Stephen Colbert Shares Bold Theory About Kate Middleton and Prince William Amid Photo Controversy

L: Stephen Colbert, R: Kate Middleton

Stephen Colbert is hopping aboard the conspiracy train!

The late-night host has his ear on a spicy new theory relating to the allegedly "missing" Kate Middleton, and he was pleased as punch to document the findings of several internet sleuths on the Tuesday, March 12 episode of The Late Show.

According to "the tea" poured by some deeply invested amateur investigators, the Princess of Wales' mysterious absence may have something to do with an affair between her husband, Prince William, and Lady Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley.

The two have been unofficially linked to one another as far back as 2019, when unconfirmed reports hedged a relationship between the pair. Middleton is said to have confronted her husband about the rumors, which, of course, he is said to have denied.

But the marchioness is married to a close friend of William's, and runs in the same social circles as Middleton, though the two may or may not have had a falling out, depending on which tabloid you subscribe to.

Rumors also abound that Hanbury's daughter is not her husband's—and may even be the Prince's—though, once again, there is no real evidence to back this suspicion up. Rumors of an impending divorce between Hanbury and her husband began about a year ago, though, as of this week, the two are still living together.

These rumors are picking up steam once again as concerned citizens desperately search for answers about Middleton's whereabouts. The princess is said to have undergone a planned abdominal surgery in January, with the royal representatives stating that they would not share any updates about her condition until she returned to duty after Easter.

But after she was reportedly spotted in grainy paparazzi photos and her return to the spotlight was advertised for June—and then quickly erased from the calendar—a clearly manipulated family photo of Middleton and her three children was issued by the Prince and Princess' official Instagram account. The attempt to quell the viral memes and conspiracy theories only led to more, as did a statement credited to Middleton, that apologized for any "confusion" caused by the image.

Somehow, the confusion only grows day by day.

Next: What Happened to Kate Middleton? Inside the Princess' Health Battle, Photoshop Scandal and #KateGate