New Video of Kate Middleton at Windsor Farm Shop Draws Some Skepticism
After The Sun reported that Kate Middleton was seen at a Windsor farm shop on Saturday with Prince William, TMZ obtained video of Kate there—though taken from afar. The Princess of Wales was dressed down in black leggings and a windbreaker. She appeared to be in good spirits, walking briskly in the clip with William while carrying a bag. See the footage here.
The eyewitness who got the footage told TMZ, “Kate looked happy and relaxed. They look happy just to be able to go to a shop and mingle. Kate looked relieved like it was a success going to a shop. It felt natural.”
Of how they got the video, the witness said, “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.”
TMZ ran a screenshot of the metadata to help ease doubts given all the Kate conspiracy theories. It revealed the video was shot on March 16 at 12:43 P.M. local time.
Despite this, some fans remain skeptical on whether that it is actually Kate in the footage due to the video’s graininess and distance. Andy Cohen tweeted, “That ain’t Kate….”
Others expressed some doubt that the video was shot in March, noting the presence of what appeared to be a holiday shed and Christmas decorations in the background. Some users pointed out that the three recent photos of Kate that have come out since her January abdominal procedure appear very different, particularly the shot of Kate in the car with her mother versus this farm video. Some users pointed out that the royal family has used body doubles in the past and wondered whether this was a body double for Kate.
It’s worth noting that the Palace did not release this footage through its official channels or comment on it. At this point, public trust in Kensington Palace has become strained, especially after William and Kate released an altered U.K. Mother’s Day photo of her that the Associated Press and other photo agencies ultimately pulled from their sites due to its manipulation. The Palace responded with a statement in which Kate admitted to having edited the photo in Photoshop. The Palace refused to release the original photo to the agencies.
Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024
One of the agencies, Agence France-Presse, claimed Kensington Palace is no longer a “trusted source” following the Mother’s Day photo incident. Phil Chetwynd, global news director of AFP, explained on BBC Radio 4’s Media Show, “Like with anything, when you’re let down by a source the bar is raised.” According to Deadline, Chetwynd explained the significance of AFP issuing a “kill” notice on the photo, saying, “To kill something on the basis of manipulation [is rare. We do it] once a year maybe, I hope less. The previous kills we’ve had have been from the North Korean news agency or the Iranian news agency.”
A second photo taken by Kate of Queen Elizabeth II with her grandchildren on her 97th birthday has also raised manipulation concerns this week, with Getty Images adding a new note that the photo had been “digitally enhanced” by the royal family.
The Palace’s updates on Kate have been very limited as the princess recovers from her planned abdominal surgery in January.
They initially shared news of the procedure on January 17, saying the surgery was done the day before and that she would return to events after Easter, which is March 31 this year.
They wrote in their initial statement that the surgery “was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen 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.
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private. Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.
“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologize to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
On February 29, Kate’s rep addressed internet concern over her whereabouts. “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” that spokesperson told Us Weekly in a statement. “That guidance stands.” They added that Kate is continuing to do “well.”
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