‘There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,’ Late Princess Diana’s infamous words during her interview with Martin Bashir in 1995 had opened a whole ‘pandora’s box’ of revelations concerning Charles and his then-mistress (now wife and Queen Consort) Camilla Parker Bowles. History has a way of repeating itself which is reflected in Prince William’s ‘affair rumours’ with one Lady Sarah Rose Hanbury amidst the ‘absence’ of his wife ‘Kate Middleton close to three decades later.
Prince William’s ‘Affair’ Rumors With Lady Rose Hanbury Grow Amid Kate Middleton’s ‘Absence’
Although the ‘Kate-gate’ drama had begun on a different note with internet sleuths digging around Kate Middleton’s ‘absence’ following the announcement of a “planned abdominal surgery” in mid-January, the barrage of conspiracy theories shifted on an entirely different tangent with the sudden appearance of Lady Sarah Rose Hanbury in the already spicy tale.
On top of it, a digitally altered photograph of the Princess of Wales with her kids released at Kensington Palace did no help as internet sleuths tore it apart prompting a clarification statement supposedly made by Kate herself apologising for any “confusion caused” by the edits made to the image.
Let us look at the timeline of ‘Kate-gate’ drama-
December 25, 2023: Kate Kate Middleton’s Last Public Appearance
Princess of Wales Kate Middleton attended the royal family’s annual church service at Sandringham on Christmas Day, which was her last known royal engagement and public appearance.
January 17, 2024: Kate Middleton’s Abdominal Surgery Announced
Kensington Palace announced in a statement that the Princess of Wales was admitted to the hospital for an “abdominal surgery” on January 16 and requested privacy. Due to medical advice, she would not return to public duties until Easter, the statement added.
January 29, 2024: Kate Middleton Returns Home From Hospital
Reports surfaced that the Princess of Wales returned home to Windsor from the London clinic. However, no pictures of her leaving the hospital came out anywhere.
February 5, 2024: King Charles Announces His Cancer Diagnosis
Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles is seeking treatment for cancer. “He remains wholly positive about the treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible,” a statement by Buckingham Palace said.
ALSO READ: UK’s King Charles ‘Secretly’ Initiates Succession Planning Amid Health Concerns: Report
March 4, 2024: Picture of Princess of Wales Driving Around Windsor Captured by Paparazzi Surfaces
TMZ published grainy photos of Kate and her mother driving in an Audi around Windsor Castle captured by paparazzi.
March 10, 2024: Kate’s ‘Mother’s Day’ Photo Shared
Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a photograph of Princess of Wales, along with her three children, on their social media accounts to mark Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom. The Palace said it was taken by William last week in Windsor.
While social media was quick to point out inconsistencies in the image, all suspicions solidified after the Associated Press issued a “kill order”, a term used for retracting an image. “At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” the news outlet said in its advisory.
March 10, 2024: Kate Issues ‘Apology’ on Social Media
“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. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day,” a statement on the microblogging site released by the Princess of Wales.
