‘The Sun’ releases video of Kate Middleton out in public

The British tabloid The Sun has decided to take on the role of knight-errant in defense of Kate Middleton and has published a video of the Princess of Wales recorded last weekend in a farm shop in Windsor. The outlet reported the exclusive on Sunday, but did not provide any images of the outing. Last weekend, Kate Middleton was seen around their Adelaide Cottage residence on two occasions: first with her husband, Prince William, at a farm shop, and then the two were spotted watching their children playing sport. The witnesses cited by the newspaper expressed relief that she “looked happy and well,” after the recent rumors about her health.

Amid the growing calls for Kate to show herself in public, The Sun published an op-ed — titled Lay Off Kate — that called on the public and the media to respect the princess’s privacy. But days later, it decided to release the images of Kate’s outing in Windsor. “We have chosen to both report her appearance in yesterday’s [Monday’s] paper, and show the footage today, in a bid to bring an end to what the Palace has called the ‘madness of social media,’” said the newspaper to justify its decision.

The princess appears in the images wearing a sweatshirt and leggings, with a plastic bag in her hand with some purchases. Middleton walks smiling next to Prince William, who is wearing a cap that hides part of his face.

The British media — which have shown more restraint with the controversy surrounding Middleton than with other issues concerning the royal family — began on Monday to demand further explanations from Kensington Palace, the official residence and name given to the office handling the affairs of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The media called on the royals to put an end to the wave of rumors and speculation surrounding the health of the princess.

Middleton has not been seen in public since mid-January, when Kensington Palace announced that she had undergone “abdominal surgery,” without providing more details. In an official statement, Kensington Palace called on the public to respect the princess’s privacy, explaining that she would be recovering in hospital for up to two weeks, and would not have any public engagements until after Easter. In other words, until April 17, when schools break up for the holiday.

Despite the intense speculation, rumors and conspiracy theories on social networks, the U.K. press maintained a discrete position regarding Middleton’s whereabouts and health.

That changed when Kate posted an ill-fated photo to celebrate Mother’s Day. The seemingly innocent family portrait of the princess, surrounded by her three children in Adelaide Cottage, where the family currently lives, made headlines after major news agencies decided to pull it, citing manipulation concerns.

The Princess of Wales apologized the next day in a statement posted by Kensington Palace on X. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day,” she said.

The controversy over the photo sparked a serious credibility crisis and heated the tempers of the British press, which began demanding, with increasing insistence, some kind of statement or declaration that would put an end to a furor for which — for the first time in decades — they were not primarily responsible. Control, or rather lack of control, had been wrested from them by social media.

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