SOCIAL MEDIA SPECULATION concerning the absence of Kate Middleton from public life has reached fever pitch in the last 24 hours.
Middleton, whose official monarchic titles include the Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess of Wales, has not been seen in nearly six weeks following a medical procedure last month.
It had been announced on 16 January that Middleton was undergoing abdominal surgery at the London Clinic. At the time, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace further specified that the surgery was not cancer-related. Further details pertaining to the purpose of the surgery, however, have been withheld from the public at large both in the immediate aftermath of the surgery and the weeks since.
International news outlets have begun to report on Middleton’s absence, such as this Newsweek headline which refers to her as “missing”. Other major entertainment outlets such as Vanity Fair and Cosmpolitan have also written about Middleton’s absence since yesterday.
Kensington Palace, the royal residence where Middleton lives, yesterday issued a statement saying that Middleton “continues to be doing well,” though no further details were provided.
The opacity surrounding Middleton’s recovery has given rise to an online rumour mill that continues to gather pace in the aftermath of yesterday’s statement. Middleton was one of the top trending topics on Twitter as of Wednesday morning, with many of the tweets having a conspiratorial bent, making unfounded claims about why she has not reappeared before the public eye.
At the beginning of February, the Times of London issued a report citing a Kensington Palace source robustly refuting claims by Spanish journalist Concha Calleja that Middleton was in an induced coma. In that report, a palace source said: “It’s total nonsense. No attempt was made by that journalist to fact-check anything that she said with anyone in the household. It’s fundamentally, totally made-up, and I’ll use polite English here: it’s absolutely not the case.”
But speculation remains rife despite the official assurances that Middleton is recovering well, with rumours focusing not just on the 42-year-old’s health, but also the status of her marriage to Prince William.
Focus was drawn to the pair’s relationship this week when William issued a statement on Gaza, in which Charles’ heir said: “There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It’s critical that aid gets in and hostages are released.”
In contrast to a Kensington Palace statement issued in the wake of the October 7th attack by Hamas, William’s latest statement is addressed from “The Prince of Wales” as opposed to “The Prince and Princess of Wales.” The latest statement also bears William’s personal royal monogram, which October’s statement did not.
Internet users have inevitably begun to speculate that Kate’s ostensible absence from the statement is evidence of a marriage in trouble. One headline published by the Daily Mail earlier this week reads: “Don’t lecture us all about Gaza, William… just tell us how Kate is.”
Middleton and Prince William have been married since 2011 and have three children together: George, Charlotte and Louis. As things stand, George, Charlotte and Louis follow their father in the line of succession (in order of birth).
The three children have not been pictured since their mother’s surgery, nor have Middleton’s parents. All photos shared by official channels since last month have been “throwbacks”.
The speculation surrounding Middleton’s marriage to William adds a further layer of complication to the health concerns currently faced by British King Charles III. Charles was coronated in May of last year, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The 75-year-old monarch was diagnosed with cancer for which he is now receiving treatment. Buckingham Palace has not shared details as to the type of cancer, its stage, its progression or the King’s prognosis. Charles has, in keeping with medical advice, suspended all of his public facing duties.
Not now, sweetie, mommy's down a MAJOR rabbit hole concerning Kate Middleton's whereabouts since December pic.twitter.com/wt0ZWgmZDN
— Lucy Thackray (@LucyInTheSky22) February 27, 2024
The focus on Middleton, her marriage to William, and the line of succession, intensified yesterday when Kensington Palace announced that Prince William would be pulling out of an official appearance.
In a brief statement, the palace wrote: “Unfortunately, The Prince of Wales is no longer able to attend the King Constantine Memorial Service this morning due to a personal matter”. Constantine, a second cousin King Charles III, died at the age of 82 last year. He was King of Greece at the time the country abolished its monarchy in 1973.
It was confirmed that William’s rain-check was not related to his father’s health. No further explanation was put forward, in keeping with the theme of the last few weeks.
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