The Princess of Wales’ Three Peaks Challenge story has bizarrely blown up in her face. It’s like the weirdly manipulated 2024 Mother’s Day photo all over again. Yet another own-goal from Kensington Palace, they just can’t stop getting in their own way. After the Mother’s Day fiasco, many photo agencies and international outlets learned the hard way that Kensington Palace has zero credibility and that every photo, video and story they release should be handled with a healthy dose of skepticism. Which is why Kate’s Three Peaks Challenge story was bizarre from the start – she claimed that she hiked three mountains with minimal help, and that Prince William, the kids, Carole Middleton and James Middleton were all waiting for her when she completed the challenge. Within 24 hours, there was footage of what appeared to be a body double wearing different clothes, purporting to be Kate. There was also footage of Real Kate on a mountain, surrounded by staffers, including what appeared to be a videographer or photographer. And now this: Kate’s brother James was helping her for some or all of it?
James Middleton can be seen helping his sister, the Princess of Wales, down to the base of Mount Snowdon in a heartwarming video filmed by a hiker who also completed the Three Peaks Challenge.
Catherine, 44, recently completed the gruelling endurance event, scaling three of the highest peaks in the UK within 24 hours, to spread her message about life during and after cancer.
While the Princess did the challenge solo, her younger brother sweetly escorted Catherine to the base of the mountain in Wales in a clip filmed by entrepreneur Phillip Tebajjwa.
The video shows a beaming Kate, wearing red shorts, hiking boots, and a grey cap, holding James’s hand as her famous sapphire ring caught the light.
The moment felt especially poignant as royal fans recalled how Catherine attended therapy appointments with James when he was being treated for severe depression that left him contemplating suicide.
I’m including the footage below, which now belongs to Kensington Palace, because the guy who shot the footage issued a bizarre video statement saying that he was giving up his rights to his own video because he shouldn’t have shared a private moment. Keep in mind, Kate’s Three Peaks Challenge was added (after the fact) to the Court Circular, so it “counts” as a work event for her. Not only that, but Ellie Hall pointed out that James not only appeared with Kate at Mount Snowdon, he also appeared in some of the photos and videos of Kate at Scafell Pike. So did Kate and James Middleton do the Three Peaks Challenge together, and KP just decided to lie about it?
That’s ridiculous! Kate Middleton went up there with the guards and a camera crew filming her the whole time—and she even changed her clothes like three times
—and you’re telling me she did that to seem authentic? pic.twitter.com/Lh6F6Qsvne — Andy (@solossisu) July 1, 2026
NEW: The man who posted footage of Princess Catherine (aka Kate Middleton) and her brother James descending Mount Snowdon during her recent National Three Peaks Challenge has taken it down, apologized for sharing it, and claims to have given the rights to Kensington Palace: pic.twitter.com/2Dx90G7Dzc
— Ellie Hall (@ellievhall) July 2, 2026
NEW: After footage of Princess Catherine (aka Kate Middleton) and her brother James descending Mount Snowdon was taken down by its apologetic uploader, another video shows that James was ALSO with his sister when she scaled Scafell Pike during her National Three Peaks Challenge: pic.twitter.com/HF9KqulfUd
— Ellie Hall (@ellievhall) July 2, 2026
Photos courtesy of Kensington Palace.
