchers from both Britain and across the pond began to buzz with theories that the British press had released the X post on Kate’s behalf, and that the Princess herself was still missing in action. Both comedic and genuine concerns have been raised regarding Kate’s whereabouts all across social media, ranging from suggestions that she had been kidnapped to that her abdominal surgery was actually a botched cosmetic procedure. Additionally, people noticed how the British news was taking care to smother any rumors about Kate, and preserve her privacy, when they had never extended the same courtesy to Princess Meghan Markle while she was a member of the royal family. Tabloids had torn Meghan and her husband Prince Harry to shreds, constantly pinning them against Kate and William. The Prince and Princess of Wales are clearly held in higher esteem by the press, and it is evident by how they are protected. 

Kate is scheduled to resume her royal duties on Easter, which will be March 31st. Royal watchers eagerly await if the press will ever reveal what exactly happened to Kate Middleton in the first three months of 2024, and if they will ever take accountability for their lack of transparency.