Several conspiracy theories surrounding Kate Middleton’s whereabouts have surfaced since she was released from hospital for abdominal surgery.
In January, Kensington Palace announced that the Princess of Wales, 42, had undergone “planned abdominal surgery”.
“The surgery was successful and she is expected to remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days before returning home to continue her recovery.” read a statement on Instagramadding that Middleton is “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter”.
After the mum-of-three was released from hospital almost two weeks after the operation, she stayed out of the public eye. However, a palace insider claimed to Daily Express UK that she was “going back to work from her bed” at Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor estate and was preparing to return to public duties around Easter.
After Middleton was photographed for the first time nearly two months after her hospitalization and released a photo of her and Prince William’s three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, on March 10, fan conspiracy theories about the royal have grown even more.
A more serious problem than “tummy surgery”
Some fans believe Middleton was hospitalized for a more serious problem than “tummy surgery.”
The Palace didn’t release details about what the surgery dealt with, but Page Six was told it wasn’t cancerous.
Some fans believe it went under the knife for cosmetic reasons.
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“I mean….if it’s Kate Middleton, then she’s had a full facelift, facial plastic surgery. Her sagging wrinkles and moles are gone,” said one user.
“Kate Middleton has probably had some new plastic surgery since she’s soon to be Queen. So they might grab her,” added another.
She’s not wearing her wedding ring
Middleton – who has been married to William, 41, since 2011 – was seen not wearing her wedding ring in her new Mother’s Day photo.
“Thank you for your well wishes and continued support over the past two months,” he said she captioned the Instagram post.
Fans noticed that Middleton’s iconic diamond and sapphire heirloom, once owned by Princess Diana, was missing from that finger.
“WHERE IS YOUR RING??!! 💍” one fan commented, while another speculated, “no ring, tree in full bloom in winter, jeans after big belly [sic] surgery, face shape completely different from car photo.’
When Kensington Palace was asked why he was not wearing the sparkler, they had no comment, per Town and Country magazine.
AI photography
In addition, fans believe that the new Mother’s Day photo, which was taken by her husband, was created by artificial intelligence.
“This looks like an AI photo… not for the theories either but come on this is not a real photo… Idk it doesn’t look real,” one person theorized on Instagram.
Major photo agencies issued a “kill alert” over the photo of Middleton and her children.
According to the Mirrorthe Associated Press (AP) Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Getty Images issued a “kill alert” to media outlets around the world, saying they had deleted the Mother’s Day image from their libraries.
“On closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” a message from the Associated Press reportedly read.
Sources told the Mirror that photo agencies believed the photo of William’s wife and children had been altered from the original.
Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL)
As Middleton continues to keep a low profile from the public, social media users are speculating that she may have had some plastic surgery — a Brazilian butt lift also known as BBL.
“Kate Middleton is sitting in the new family photo because she’s hiding that BBL,” one person tweeted.
“Kate Middleton is clearly recovering from bbl surgery. That’s why no one saw her,” added another.
“Kate Middleton is not going to beat the bbl allegations,” wrote a third person.
Despite the theories, a rep for the princess told Page Six exclusively last month that she was “doing well” and that they would not be providing additional updates unless they were “important.”
Body double
After Middleton was photographed in a farm shop on March 16, 2024, several people – including tech CEO Christopher Bouzy – expressed their doubts that the person in the video was the real princess.
Bouzy, who appeared in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix documentary, he tweeted, “I have collected some older videos of William and Kate walking together, as well as the recent video from Windsor Farm. Take a look and decide for yourself if it’s Kate or not.’
The BotSentinel executive added: “We’re told Kate is on the mend and will resume her royal duties soon. However, in the recent video, she is holding a bag and moving in a hurry. If she is capable of such activity, why has she not returned to fulfilling her royal duties?’
Bravo producer Andy Cohen also made headlines when he tweeted, “That’s not Kate.”
