Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William, called the cancer discovery a “huge shock”.
New Delhi:
Kate Middleton’s prolonged absence after her abdominal surgery in January sparked many conspiracy theories with Kensington Palace working overtime to douse the fire on social media. The buzz died down after the Princess of Wales, in a video, announced that she is undergoing treatment for cancer. However, Getty Images’ adding an “editor’s note” to Kate Middleton’s cancer announcement video has again sparked concerns.
The note, stating, “This Handout clip was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy,” fueled speculation and conspiracy theories about the authenticity of the video.
In the video, Princess Kate is sitting on a bench in the garden of Windsor Castle. The royal explained that she is receiving “preventative chemotherapy” after tests following her abdominal surgery in January “found cancer had been present.”
Kate, wife of the heir to the throne Prince William, called the cancer discovery a “huge shock”.
A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/5LQT1qGarK
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2024
Users on social media platforms questioned the rationale behind the note by Getty, with some suggesting it furthered doubts about Kate’s condition. Home to over 130 million images, Getty is the largest privately‑owned photographic archive in the world.
After the issue blew up, Getty issued a clarification stating that such notes are standard practice for handout content from third-party organizations. However, a lot of older videos of Britain’s royal family do not carry the disclaimer.
This recent note by the media aggregator has once again sparked concerns about the credibility of the photos and videos coming from the Palace.
Last month, leading photo agencies like AP and Reuters flagged Kate Middleton’s Mother’s Day photo amid fears that it was heavily edited or fabricated. The Kensington Palace, which had released the photo, later issued a “kill order” for the image.
Kate Middleton, 42, has not been seen in public eye since an abdominal surgery for a non-cancerous but unspecified condition on January 16. Social media has been awash with speculation about her health, generating global headlines and rumours. Instead of calming fears over her health, the edited picture released by Kensington Palace sent the rumour mill into overdrive as media scrambled to pull the picture with a kill notice.
Kensington Palace said William, whose mother Princess Diana died in a car crash when she was just 36, would continue his duties while supporting his wife, as he had since her surgery. A source said Kate was in good spirits and focused on her recovery.
However, neither was present for the traditional gathering of royals for a church service on Easter Sunday at Windsor.
Kate was the first commoner to marry a prince in close proximity to the throne in more than 350 years when she wed William in 2011 and has since become one of the most popular royals.
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