Okay , I'm just going to say it... where is Kate Middleton?

[Tuesdayalready]

(or for the MN purists, Catherine) The most high profile and popular member of royal family has not been seen since Christmas. I do think it's quite strange and so many rumours from the foreign press. And before anyone starts jumping down my throat about her having hysterectomy / crohns / ad infimum / I've had both a hysterotomy and half my intestine removed and was back in work within a 8 weeks.

I think objectively plausible is a fancy way of saying utter pish.

😂😂

That would be the expression of someone who has wearily realised that despite all their efforts at getting privacy there is a fucker with a telephoto lens in the car in front.

There's no way she can win in this scenario:

No sighting - she's dead, she's in a coma, she's got an eating disorder, she's just lazy, she's getting a divorce!

Car sighting with mother no smiling - divorce!

Car sighting with mother smiling - it's just for PR!

Car sighting with William - no smiling - oh no definitely divorce

Car sighting with William smiling - so fake, just for PR

Sighting with the kids - look at that using those poor kids for PR

Maybe they are pissed off someone is taking a photograph of them and then others are sharing it on social media

To be a little more precise I'm suggesting that they look extremely grim, the pair of them, and out of all the options the fact that Kate and William are holding fire before they announce separation/ divorce is the most likely of the options being mooted. If you had to dream up a photo which shored that theory up, the one posted above would be spot on. It suggests that much more than it does a patient five weeks post planned op doing well and looking forward to getting back to work in three weeks time.

The water cooler chit chat gang (OK I was there too, but just filling my cup!), say they are not sure she was in hospital at all.

That photo is not a nice thing for the photographer (pap) to do. However I would have thought they'd have access to a tinted window vehicle or some other form of movement that would ensure privacy, if that's what they want.

They didn't give any update. There was supposedly a message on the day William pulled out of the service that she was doing well but with no source and no quote. The only quotable update giving to Page6 was a very harsh and grammatically incorrect sentence essentially telling people that they should fuck off until Easter. That was the update that got the media more riled up because it seemed to jarring in contrast to the PR fluff that people are used to the from the RF.

So they cocked it up entirely. It's fine to draw a boundary of nothing until Easter but PR is literally about reading the room and placating public sentiment. The time frame between January and March is too long to be radio silent, especially in the age of social media where people are bombarded with thousands of pieces of information every day.

So their team probably felt a pap shot would be the best, radical response because it might draw sympathy to Kate by drawing parallels to Diana. They didn't want to be seen as officially caving in to public demand especially after the disjointed "This Guidance Stands" statement. The DM has picked up the story under the guise of not being able to print them but of course this sends everyone to Twitter (or MN) where they will see Kate is alive and well.

That makes no sense.

@ToffeeTalk the photo suggests no such thing.
It's two women in a car.

Ok, that's the thing that makes no sense?!

It's just a mother and daughter in a car, I don't think I get much more from it than that

JFC do you look happy and cheerful every minute of the day?!

That snap has caught them in a split second of time.

Who knows what they've been talking about? Or even if they are talking. Perhaps they're listening to the latest grim news from Gaza or Ukraine.

None of us knows, and to try and speculate that somehow because Catherine isn't all smiles, that there's something wrong, is idiotic.

@User7825525 they gave an update. She's doing well.
Good grief all these conspiracy theories and wild conjectures. They're actually on their way to rob a building society in Scunthorpe.

Sure. But Carole hasn't had surgery and looks as though she wants to shoot somebody.

I'm not sure they will get much tbh

Probably wants to shoot the photographer!

Maybe some of those little pens on a chain.

This was clearly a PR set up - a 'proof of life' photo to quell the 'in a coma'/'buried under the patio by William' rumours.

Some people are completely desperate to prove that the Waleses are separating.

if they are we will find out in due course.

They didn't give Page 6 a quote. If it was grammatically incorrect then that was Page 6 paraphrasing the official statement badly.

KP press office has given two official statements on behalf of the PoW.

The first to say the operation had happened, it went well, described estimated time in hospital and then estimated time off official duties. Explained there would only be updates at significant points.

Second update - release from hospital, thanked hospital staff, thanked public for their well wishes.

It's a damning indictment of our modern society that anyone feels it's okay to shame someone for setting boundaries around their private medical situation and recovery time. Whoever they are.

What are you on @ToffeeTalk? You sound quite deranged.

I'm guessing that during your waking hours you have a beatific smile.

Ok, maybe Carole is concerned that her daughter is in pain and has been unwell. You know, like mothers do for their children. As pp have said, it’s a snapshot. It means sweet FA. You seem to have put two and two together and made 721 or something 🙄

Excellent points, @wordler .