Finding all the Princess of Wales conspiracy theories so odd. Am I in as much of a minority as it seems?

[CupOfCoffeeandaPineappleChunk]

Perhaps I'm naive. Maybe my imagination isn't as wild as it could be ( although it is general incredibly lively), maybe ive got a realistic perspective, or maybe I've got it utterly wrong. Whichever is the case time will tell.
I'm Finding it difficult to understand why pepole would think it so inconceivable that firstly she has had surgery, rather than is having a MH crisis or divorce out they're is done other strange mystery afoot. It's apparently unimsginsble that surgery is major and takes a lot of recovery to get back to full health, a)to be potentially walking around for hours on end not feeling drained and exhausted and. b) being in the public eye wanting/ needing/ being expected to look good on return to public life.

i personally underwent abdominal surgery at the same hospital as the PoW a fortnight ago And stayed in for 6 days. Apparently many pepole in the Gi unit stay up to a fortnight two weeks on, although my cuts are tiny (keyhole), I am swollen up and currently am a similar size to I was when I was 7.5 months pregnant, covered in bruises, & in almost constant severe pain despite a cocktail of drugs and can barely move around. To say I'm exhausted would be the understatement. I normaly walk 6 miles every day and work out bit I can't ever get to the street corner150ft away and back without being crippled. I'm carrying about 7kg of extra weight in swelling. Needless to say apart from feeling grim I look deathly.
I've been given a very structured list of things I can't do for 6 weeks, very basic things - I tried as it seemed so ridiculous. Clearly its not ridiculous. Abdominal surgery can be a huge deal. I've been told 6 weeks to be able to do ordinary things like mopping the floor and hovering, carrying anything more than 4 or 5 kgs the 12 weeks to get back to my usual stamina and condition.

If i was appearing in the scrutiny of the public eye I would not be going out if I did not look back to normal and feel good. Surgery makes you feel really low and you need to feel good about yourself especially when you're going to be picked apart the world over. .

People firstly have no idea what is involved I often in major surgery. Add in having to maintain an Element of appearance for the public so asks extra time to achieve that.
They seems to be huge confusion between planned/ elective vs emergency surgery. Its always planned unless you are literally rushed in as a critical emergency. Otherwise it's classed as planned I saw my surgeon for a consultation. My op was the next day. Urgent but not an emergency, therefore planned.

Is it really that strange?..

I agree OP, it’s completely nuts. People are coming up with the most outlandish theories about divorce and abuse and infidelity based on no evidence whatsoever. We were told we wouldn’t see her until Easter so I don’t know what else people are expecting. Yes, the palace have handled it very badly and fuelled speculation with the poor photoshop job, but surely this is far more likely to be cock-up than conspiracy?

I am due to have Crohn’s surgery myself this week (which I am dreading) and fully expect to be out of action for several weeks. Major surgery is debilitating. Why the fuck should anyone, Princess or not, have to update the world on their recovery process?

I don't think the Palace have handled it badly. I think it's impossible to deal with all the crap on SM nowadays, so don't bother trying to appease people who get their information from tiktok.

but surely this is far more likely to be cock-up than conspiracy?

Well yes. Occam's Razor - the most obvious explanation is probably the right one. But conspiracy theorists don't think logically. If you are to buy into the extreme theories that she's dead or in a coma, just think how many people would have to be involved in covering that up, and be trusted to keep quiet. It's the same as theories that the US government blew up the twin towers in 2001 - the sheer number of people who would have had knowledge and involvement runs into the dozens if not hundreds and not one has spoken out in 23 years? As if.

But logic and conspiracy theorists do not really go hand in hand do they?

Couldn’t give a shit and I am a royalist
they said she wouldn’t be back before Easter and we’ve not had Easter yet so there’s no conspiracy

They’ve been married for ten years. The are hardly going to be sitting in the back of a car snogging. Maybe they were nervous or aware of being watched. Loads of reasons.

What doesn't sit right though ? What is odd ?
She's had surgery (private) and she's off work until Easter.
The royals live their lives in the public eye , if she feels ill or has been told not to do certain things , it's fine. It's just like getting a sick note.

