Fast Links
Following a planned abdominal surgery that left her hospitalized for two weeks, Kate Middleton has presumably emerged after an extended absence from the public spotlight. The Princess of Wales and her husband, Prince William, have faced online speculation amidst health concerns as Middleton seemingly vanished out of thin air… until this past weekend.
The Princess of Wales Is Captured in High Spirits
Kate’s absence and the considerable lack of details regarding her surgery has understandably left the British public frustrated. Middleton was spotted in Windsor last weekend with her husband at a local business called the Windsor Farm Shop. The Sun reported that eyewitnesses saw them out and about, during which time Kate seemed “happy, relaxed, and healthy” for the most part.
The couple’s three children were nowhere to be seen, but The Sun also claimed that William and Kate spent their Saturday morning watching them play sports. After rumors of a supposed announcement from Buckingham Palace on March 18 led us all to believe that Kate’s health had taken a turn for the worse, it’s nice to see the Princess of Wales back in full form.
But All Is Not As It Appears… Or Is It?
But although Kate and William have been captured on video leaving the Windsor Farm Shop, netizens are unconvinced that the woman seen walking beside William is actually Kate. In fact, controversies surrounding Kate’s absence have led theorists to believe that something more sinister occurred behind closed doors and the royal family are attempting an elaborate cover-up à la Princess Diana.
Fans have pointed out flaws in the video, claiming it was “photoshopped.” Another even went so far as to say “that woman is not Kate Middleton.” Critics pointed out differences in Kate’s height and chin structure, while another used facial enhancement software to determine that another woman’s face better fit the blurry rendition of Kate Middleton.
But all of this is contradicted by an eyewitnesses who saw them at Windsor Farm Shop. Nelson Silva said: “I noticed a couple choosing loaves of bread and the woman turned her face and I felt like I had seen the face before. It was familiar. I knew it from somewhere.”
“I went to my car and as they came out of the shop I just filmed them. I think they walked out through a gate out of the grounds. They just vanished and I didn’t see a car. I just wanted to share with my family footage and show just how normal they were,” he added.
For any naysayers out there, this is a legitimate video taken on Saturday around Windsor. But most of the doubt has festered from the photoshopped image of Kate and her children that made the rounds on the internet. It seemed that either Kate herself or someone at Kensington Palace tried to mislead the public. There were 16 alterations made to the photo and Kate has since apologized.
After that botched job, it came as no surprise that skeptics were running rampant. But now that Kate has been videoed in the flesh, it’s a hard truth to swallow.