Did Kensington Palace just trot out a fake Kate Middleton with the goal of deceiving the public?
That’s the theory put forth by thousands of social media users after the Princess of Wales was spotted Monday at a farmer’s market in Windsor.
At first, the footage obtained by TMZ was universally celebrated.
After all, Kate has been mostly absent from public life for several months now, and many royal watchers have grown concerned about her health.
Catherine, Princess of Wales attends The “Together At Christmas” Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 08, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
So the sight of Kate smiling as she shopped and strolled alongside husband Prince William was a welcome one indeed.
But now, X (formerly Twitter) users and even a few prominent media figures are accusing palace officials of once again misleading the public.
Kensington Palace Accused of Hiring ‘Fake’ Kate Middleton
“That ain’t Kate…” Andy Cohen tweeted on Monday.
Catherine, Princess Of Wales is seen during the opening of Evelina London’s new children’s day surgery unit on December 5, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Vogler – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The Bravo boss was not alone in his belief that the royals used a Kate lookalike to create the false impression that the princess had recovered well enough to enjoy a casual walk with her husband.
“I am sorry but that’s not her,” tweeted another fan who added “#FakeKate” to her message.
“They should’ve just paid Steven Spielberg to fake a video of Kate because that TMZ video just made everything worse,” a second user added, according to Page Six.
Catherine, Princess of Wales at an evening reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace on December 5, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jonathan Brady – Pool / Getty Images)
“That’s not the same person #KateGate #fakekate #KateMiddleton,” a third person chimed in.
The controversial clip comes amid reports that Will and Kate hit the farmer’s market after watching their kids compete in various sporting events earlier in the day.
“After all the rumors that had been going ’round, I was stunned to see them there,” one witness told UK newspaper The Sun.
“Kate was out shopping with William, and she looked happy and she looked well.”
Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales clap during the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall on November 30, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Aaron Chown – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Kate’s Fake Photo Raises Suspicions
A couple of weeks ago, the idea of a Kate doppelganger being used to mislead the press and public might have sounded absurd.
But as it is, these allegations are coming on the heels of a bizarre allegation in which a Mother’s Day photo of Kate was found to be heavily edited.
Kate apologized for her role in the deception, but many feel that both the princess and the palace have yet to offer a sufficient explanation for why such a ruse was necessary.
Princess of Wales arrives to attend the “Together At Christmas” Carol Service” at Westminster Abbey in London on December 8, 2023. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)
By most accounts, Kate has been sidelined by health issues, and her recovery is taking longer than anticipated.
Kate underwent an unspecified abdominal surgery in January, and palace officials initially indicated that she would return to her royal duties sometime soon after Easter.
Now, it appears that there’s no official timeline for Kate’s return, and it’s still not clear why there’s so much secrecy surrounding her recovery.
We’ll have further information on this developing story as new information becomes available.
Kate Middleton Sighting Slammed as ‘Fake’ By Conspiracy Theorists & Andy … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.