Where Is Kate Middleton: Breaking Down Twitter's Conspiracy Theories

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If you've arrived here due to Kate Middleton's name trending and a flood of unhinged conspiracy theories hitting your timeline, we are here to clear some things up! For those of you who aren't typically all that invested in the British royals, here's the deal: up until March 4 (aka today!) Kate hadn't been seen in public for over a month due to what appears to be a pretty major surgery.

And while the Palace was clear she'd be out of the public eye during her recovery, the internet has been spiraling—especially in light of Prince William pulling out of his godfather's memorial (which was held right next to his house) for "personal reasons."

Meanwhile, Twitter has just been all:

So, where is Kate? It's really not that complicated, but let's lay out what we know in a timeline.

December 25, 2023

Kate is seen during the royals' annual Christmas walk with her family. This is her most recent public appearance—she has not been seen in public since.

January 17, 2024

The Palace announces Kate had "planned abdominal surgery" on January 16 and will be in the hospital for 10-14 days. Note: in their statement, they tell everyone explicitly that Kate will be out of the public eye, saying, "Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."

Meanwhile, The Daily Mail's reporter Rebecca English confirms Kate's condition is non-cancerous:

January 24, 2024

People reports "there had been no indication that anything was wrong" within the Prince and Princess of Wales'"broader circle of family friends," and Kate's hospitalization was a surprise "even to those who work closely with the royal family."

People also reports Wills and Kate celebrated Kate's birthday on January 9, but by January 11, it "became evident" that some of Kate's royal engagements hadn't been confirmed and there was "growing concern" behind the scenes.

January 29, 2024

Kensington Palace releases a statement confirming Kate is back home following her hospitalization, saying, "The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress. The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided. The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world."

February 1, 2024

The Times reports the Palace is extremely upset by "made-up" reports that Kate was in an induced coma while in the hospital. "It’s total nonsense," an insider says. "No attempt was made by that journalist to fact-check anything that she said with anyone in the household. It’s fundamentally, totally made-up, and I’ll use polite English here: It’s absolutely not the case."

February 7, 2024

Wills breaks silence on Kate while at an event, saying, "I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you also for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days. It means a great deal to us all... It's fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather 'medical' focus, so I thought I'd come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all!"

February 10, 2024

Kate leaves Windsor and travels to her Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. A source tells the Daily Mail that "Catherine is recovering well. She was looking forward to a change of scene and will be able to take it easy in Norfolk while the children let off steam with William."

February 27, 2024

Prince William pulls out of a memorial service for his godfather, citing "personal reasons"—despite the fact that it's held at St. George's Chapel (right next to Wills and Kate's Windsor home).

At the same time, Kensington Palace confirms Kate "continues to be doing well."

February 28, 2024

Royal biographer Phil Dampier tells the Daily Mail that "William only lives a stone's throw away, so it's very concerning" that he pulled out of his godfather's memorial.

Meanwhile, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams says "William's non-appearance at the Memorial Service for his godfather King Constantine, the last king of Greece, owing to a personal matter is certainly unexpected."

February 29, 2024

Royal expert Richard Kay tells the Daily Mail that "aides insist it is not a crisis," but adds that one "long-standing courtier" added "not yet" with "distinct discomfort," which.... 😬

Meanwhile, Kate Middleton's rep tells Page Six, "Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands." They add that Kate is "doing well."

March 1, 2024

A palace spokesperson gives Vanity Fair the same quote they did to Page Six the previous day: "Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess's recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands."

Sources close to the princess also told Vanity Fair that she "has not ruled out one day speaking about what she has been through, but for now, her focus is on getting better and getting back to work when she is ready."

March 4, 2024

Kate is seen for the first time since her surgery, driving with her mom Carole Middleton. Check out the photo here.

That brings us up to date, but again: the Palace confirmed Kate would be out of the public eye until after Easter, so don't expect many more appearances.

March 5, 2024

The Ministry of Defense's website announces that Trooping the Colour would be be "reviewed by Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales" on June 8, 2024.

March 6, 2024

Annnnnd ^ said post ^ has been fully deleted. Though, Rebecca English of the Daily Mail notes that Kate could still attend Trooping the Colour, but her attendance would likely be "confirmed nearer the time."

Meanwhile, Prince William's rep tells People, "His focus is on his work and not on social media."

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