Why Kate Middleton Fans Said Car Photos Were Fake: Theory Explained
Princess Kate Middleton was photographed with husband Prince William while in the car – but conspiracy theorists quickly went wild with accusations of redaction, decoys and more.
The Princess of Wales, 42, was seen in a car with William, 41, on Monday, March 11, in photos obtained by police. Daily emailThis is only the second time Kate has been seen in public since her abdominal surgery in January. The royals were photographed driving from Windsor Castle to a private appointment, and Kate’s head was turned away.
Since the photo was published, conspiracy theories have surfaced that the photo is not real, and the rumors have been so widespread that both the photographer, Jim Bennettand the photo syndication service Goff Photos have had to deny the rumors.
That’s what the agency said E! News earlier this week that the photos have been “cropped and lightened” but “no adjustments have been made to them.”
Bennett echoed the idea in his own statement. “We don’t alter our photos in Photoshop, other than adjusting light levels as necessary,” the photographer said The New York Post on Tuesday, March 12.
“The cars left Windsor Castle and I photographed them just down Datchet High Street – outside number 39, to be precise!” he added. “Car photos are unpredictable at the best of times and with some reflection on the glass it can be difficult.”
Conspiracy theorists noted that the bricks seen through the car windows are multi-colored, while the bricks seen above the car are all the same muted red hue, indicating an older wall. However, a simple Google Maps search of 39 High St. in Datchet, England shows that the newer stone, seen through the window, would have been the garden wall, while the older stone, seen above the car, would have been the exterior was from a historic building called Datchet. Lodge.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Prince William attend the Royal Variety Performance in November 2023.
Ricky Vigil M/Justin E Palmer/GC ImagesDespite debunking the stone evidence, some still don’t believe it’s a real photo. Many sleuths on social media even speculated that the photo of Kate looking away matches the photo taken on Christmas Day.
“That’s not Kate in the car photo…absolutely nothing like her!” said one X user, while another added: ‘Where’s Kate? Fake family photos and a sketchy car pap photo?! Something is wrong…”
There are others who think the photo is real, but claim that Kate is not in the photo.
“It definitely looks like Pippa to me,” one royal watcher wrote via X. “That said, I’ve been there for over a minute. I don’t remember anything so strange ever coming out of the RF.”
Pippa Middletonthe princess’ sister who rose to fame as a bridesmaid at the royal wedding in 2011 is the less scandalous guess, with some suggesting it’s actually Rose Hanbury in the Commonwealth Day photo.
CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Princess Kate Middleton’s passion for photography began when she started taking birthday portraits for her three children. Kate shares sons Prince George and Prince Louis and daughter Princess Charlotte with her husband, Prince William. To celebrate their children’s birthdays every year, William and Kate release a new portrait. Finally Kate started […]
Rumors first emerged in 2019 that William was having an affair with Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. She attended William and Kate’s wedding in 2011, but was rumored to have a falling out with Kate in 2019 over the alleged infidelity.
Hanbury’s name has partially resurfaced Stephen Colbertwho recently brought up the scandal during a segment The late show.
“Internet sleuths suspect that Kate’s absence may be related to her husband, and future King of England, William, having an affair. … I think we all know who the alleged other woman is, say it with me, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley,” Colbert joked about Hanbury. ‘Now there have been rumors of an affair between William and… [Rose] since 2019. According to tabloids, when Kate supposedly confronted him about it at the time, he “laughed it off and said nothing was wrong.” Aha, always a good reaction when your wife accuses you of cheating.”
Overall, royal watchers seem to be more suspicious of Kate’s photos since it was discovered that Kensington Palace shared a doctored photo via social media earlier this month. Within hours of the photo being posted, several news agencies sent out a “kill notice” to remove the photo, noting that it had been altered by the source.
Kate released a statement the next day admitting to altering the photo: “Like many amateur photographers, I experiment with editing from time to time. “I wanted to apologize for any confusion the family photo we shared yesterday caused.”
The princess has remained largely unseen since Kensington Palace announced she had undergone ‘planned’ abdominal surgery in January and would not return to royal engagements until after Easter. Aside from her March 11 outing with William, she was once photographed in a car with mom Carole Middleton on March 4.
“Kate says she feels she deserves healing and recovery without all this crazy speculation,” a source told Us Weekly exclusively earlier this month. “Neither Kate nor William believe her medical records should be for public consumption.”
Even those who work closely with the Royal Family are kept out of the loop on what happens to the Princess of Wales. “A few of Kate’s senior staff have not been able to see or speak to her, and they didn’t even know about the surgery until it was announced, so it has caught them off guard,” the insider said.