Kate Middleton's 'farm shop outing' further fuels conspiracy theories

If the royals thought they were reassuring the public by sending Kate Middleton out to the shops, they were sorely mistaken.

Indeed, it seems the more they try to assuage concerns in the “Where’s Kate?” saga, the worse it all looks.

On Saturday, the Princess of Wales was allegedly filmed “looking happy and relaxed” alongside her husband during a quick stop at a Windsor farm shop.

But all the footage has done is fuel the conspiracy theories surrounding her whereabouts.

The somewhat blurry clip, obtained by The Sun, purportedly shows the mother-of-three chatting to a cap-wearing William and carrying a large white bag.

The Windsor Farm Shop is a short drive from their Adelaide Cottage home on the grounds of Windsor Castle, where she is said to be recuperating from abdominal surgery.

Nelson Silva, who claims to have seen the couple, told TMZ: “I noticed a couple choosing loaves of bread and the woman turned her face and I felt like I had seen the face before. It was familiar.

“I went to my car and as they came out of the shop I just filmed them. I think they walked out through a gate out of the grounds. They just vanished and I didn’t see a car.

“Kate looked happy and relaxed. They look happy just to be able to go to a shop and mingle.

“Kate looked relieved, like it was a success going to a shop. It felt natural.”

However, not everyone is convinced that the whole scene was “natural”.

Rather, countless internet sleuths are insisting that not only was the whole thing staged, but the woman in the video wasn’t even Kate.

“Why do these big media channels want to make us believe these are Kate and William? But as we can see they are not Kate or William… Why???” one Twitter/X user wrote.

Others suggested Kate should be resting, not lugging loaves of bread around, with one writing: “Men.. if your wife had ‘serious abdominal surgery’ would you let her carry the shopping bags. Especially when you have [an] empty hand???? Or is that something future kings do… no way that’s Kate.”

Others suggested the video wasn’t filmed recently, claiming there were inconsistencies in the clip.

One posited: “The video was likely taken in previous [years], before the surgery, and Kensington Palace ordered it released in conspiracy [with US and UK] tabloids to end the speculation about Kate’s disposition. There are [Christmas decorations in the] background and the sheds are up until December.

“The video backfired.”

This is just a taste of all the wild theories that have been swirling since Kate stepped back from public life following her surgery on January 16.

Details of her condition have not been disclosed but Kensington Palace previously said it was not cancer-related and that the princess simply wanted her medical information to remain private.

The online speculation increased after irregularities were spotted in a Mother’s Day photograph of Kate and her children, which led to the princess admitting to “editing” the image and apologising for any “confusion” caused.

The now-infamous 'photogate' snap(@KensingtonRoyal/X)

The future Queen has been photographed in public twice since her operation.

In a picture published on March 4, she was a front-seat passenger in a car driven by her mother, Carole Middleton, in the Windsor area.

She was also spotted sitting next to William in a chauffeur-driven car last Monday, when he attended the Commonwealth Day service in London and she was driven to a private appointment.

It was reported at the weekend that Kate may speak about her health during public engagements which are not expected to resume until after Easter.

The Sunday Times reported a source as saying: “They are at their most open when out interacting with members of the public and I can see a world in which the princess might discuss her recovery out on engagements. If she was going to do it, that’s how she would do it.”

William and Kate’s children attend Lambrook School in Berkshire, which will start its summer term on April 17. Kate is expected to resume official engagements after this date, and all eyes will be watching...

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