From farm shop to lookalike: How Kate Middleton fueled more conspiracies last week

There’s a famous British proverb “it never rains, but it pours” — and for the royal family this year, that may not be truer than it is.

Following a fairly quiet backend last year, Kensington Palace has been rocked by multiple shocking cancer diagnoses and the ongoing scandal involving Prince Andrew’s links to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

There was also news of Kate Middleton undergoing abdominal surgery and her uncle Gary Goldsmith making a surprise, albeit brief, appearance at the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Almost every day, the royal family makes the front pages of newspapers, and Kate Middleton’s recovery from surgery seems to be the latest focus of global media attention.

To add insult to injury, the palace faces ongoing pressure over which it appears to have little control, with any silence triggering out-of-control speculation on social media platforms.

With another week making royal headlines, here’s a look back at what happened:

windsor farm shop

Shopper Nelson Silva was shocked when he found himself standing behind the Prince and Princess of Wales in the meat section of Windsor Farm Store on Saturday.

The 40-year-old then filmed the smiling couple walking out of the store, which is just a short drive from their Adelaide cottage inside Windsor Castle.

This is the first time Kate has appeared in public since her abdominal surgery.

The winner of this video is sunSoon, stills from the video were shared around the world, with people not only relieved at the royal’s appearance, but also at her apparent health.

Kate Middleton looks alike

But footage of Kate did little to quell speculation about her absence. Some people on social media are wildly claiming that an impersonator of the Princess of Wales actually stood in for her during a visit to the farm shop.

Heidi Forrest found her social media platforms flooded with comments including: “How much money did you make impersonating her at the farmers market?” Another read: “Found her. She’s fine.”

The mother-of-two, from Northamptonshire, was quick to provide an alibi for the day – she had been working as a teacher at a dance and music theater group – while criticizing those who had fueled the speculation.

Ms Forrest gave up her £6-an-hour restaurant job to become a copycat, she tells us Mirror: “I’ve been on a few shows since Kate had her surgery and I’d walk in and people were saying ‘there’s Kate’, so it started as a joke about ‘we found Kate’ but now it should really stop. “

Suspected violation of medical record security

Following her final royal outing at Sandringham on Christmas Day 2023, Kate received the shocking news that she underwent abdominal surgery at the London Clinic in Marylebone on January 17.

She was discharged from the hospital less than two weeks later, on January 29, and has been recovering at home ever since. The exact condition that led to her surgery has never been revealed, although it is said to be unrelated to cancer.

The princess wants her personal medical information to remain private, but on Wednesday it was revealed that a staff member at the hospital allegedly tried to access Kate’s medical records while she was in hospital.

It is said that up to three staff members are under investigation.

Al Russell, chief executive of the London Clinic, said: “All appropriate investigative, regulatory and disciplinary measures will be taken.”

Britain’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, said it was also investigating a report of a breach and “assessing the information provided.”

King Charles spotted leaving Windsor Castle

King Charles is continuing treatment for a cancer diagnosis and has stepped down from royal duties.

However, on Tuesday, he was pictured paying tribute to British veterans of the Korean War ahead of a reception at Buckingham Palace to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War.

He was spotted leaving his central London home, Clarence House, in the back of a car with a police escort on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Queen Camilla made a solo trip to Northern Ireland on Wednesday night to attend a series of events.

When a Belfast shopkeeper gave the King a get well card, she said: “He was very disappointed that he couldn’t come.”

Continue to perform official duties

Amid the storm surrounding the Princess of Wales on Wednesday, her husband Prince William continued to carry out his royal duties.

Prince William is pictured looking relaxed during a private meeting with guardsmen from the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards, based at Combermere Barracks in Windsor.

He made the visit, in his capacity as Colonel of the Welsh Guards, not far from his home in Windsor Castle.

The day before their engagement, William spoke about his Homewards project, which aims to tackle homelessness, during a visit to Sheffield.

The only time William mentioned his wife was at one of his events on Tuesday, where a participant mentioned the importance of early childhood, prompting the prince to say: “Veneering into my wife’s territory. She needs to sit here and listen to this.”

Kate plans to return to public service

When news of Kate’s abdominal surgery first broke, Kensington Palace said she would likely return to royal duties after Easter, but reports have suggested she could return this weekend.

Traditionally, members of the royal family walk to St George’s Chapel in Windsor for the annual Easter morning prayers. era It was suggested that she could return by attending church services with her family.

The newspaper said a team of royal officials are working to manage “information” about Kate’s return to make her return to work as smooth as possible.

She is said to be taking a break from her children during the school holidays following her Easter weekend appearance, with plans to return to public duties more permanently at the start of the new term.

Claims another edited royal photo

Following the dramatic incident last week when Kate edited a photo of herself and her children to mark Mother’s Day, there are rumors that another royal photo has been digitally enhanced.

The photo agency Getty added an editorial note to a photo of Queen Elizabeth II with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren published last year. It read: “This image has been digitally enhanced at the source”.

The Queen is pictured with Prince William and Kate’s children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as well as their cousins ​​Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, James Earl of Wessex, Lena Tindall, Ira · Phillips, Mia Tindall, Lucas Tindall sit with Savannah Phillips on the green couch.

this telegraph The photo had some discrepancies, including a mismatch in the late Queen’s tartan dress and black patches on Prince George and Prince Louis’ backs, and suggested editing was recommended, the report said.

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