#WhereIsKateMiddleton

Princess Kate has been missing since Christmas

On December 25, 2023, Princess Kate - pictured with her children Charlotte and George - appeared in public for the last time at the royal family's Christmas service.

(Bild: Joe Giddens / PA / picturedesk.com)

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, has not been seen since Christmas. After the holidays, she checked into a private hospital in London and underwent abdominal surgery. She was kept in hospital for thirteen days and ordered to rest until after Easter. No one noticed her leaving the hospital, nor her arrival in Windsor or her mini-holiday with the children in Norfolk.

There are few updates on her condition and the background to the operation. All that is known is that it was not cancer, and after the surprise withdrawal of her very worried husband Prince William from a memorial service for his late godfather on Tuesday, all that was said was that Kate "continues to do well." 

#WhereIsKateMiddleton
In contrast to her cancer-stricken father-in-law King Charles, who despite his treatment keeps waving at the cameras and having backstage photos published, Princess Kate has not shown herself anywhere for even a moment. And this despite the fact that she smiled for the cameras just hours after the birth of her children with her hair styled to perfection. Conspiracy fans on Twitter-X find this suspicious, even though the palace has clearly communicated that the princess must fully recover by Easter before she returns to the service of the crown.

People are now searching for her under the hashtag #WhereIsKateMiddleton, albeit often with a wink. Even famous detectives such as Miss Marple are already being called upon to tackle the mystery. It's time to let the dogs loose. "I read earlier that Kate is "doing well". This is really an update? People want details. Things still aren't adding up," they speculate.

Banksy, butt embellishment, nervous breakdown
In addition to the "wanted post", there are also some rather bizarre theories circulating about Kate's disappearance. One user speculated that the princess must be the mysterious artist Banksy. "No more Banksy since Kate Middleton disappeared. Coincidence?", he states.

Another tipped a Brazilian butt lift that Kate would have had done. "Did Kate Middleton get a BBL? What did I miss?" The average healing time for a BBL is two to three months.

On Reddit, users discussed the mental state of the mother-of-three. "Did she have a nervous breakdown?" they asked. Possible reason: William wants a divorce. "I think they're getting divorced and that's a way of saying she can no longer fulfill her royal duties because she's too ill."

"Keep Calm and Carry On?"
Heavy speculation then. Will the palace intervene after all? We shall see. After all, the "Keep Calm and Carry On" attitude was already familiar from Queen Elizabeth II in the biggest crises.

However, the current crisis in the kingdom, where two senior members are now absent, is already being described as the biggest ever. Queen Camilla, together with Princess Anne, is currently working tirelessly to attend as many of the King's public appointments as possible, stoically assuring everyone how well he is doing. Only at King Constantine's funeral did this go wrong.

In the absence of Prince William and King Charles, Prince Andrew, who had actually been removed from the public eye due to his contacts with US child molester Jeffrey Epstein, thrust himself into the limelight and led the royal delegation, including his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, as a matter of course.

Prince Andrew naturally led the royal delegation at King Constantine's funeral service at Windsor Castle.

(Bild: PA)

Recreation in the country
During a prostate operation on King Charles, a type of cancer was discovered that had nothing to do with the prostate. The King will be absent from public appointments for a while and, if possible, recovers at his country estate in Sandringham between his treatments. There, the 75-year-old attended church with Queen Camilla and waved to photographers to show himself off. He also appeared in a video in which he read out lovingly crafted get well cards from his people and met with the Prime Minister. It was announced that he would continue to devote himself to his duties behind the scenes despite his illness.

Prince William had taken the first few weeks of the year off completely to be there for Kate and their children George, Charlotte and Louis. In the excitement surrounding his sick mother, he certainly didn't want to leave their care to the nanny and grandma alone. He has recently started taking over duties again, which is a good sign that Kate is actually on the road to recovery.

The fact that the Princess was able to travel to Anmer Hall in February to spend the school vacations with her husband and children at the Sandringham country estate in Norfolk and to visit King Charles, who is said to draw a lot of strength from the contact with his lively Welsh grandchildren, is also seen as a promising sign of her progressive recovery.

"Maintaining normality"
"Catherine is recovering well," a source confirmed to the Daily Mail. "She was looking forward to a change of scenery and will take it easy in Norfolk while the children blow off steam with William."

This also fits with the statement issued by Kensington Palace following Kate's surgery, which took place on January 16. "The Princess of Wales welcomes the interest that this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality as possible for her children."

Prince William and Princess Kate are trying to provide as much normality as possible for their children while Kate is ill.

(Bild: APA/ Ben Birchall/PA via AP)

"Sensible to take your time"
The Princess is not expected to return to public life until after Easter, at the end of March. "It's sensible to take your time," a source from the royal household told People magazine.

 "It's a great example for the rest of us, as you're often told to get back to work as soon as possible, which can be damaging. It's good for all of us to see her take time to recover properly and then return. We can all learn from that."