Kate Middleton and Prince William are putting the rumours about the Princess of Wales’ whereabouts to rest. The former Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ended the 85-day mystery surrounding Middleton’s “disappearance” overnight by cutting an incognito, albeit obvious, figure for a visit to a local farm shop in Windsor.
As you’ll recall, Middleton was reportedly recovering on the grounds of Windsor Castle in the Berkshire countryside after her “planned abdominal surgery” left her hospitalised in a London facility for two weeks in January. At the time, Buckingham Palace ruled her unfit for public service while she was recuperating, however, the lack of transparency surrounding Middleton’s condition led the internet to speculate and project conspiracy theories about the secrecy.
The rampant discourse peaked when Middleton took the blame for a photoshopped Mother’s Day image that was released and immediately rescinded. Social media pages were flooded with requests for Middleton’s proof of life—the Prince and Princess of Wales just gave us some.
In the video, which you can see here, the royal couple were captured channelling their college days from their time at the University of St Andrews in Edinburgh with their non-descript street clothes. Indeed, the outing is a far departure from the primed Emilia Wickstead pastel suits and chintzy Jenny Packham gowns we’re used to seeing Middleton sport in public, but the update is welcomed nonetheless. The outing to the farm shop proved to be one of the first instances Middleton had left the castle grounds since her reported operation.
Given that she is not slated to return to royal events until after Easter, the outing could be read as a strategic play to quell further conjecture. Middleton and Prince William were filmed chatting as they passed onlookers. The latter subsequently described their demeanour as “happy, relaxed, and healthy” to British tabloids. One source also added: “The kids weren’t with them, but it’s such a good sign she was healthy enough to pop down to the shops.”
For the occasion, Middleton wore a black windbreaker with a pink contrast zip and a pair of black tights and sneakers. William followed suit in a navy jacket, blue denim pants and a Kendall Roy-approved olive green baseball cap. Is this the soft launch back into public consciousness that we’ve all been waiting for? Greener pastures await.
