The British Royal Family has been on a turbulent ride for a while now, especially since the passing of their longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. There have been concerns raised over King Charles II’s accession, and even the existence of Monarchy in the 21st century in the first place. However, the ongoing drama surrounds Kate Middleton and her mysterious disappearance from public duties.

Kate Middleton's 'Mysterious' Disappearance
India Today

Apparently, the Princess of Wales was last formally spotted in public on Christmas last year, along with other royal family members, for the annual walk to Christmas Day church service in Sandringham. She was seen smiling, and we could never, in our wildest dreams, have then imagined the drama that was to follow in the coming months.

Princess of Wales disappearance british royal family
Parade

Soon after, in mid-January, the Royal Family rolled out an announcement about the Princess’ planned abdominal surgery, notifying her absence from public duties until after Easter.

Princess of Wales disappearance british royal family
Mirror

Not many days later, another announcement was made about King Charles III having been diagnosed with some form of cancer.

Princess of Wales disappearance british royal family
BBC

By this time, the public had already begun speculating about the Princess’ eerie absence. Conspiracy theories arose, and many took to the Internet speculating their takes on her whereabouts. Some suspected infidelity, others had even darker takes around turbulence in the royal marriage.

In an attempt to cease the growing chatter, the Princess’ spokesperson tried putting an end to rumours by reportedly stating, “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery, and we’d only be providing significant updates”.

“That guidance stands”, he added.

Princess of Wales disappearance british royal family
The Hill

Earlier this month, TMZ released the Princess’ first photo after the surgery. She was spotted sitting in the passenger seat of an Audi, which her mother, Carole Middleton, was driving. However, the picture itself became a subject of heavy social media scrutiny. Many Internet users simply refused to believe it was the Princess in the car.

Princess of Wales disappearance british royal family

What followed next is Mother’s Day fiasco. Apparently, the Princess shared a photo of herself with her children, writing “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”

Princess of Wales disappearance british royal family
Kate Middleton Style

The problem was, as many people subsequently pointed out, that the picture was inconsistent throughout and badly edited. Several news outlets later removed the photo for it was ‘manipulated’ by the source. Then, Kate apparently herself addressed the scandal on X.

Not long after, another photo appeared online, but the Princess was looking at the opposite side. She was leaving Windsor Castle alongside Prince William.

To add to the pre-existing chaos, a video of the couple surfaced online recently. Only, the popular opinion is that it’s not the Princess with her husband, it’s her lookalike.

Ah, all this confusion is flabbergasting!

The mystery surrounding Kate is one of the most popular conversations online at the moment. One dominating theory is the break-up of royal marriage due to Prince William’s alleged relationship with Sarah Rose Cholmondeley, Marchioness of Cholmondeley. However, if there’s any truth in these rumours remains unconfirmed.

The fact of the matter is that little to no credible information about her prolonged absence has raised more questions than answers. And trust the Internet to add fuel to the fire.