A video of Prince William and Kate should stop royal rumours, a tabloid says. That's a tall order

LONDON (AP) — The late Queen Elizabeth II used to say that the royal family has to be seen to be believed.

This became starkly evident when the absence of Kate, Princess of Wales, from public view unleashed an escalating frenzy of unbridled madness. Speculation, suspicions and obvious conspiracy theories Fueled by armchair investigators online.

It's unlikely to stop, though, as Kate and her husband, Prince William, were photographed in a farm shop near their home in Windsor, the first snapshots of the 42-year-old princess since giving birth. Abdominal surgery For an unspecified case two months ago.

The Sun newspaper plastered its front page with the phrase: “Great to see you again, Kate!” She said she decided to release the footage “in an attempt to put an end to what the palace called the 'social media madness'.”

But this probably will not stop the wave of feverish and sometimes fanciful speculation that has prevailed about the princess's condition during her absence.

“The effectiveness and legitimacy of monarchy comes from vision,” said Anna Whitlock, professor of the history of monarchy at City University London. “The vision is the ‘contract’ between the king and his people.”

The proof of this lies in the constant flow of images King Charles III Meeting dignitaries and officials released by the palace since the king announced in February that he was being treated for an unspecified type of cancer. Charles' relative openness about his diagnosis was a departure from the generally secretive royal family.

Kate was not extroverted or successful at controlling the narrative.

Palace officials provided few details about Kate's condition except to say that it was not cancer-related, that the surgery was successful and that the recovery would keep Kate away from public duties until after Easter. This likely means she will be out of sight until her children return to school on April 17.

Experts who study conspiracy theories say the growing speculation surrounding Kate is not much different from how dozens of other “non-standard beliefs” have gained traction.

“The moment there is an information gap, people will fill it. They can fill that space very quickly… when we have such a fast-moving media landscape,” said Simon Yates, professor of digital culture at the University of Liverpool.

The speculation did not stop after William and Kate's office at Kensington Palace released a photo of Kate and her children George, Charlotte and Louis on March 10 to coincide with Mother's Day in the United Kingdom, but the move backfired when Associated Press Other news agencies withdrew the photo from publication because it appeared to have been doctored, adding to the speculation.

Although there is nothing to suggest the photo is fake, inconsistencies such as the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand with the sleeve of her jacket suggest it has been altered.

Kate Issue a statement She admitted that she loved the “editing experience” and apologized for “any confusion” the photo caused.

The manipulated photo sparked a new round of speculation, some of which centered on unsubstantiated theories that the photo was not recent or that Kate had been photoshopped – along with more outlandish claims.

The palace and the British government tried to ignore this speculation, but they had to respond to it sometimes. The British Embassy in Kiev issued a statement on Monday saying that “the news regarding the death of King Charles III is false,” after Russian media falsely reported the news of the king’s death.

The video, published by The Sun late Monday, appears to show William and Kate smiling as they walked together, carrying shopping bags. She added that the footage was taken on Saturday in Windsor, west of London.

The Sun newspaper quoted Nelson Silva, who said he filmed the video, as saying: “Kate looked happy and relaxed. “They seem happy just to be able to go to the store and socialize.”

Kensington Palace in London did not comment on the video.

“Kategate” resonates because many people in the United Kingdom, the United States and around the world feel emotionally invested in the royal family — an institution that is both public and secret, Yates said.

“There's great emotional excitement in thinking, 'I know there's a secret going on,'” he said. “There's pleasure in thinking, well, you know, 'I know something special.' It makes you feel better.”

Daniel Allington, who studies conspiracy theories at King's College London, agrees that Kate's speculation has its roots in the emotional connection between people and the British royal family.

“That's why they want to talk about them, they want to know about them, and when there's so little information, people end up speculating. They're trying to make something out of nothing,” Allington said.

He also predicted that calming the international frenzy would not be a simple task.

“Once people start to doubt, they can doubt almost everything. Once people start down that path of speculation about hiding the truth, it's very difficult to get them off that path.”