‘New’ Photo of Kate Middleton Only Fuels the Fires of Conspiracy

FRAMINGHAM EARL, NORFOLK - NOVEMBER 15: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives to open 'The Nook' Children's Hospice on November 15, 2019 in Framingham Earl, Norfolk. The Duchess of Cambridge is Royal Patron of 'EACH', East Anglia's Children's Hospices. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

As Kensington Palace continues to try to sway the public away from the ever-growing conspiracy theories about Kate Middleton's health and whereabouts in the wake of her reported abdominal surgery, the concern only mounts.

The royals took to Twitter and Instagram on Sunday, March 10, with a note from the princess herself and a photo of her surrounded by her kids, allegedly taken sometime after her medical procedure.

"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months," the mother of three wrote. "Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C."

The photo was credited as having been taken this year by Prince William, but eagle-eyed sleuths weren't convinced of its authenticity, pouring further fuel into the fires of the ongoing conspiracies.

"That looks like an AI photo…" one commenter wrote on Instagram, pointing out a series of flaws, like the way Prince Louis is twisting his fingers. "Idk doesn’t seem real."

Photographers also jumped in, with one pointing out an obvious photoshop fail on Princess Charlotte's wrist, where part of her sleeve had vanished. "I can't believe it's accidental to be retouched that badly!" she suggested.

Another agreed it was an "obviously fake" attempt to "appease public concern." In addition to the sleeve, he called out Middleton's hair, which appears and disappears around the zipper of her coat, as well as the waistline of Charlottes' skirt, which looks to be out of place.

Someone else pointed out how Middleton wasn't wearing her wedding ring, not to mention the bright greenery behind them despite the photo supposedly being taken in the middle of winter. "i’m sorry but they’re just asking for us to go full katespiracy at this point," they wrote.

"Not going to lie, this photoshop job is so bad that it's got me invested in this Kate Middleton scandal," said another.

Suggestions as to her whereabouts ranged from lighthearted jokes about BBLs and bad haircuts to serious concerns about the severity of her condition, wondering if it was even real or if it was a coverup for something else, such as, perhaps, an impending divorce between the royal couple.

Reps for the princess tried to mitigate the chaos, but the more they spoke, the more the internet ran wild—especially after a paparazzi photo surfaced following her surgery and after her first post-surgery royal engagement was immediately walked back.

As one Twitter user said, "at this point, we need a photo of Kate holding today's newspaper." Until then, it seems that nothing will allow fans to rest.

Next: Prince William Officially Speaks Out About Theories Surrounding Kate Middleton's Health