A new video of Kate Middleton seen out in public for the first time since undergoing surgery in January should have put an end to conspiracy theories on her whereabouts over the past few months -- but it didn't.
The video, published by TMZ on Monday, appears to show Kate and Prince William visiting a shop about a mile from their home in Windsor over the weekend. In the clip, Kate is all smiles as she and her husband chat while carrying shopping bags.
The report describes onlookers as saying Kate looked "happy, relaxed and healthy," as if she "didn't seem to have a care in the world." TMZ noted that the princess was "walking at a relatively brisk pace... as if nothing was ever wrong with her."
Although TMZ claims the footage is "100% her," numerous theories have popped up across the internet that the woman in the video is not the Princess of Wales. And if it is, questions still remain.
"The video doesn't answer the underlying question of where this woman has been for a number of months," Debra Caruso Marrone, president and owner at DJC Communications, told Today.
Kensington Palace has not commented on the video, but PR experts say it offers a convenient strategy to address rumors without offering a comment.
"This method allows Kensington Palace to maintain a degree of control over the narrative while avoiding direct involvement in the controversy," Stacy Jones, founder of Hollywood Branded, told Today. "It's a classic crisis PR tactic: show, don't tell. By presenting a visual of normalcy and wellness, the Palace counters speculation with imagery that speaks volumes."
The Palace did not share details about the nature of the princess' abdominal surgery but stressed that it was not cancer-related -- which of course led to speculation about what exactly ails the seemingly vibrant and healthy young woman. Abdominal surgery is a broad term used to describe a surgical procedure that involves opening the abdominal cavity, according to The University of Tennessee Medical Center. It usually involves treating diseases, conditions, or injuries to the stomach and bowels, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, bile ducts, or surrounding soft tissues, the organization says.
Conspiracy theories only became more rampant on UK's Mother's Day, when Kensington Palace released a photo of Kate and her three children that was heavily Photoshopped. While the photo was meant as a health update and reassurance to the public that the princess was on the mend, the internet went wild after news agencies around the world pulled the image shortly after it was released over concerns it had been "manipulated," with reports identifying at least 16 alterations.
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Kate -- or at least someone posting on her behalf -- later admitted that she edited the photo, saying on the couple's official X account that she is an amateur photographer who occasionally experiments with editing.
"I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused," the statement said. It was simply signed "C," assumedly for Catherine.
The Palace has said Kate is not expected to return to public duties until after Easter.
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