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On March 4, TMZ claimed to have pictures of Kate Middleton spotted for the first time since her abdominal surgery on January 16. In the photograph, Kate sat in a car next to her mother, Carole, near Windsor Castle in the UK.
But a closer look at the photo beguiled many netizens, who were adamant that the woman in the picture was indeed not Kate Middleton but rather an airbrushed version of her sister, Pippa Middleton. As the photo circulated on social media, many refused to entertain the idea this could be the Princess of Wales, with one user on X asking:
"Who's this really? Pippa?"
Netizens react to TMZ's pictures of Kate Middleton
Following the news of her planned abdominal surgery, Kate Middleton's well-being has been the subject of discussion for many weeks now. The lack of information from official royal sources has caused a swirl of conspiracy theories to float on the internet, with the hashtag #WhereIsKate and other variations to trend on X.
So it stands to reason that TMZ's claims of Kate Middleton's first appearance post-surgery were scrupulously scrutinized by netizens, with several of them drawing the resounding conclusion that the woman in the photos was not Kate Middleton.
Netizens believe that the picture is actually of Pippa Middleton photoshopped to look like her sister.
When was Kate Middleton last seen?
According to ET Online, Middleton's last public appearance was on December 25, when she appeared with her husband, Prince William, and children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, at the annual Christmas service at Sandringham Church in Sandringham, Norfolk.
On January 17, Kensington Palace released a statement that the Princess of Wales underwent a "planned abdominal surgery" the previous day and would be hospitalized for 10 to 14 days, following which she will continue her recovery at her residence in Windsor.
She is not expected to return to her royal duties till after Easter. A statement released by Kensington Palace read:
"Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."
As per ET Online, on February 29, the Palace released a statement affirming that the Princess was "doing well" to dispel the rumors that arose after Prince William canceled an appearance at his godfather's memorial service due to a "personal matter." Just days later, they released a follow-up statement that read:
"We gave guidance two days ago that the Princess of Wales continues to be doing well. As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates."
Prince William, who stepped back from his royal duties to care for his wife and their three children, had to return to the spotlight to shoulder varied responsibilities after King Charles' cancer diagnosis.
February has been a rough month for the royal family in terms of medical reasons, with two senior members of the family out of commission citing health issues.
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