New Kate Middleton Video Sparks Controversy

The first video footage of the Princess of Wales to be published by media outlets since her surgery back in January has sparked further controversy for the royal as social media users, including a notable TV personality, have questioned its authenticity.

Gossip site TMZ and British tabloid newspaper The Sun released the footage on Monday, which was reportedly shot on March 16 while Kate was out shopping with Prince William on the Windsor Castle estate.

News that the couple had been spotted at the Windsor Farm Shop was published on March 18, however, it was unclear whether images had been taken, or if they would be published owing to privacy concerns in Britain.

In the subsequently released video clip, the prince and princess were seen walking together from the store, with Kate smiling wearing an athleisure outfit.

The footage has come as speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding Kate, her health, personal life and whereabouts continue to dominate social media and internet searches as she continues her recovery from abdominal surgery out of the public eye.

Last week, Google Trends data revealed that the princess received more searches than President Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the U.S.

Any hope from fans that the video of the princess would quash speculation was dampened after its release on Monday, instead sparking further controversy with social media users questioning whether it was really Kate in the clip.

“That’s not Kate,” wrote one X (formerly Twitter) user. “If Kate Middleton is well enough to be relaxed and chatting and walking, as this video shows a woman doing, she can do a 30-second video of reassurance to everyone in the world concerned for her,” said another. “Now, this is starting to be really weird. Kate or William.”

Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, author of This Is Why I Resist, wrote: “Wait….who the hell is that with Prince William? Are you all thinking what I’m thinking or do I need to go to Specsavers? #KateMiddleton.”

Reality TV producer and show host Andy Cohen also weighed in on the ensuing video drama, posting to his official X account: “That ain’t Kate….”

Newsweek approached Kensington Palace via email for comment.

So far, the palace has not made any official comment on the video or its release.

The speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding the princess during her surgery recovery were heightened earlier this month when she was forced to apologize for editing a portrait of herself and her three children to mark Mother’s Day in Britain.

High profile picture agencies issued “kill” notices to news outlets to stop them using the image over concerns evidence of image manipulation throughout the frame violated guidelines.

In a personally authored apology, Kate said: “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.”

As a result, a director of one of the world’s largest news agencies stated that Kensington Palace could no longer be considered a “trusted source” of information.

Controversy surrounding the latest footage of Kate and William has not been confined to allegations that it is not the princess in the frame, but other conspiracy theories have emerged, including claims that it was shot at a different time of year.

In anticipation of these claims, TMZ attempted to minimize speculation in their article accompanying the footage, stating that they had assessed the metadata of the original file.

“BTW, for all the skeptics who might not believe this was taken as it’s been relayed to us—we’ve delved into the metadata,” they said.

“There’s no doubt, this was filmed on Saturday right near the Prince and Princess of Wales’ home in Windsor. So yes, it’s a legitimate video.”

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.

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