And why the British press won’t publish them.
Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, has finally reappeared since her abdominal surgery and subsequent hospitalization — well, sort of. On Monday, the paparazzi captured her riding in a car with her mom, Carole Middleton.
The image, which was first published by gossip site TMZ, has been making the rounds on multiple websites here in the U.S., including Fox News, ABC, and Entertainment Tonight. But apparently, it hasn’t appeared across the pond, even though that’s where all of the drama seems to be unfolding and where the image would make a much bigger impact.
If anything, the recent photo of her has only stirred up more speculation. Her husband, Prince William who has stayed silent on the matter, has finally spoken out about the rumors circulating online. “His focus is on his work and not on social media,” a spokesman for William told People.
So we took a closer look at where Kate was seen and why the much-talked-about photo is being kept under wraps by British outlets.
Where was Kate Middleton spotted in the new paparazzi photo?
Kate was photographed riding along in a black SUV with her mom near Windsor Castle. And judging by her dark sunglasses, it looked like she was trying to keep a low profile.
While it’s unclear where the pair was headed, the Daily Mail speculated they may have been returning home after taking Kate’s three kids — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — to school.
While the sighting may not seem like much, it marks the first time she has been seen in more than two months. Until this point, the princess hadn’t made any public appearances since Christmas, when she joined members of the royal family at church in Norfolk, England.
Why the U.K. isn’t using the photo
Kensington Palace didn’t release or even authorize the photo, and so far, no major British outlets have published it. According to ITV’s royal editor Chris Ship, this decision is “out of respect for her privacy.”
But the move likely has to do with the very real concern of facing legal action from the royal family. In 2021, Splash News and Pictures Agency was forced into bankruptcy after Meghan Markle sued the U.K.-based tabloid for taking photos of her with her son, Prince Archie. While these were taken in a public park in Canada, Markle claimed that they breached her privacy and data protection rights.
Her lawsuit was ultimately successful because privacy rights are much tighter in the U.K. than in the U.S. — for instance, European privacy laws state that there is a right to privacy when a public figure is going about their private life. That said, there may be little Buckingham Palace can do about the TMZ article since they are an American media outlet. The agency responsible for the images, Backgrid, also is not a British company.
Kate Middleton’s health and whereabouts
Kate has been recuperating at the royal family’s home in Windsor. Though there aren’t further details on her whereabouts, her uncle Gary Goldsmith dropped a hint on an episode of the reality show Celebrity Big Brother, saying his niece was taking it easy in a “nice house somewhere.”
Unsurprisingly, royal officials have been hush-hush about Kate’s health as she heals from surgery. The palace keeps saying she’s “doing well,” and when there’s a significant update to share, they will. So far, it appears the princess is sticking to the original plan of returning to her royal duties after Easter. (The U.K. Ministry of Defense mistakenly advertised that she would appear at a military ceremony in June but the royals haven’t confirmed that yet.)
While there could be a million reasons why Kate has tried to keep her health private, the palace stated in January that “she hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible.”
The conspiracy theories about the new Kate Middleton photo
It’s possible the photo was staged to put rumors to rest, but that’s not what has happened. The commentary and memes have continued, including one series that compares her to other celebs spotted in automobiles, like Michael Jackson.
The grainy quality of the snapshot didn’t help, leading others to question whether it was really her in the photo. (To be fair, do any of us look like ourselves when we’re not feeling our best?)
Even more bizarrely, one person wondered if the person was a body double or her sister, Pippa. “Pippa girl, is that you? Is this the double I was talking about? 🫠 Will the real Kate Middleton please stand up,” they asked.
While most of these theories are pretty silly, they do point to some serious questions about the circumstances of Kate’s medical condition that might remain a mystery.
