As conspiracy theories surrounding her health continue to circulate, the Princess of Wales has found herself facing another set of resurfaced rumors surrounding her husband’s alleged infidelity. Understandably, Kate Middleton’s response to Prince William and Rose Hanbury’s affair rumors has been a delicate balancing act—but that doesn’t mean she’s unbothered by the controversy.
“Kate taking her wedding ring off just intensified all the drama surrounding their marriage and the rumors of William’s affair with Rose,” a source shared with InTouch, referring to a now-infamous photoshopped family photo recently released by Kensington Palace, where Kate is pictured without her wedding band.
The source went on to add, “You can’t blame her for being at her wits end with the rumors about Rose and William completely haunting her. It’s hurtful, especially because she’s still recovering from major surgery.”
Speculation about Prince William’s alleged affair first started in 2019 following reports of a fallout between Princess Kate and Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. Rose and her husband, David Cholmondeley, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, were close friends with the Prince of Wales prior to the affair rumors. Since then, neither couple has commented on the speculation, but the allegations resurfaced as fans started raising questions about all the secrecy surrounding Kate’s health. The Princess of Wales had not been since publicly since December 2023 and for several weeks following her planned abdominal surgery, which took place in January 2024.
While Kensington Palace announced that Kate would be taking a step back from public facing duties until at least Easter, her absence from casual public appearances has led to a laundry list of theories surrounding her whereabouts—including speculation that she may be filing for divorce from Prince William.
In an attempt to seemingly dispel the rumors, a photo was shared on Kensington Palace’s official account on March 10, 2024, featuring Princess Catherine and her children with Prince William—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. However, this move only generated more controversy, as social media users quickly noticed inconsistencies in the image, suspecting it had been digitally altered.
Addressing the confusion on March 11, 2024, Kate released the following statement via X: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.” She went on to apologize for any misunderstanding caused by the family photo, sharing, “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone had a very happy Mother’s Day.”
Later that day, reports claimed she was photographed with Prince William in a Range Rover. Despite the photo agency’s assurance that the images were unaltered, royal followers around the world have continued to speculate, with some claiming the pictures were doctored and others questioning the identity of the woman beside William. For now, however, it looks like Kate and William are continuing to put on a united front.
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Queen Elizabeth II’s death ruptured the already-fractured foundations of the House of Windsor—and dismantled the protective shield around it. With an institution long plagued by antiquated ideas around race, class and money, the monarchy and those who prop it up are now exposed and at odds with a rapidly modernizing world. Relying on his vast experience as a royal reporter and over a decade of conversations and interviews with current and former Palace staff, trusted friends of the royals and even the family members themselves, Scobie pulls back the curtain on an institution in turmoil to show what the monarchy must change in order to survive.