You don't think releasing a photo (meant to end speculation) doctored to a level that every reputable news agency issued a kill notice for it is handling the situation badly? Hope you don't work in PR...

If public had just been told the condition she had/has like with Charles - there would not be the all the wild speculation( eg that William had done away with her etc).

Why the bloody hell should she though? It's a basic human right to keep your medical information private, public eye or not. Charles obviously felt ok sharing the info but he is head of state so it is slightly different, Kate is not and didn't feel comfortable to share which is absolutely her right.

OP, you are absolutely right. Sadly, there are a lot of stupid people around who seem to get some kind of weird kick from tittle-tattling about a person they've never met. It's vile.

Yes, I saw a thread yesterday and it started with this headline:

I think Kate is seriously ill! I'll grab the popcorn! I have all night!

Vile, I reported it MNHQ who did sod all....

No need to get personal.
I don't see the big deal with the picture. It's just a family picture. That's all.

It wasn't just a family picture. The picture was edited to the extent the agencies couldn't say without doubt that those people sat together in that place. And it was apparently taken by the future head of state, meaning he was complicit in the deception. That's why it's a big deal, regardless of what any original photo may or may not have looked like.

So no-one else in the public eye edits a picture?
They shouldn't kowtow to nonsense from Twitter or whatever. Bonkers.

I think until the photo thing most people were very much shrugging shoulders and if they gave it any thought at all it was to wish her well. But the photo thing is really odd, anyone who had seen the papped pic from a few days earlier would know it wasn't a recent photo and it's as if their team released it in a complete panic. Only that has made me wonder if there is more to this than were being told. But I do agree there's some proper weird obsessive people around.

more to this than we are being told
What, @Marmalade71 ?

No, people don't edit photos to the extent that the entire composition can be called into question and then release them to news agencies. That's why kill notices are so rare.

Right, @ColleenDonaghy - help me out. What's the cover up?

Of course they do. As far as I know the picture is still on Instagram and their other social media accounts which are unregulated. It’s not allowed by AP, Reuters et al. which is why they issued the kill notice. This is news because every major new photo agency issued a kill notice as they cannot be sure that the photo is accurate. Only a handful of photographs a year are blacklisted in this way, and it has never happened to the royal family before. It's not just nonsense from Twitter. Do you think reporting standards should be lower for the royal family?

Good post, OP - I have never had surgery so know nothing… but the way you’ve explained yours is helpful as regards the ‘timeline’
Really interesting hearing a patients perspective. Hope you are well now🌻

I've no idea @IsoldeWagner and I've not got the time or investment in this to go down weird social media rabbit holes. But if someone produces and distributes what looks very much like a composite of previous photos taken some months earlier, you don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to think something is off.

Maybe you do. Maybe you just think she was trying to get a nice family picture out of a composite of others. Like that new Google pixel 8 thing, best picture or whatever.
It doesn't mean she's divorcing/in a coma/ abducted by aliens or other nonsense.

Personally, I don't think it's anything more sinister than her taking steroids and not being happy with the puffy face.

But the important point is that if she's had a stroke/run away/been buried under the patio and then the truth comes out, the extent of the lie within the photo will be clear, and with the doctored photo the agencies can't say with any certainty that she was there. The majority of the edits were around her face and hands. The agencies can't take any risk with their reputation by hosting a photo they can't stand over.

It's not about the state of Kate's skin, it's about using AI to generate misleading pictures from warzones. The agencies have taken a stand and they are right to do so IMO, and not for reasons that are anything to do with the royals.

She's entitled to her privacy while she recovers but the photo was a massive, massive fuck up that compromised their integrity.

Well, @ColleenDonaghy . We're just going to have to agree to disagree.
I've been shocked at the vilification of Kate and William over the last week, but some of these conspiracy theories are off the charts.
I think Kate has been held to utterly ridiculous standards and it's been awful.

I haven't subscribed to any conspiracy theories.

But you're wrong about the photo.

I think you're completely wrong.
So we'll just need to disagree.