Kate Middleton Spotted … by Unnamed Sources Who Took No Photos
You can stop worrying about Kate Middleton, because the royal was spotted visiting a farm shop in Windsor on Saturday … if you believe sources who spoke to The Sun exclusively, would not give their names, and did not take any photos of the ostensibly missing princess.
On January 17, Kensington Palace announced that Catherine, the Princess of Wales, had undergone “planned abdominal surgery” the previous day, and would be recovering at Adelaide Cottage, her home in Windsor, “until after Easter.” Since Christmas, we have only seen two grainy photos of the princess riding in cars with her mother and her husband, Prince William. There have been no significant updates on her health aside from terse claims from the Palace that she is “doing well.” The “where is Kate Middleton” speculation reached a fever pitch last week when the royals shared a heavily Photoshopped Mother’s Day photo on social media, after which Kate apologized for her “experiment with editing.”
But according to The Sun’s Monday cover story, everyone can calm down, because, “First public trip ends web rumours.” Indeed, Kate looks quite happy and healthy in her jaunty red blazer!
Hmm, but if you look at the cover more closely, you’ll see the caption reads: “On mend … Kate, seen in autumn, made two trips at the weekend.” The photo was taken on September 27.
The cover story says Kate was actually spotted twice with William on Saturday: In the morning they watched their kids “take part in sports” and they also visited her “favourite farm shop.” So what’s the name of this shop? When was Kate there? Did she speak to anyone? How many sources say they saw her? What are their names? Did they take any photos? If so, did they share those images with reporters to corroborate their claims?
These are all good questions. Unfortunately, they are not addressed in the text of the story. This is all The Sun says about the Kate sighting:
PRINCESS Kate took her first steps towards a return to official engagements with a trip to her favourite farm shop.
Onlookers said she looked “happy, relaxed and healthy” on the visit a mile from her Adelaide Cottage home in Windsor on Saturday.
In a further boost yesterday, Kate and William spent the morning watching children George, ten, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five, take part in sports.
The sightings come amid wild speculation and gossip about her health and whereabouts which left the royal couple “devastated”.
Kate was also embroiled in hurtful criticism over a Mother’s Day picture which she altered using Photoshop.
A witness at the farm shop in Windsor said: “After all the rumours that had been going round I was stunned to see them there.
“Kate was out shopping with William and she looked happy and she looked well.
“The kids weren’t with them but it’s such a good sign she was healthy enough to pop down to the shops.”
Accompanying photos reveal that the store is called Windsor Farm Shop. The Sun also shared a report from the scene, which contains no additional information or witness interviews.
“I’m here outside the Windsor Farm Shop where on Saturday the Prince and Princess of Wales were seen together getting some shopping,” says reporter Ed Southgate. “They were seen by onlookers who described them as happy and said Kate in particular was looking very healthy.”
Princess Kate took her first steps towards a return to official engagements with a trip to her favourite farm shop. pic.twitter.com/U9ZO1VhCcN
— The Sun (@TheSun) March 18, 2024
“It’s obviously the first time Kate has properly been seen in public since Christmas Day,” Southgate continued.
The word obviously seems a little strong for what’s going on here. Despite The Sun’s proclamation that this “ends web rumours,” the story seems to be doing the opposite. The Sun’s post revealing today’s cover has been amended with a warning on X:
This post and accompanying image are misleading. The photo of Kate used here is from last autumn. Kate was not seen by any verified sources and there are no photographs of her ‘public trip.’
And DailyMail.com ran the story under this rather lengthy headline: “Kate Middleton’s surprise farm shop trip piles more pressure on the Palace to update the nation on her recovery because aides’ silence is just fuelling more conspiracy theories, warn experts.”
But don’t hold your breath for a competent or satisfying response from Kensington Palace. On Sunday, an anonymous friend of the royal couple told the Times of London that they won’t be pressured into offering up actual proof that the princess is “doing well.”
“They will want to be clear and more open, but they’ll do it when they feel ready,” the friend said. “I would expect that to be her instinct and it will be her call. They’re not going to be rushed.”