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Princess Kate is recovering after undergoing a planned operation earlier this year, but the public is still worried about her whereabouts. Although Kensington Palace confirmed that she would not return to public duties until the spring, fans of the royal family are speculating over her absence. Most recently, some alleged that Kate’s recent Mother’s Day Instagram photo was AI generated, and the Agence France-Presse (AFP) even said that Kensington Palace is “not a trusted source.”
During a March 17 interview on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Princess Diana‘s brother, Earl Charles of Spencer, reacted to the viral conspiracy theories about Kate and compared them to the media scrutiny that his late sister faced in the 1990s.
“I do worry about what happened to the truth,” he said. “I think it was more dangerous back in the day. If I look back to ’97 and Diana’s death, I think that was so shocking, the circumstance of her death was so shocking, that it did make the industry that supports the paparazzi really consider more carefully what it could and couldn’t do. Not because they had a moral judgment, but because it was unacceptable to the public.”
Find out what Kate is doing now amid her recovery.
What Happened to Kate Middleton?
In January, Kensington Palace announced that the Princess of Wales underwent a “planned abdominal surgery” and was expected to make a full recovery.
“The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” the palace explained in its statement. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
The palace acknowledged that Kate expected the public to be concerned about her condition and reassured fans that she was healthy.
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the palace added. “She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible, and her wish that her personal medical information remains private. Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share. The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
Two months later, Kate was spotted in public for the first time in a car with her mother, Carole. That month, the royal was seen out and about again with her husband, Prince William, also riding in a car. In March, the Prince and Princess of Wales were reportedly seen on a shopping date in the U.K., and Kate was looking “happy” and “healthy.”
Are There AI-Generated Images of Kate?
In March 2024, social media users were weary about a specific photo that the Princess of Wales posted to Instagram in celebration of Mother’s Day in the U.K. The image was taken down after the Associated Press issued a “kill notification” about it, warning journalists and accompanying websites to avoid using the “manipulated” picture. In the snapshot, viewers noticed that Kate and William’s children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — appeared to have been Photoshopped.
Shortly thereafter, Kate issued a statement via X and her Instagram Stories, admitting that she had edited the image.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she explained. “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.”
Nevertheless, Instagram put an “altered photo” warning label on Kate’s post.
What Is Prince William Doing Amid Kate’s Recovery?
As his wife continues to keep a low profile at the moment, the Prince of Wales has been attending a few events. He has not directly responded to Kate’s absence from public outings.
