What is actually going on with Kate Middleton?

If there’s one thing the general public ferociously despise, it’s not being in the know. Collectively, we cannot stand information that is beyond our grasp, so we deliberate, hypothesise, catastrophise, and navel gaze to great extremes, planting seeds for conspiracy and luxuriating in intrigue. Simply put, speculation is a drug, and with all the commotion currently surrounding the Princess of Wales, we’re all getting second hand high.

Let’s break it down.

Catherine, the Princess of Wales (Kate Middleton), has not made a public appearance since Christmas Day save for a hastily snapped photograph that appeared in TMZ earlier this month, and a picture of her today after Photoshop Gate. Naturally, this Kate-shaped void whipped up something of a transatlantic frenzy, which resulted in theories ranging from the potentially plausible (she’s sick) to the more laughably frivolous (she’s growing out her bangs).

Back in January, Kensington Palace released a statement explaining that Kate had undergone a planned abdominal surgery, and said she would remain in the hospital for two weeks, and would not return to public duties until after Easter. Yes, it was vague, but—wait for it—people, even the Royals, are entitled to a certain degree of privacy.

“[The Princess of Wales] hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normalcy for her children as possible,” the statement read, before promising to “only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’s progress when there is significant new information to share.”

Conspiracies picked up when Prince William pulled out of reading at his godfather’s Greece’s King Constantine II memorial service for “personal reasons.” As the ‘Where’s Kate’ frenzy reached a fever pitch, TMZ published a grainy paparazzi shot of Kate in a car driven by her mother, that the British press refused to publish citing her request for privacy, and the public refused to accept citing bad photo quality.

Speaking of bad quality photos, fast forward to Sunday 10 March, when the palace shared an official photograph of a smiling Catherine with her three children captioned: “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C.” Pandemonium ensues.

You see, it’s not the seemingly innocuous post that’s been causing a reaction, it’s the image itself. Taken on the patio of Adelaide Cottage, Kate’s got her arms wrapped around Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, as Prince George stands behind her with his arms laced around her shoulders. Picture agencies Reuters, Associated Press (AP), Getty Images and Agence France-Presse (AFP) retracted the image from their wires, because, according to AP, “at closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image.”

Across the globe, people were squinting, zooming, and scrutinising the image, musing as to whether it could be AI generated, a sloppy Photoshop job, or blurred and fused together from previously existing imagery. From Middleton’s misaligned zip to Princess Charlotte’s left hand not matching up with her sleeve, it’s clear that something wasn’t quite right.

Responding incredibly swiftly, the official Prince and Princess of Wales Twitter (X) account posted: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. 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. C.”

Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. 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. C

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024

Since this hastily posted explanation, the Princess of Wales has been spotted leaving Windsor alongside Prince William to attend a private appointment, but the question that’s hanging in the air is simply, why? Why manipulate an image of yourself and your children? Why then choose to share it to the masses at a time when scrutiny and surveillance is at an all time high? The smallest degree of privacy is the least that can be afforded to someone so entrenched in the spotlight, but this Photoshop blunder leaves us scratching our heads.

Featured image via @princeandprincessofwales on Instagram.