Kate Middleton's new image represents a new crisis for the palace

Kate Middleton has been photographed by paparazzi in Windsor after feverish speculation over whether she was 'missing' following abdominal surgery.

The Princess of Wales has not been seen since Christmas Day when TMZ showed photos taken, apparently with a long lens, of her sitting in the passenger seat of a car driven by her mother, Carole Middleton.

The American tabloid newspaper's website said the photos were taken near Windsor Castle while he was… daily Mail He speculated that the couple may have been returning home after a school trip, and reported that they were picked up shortly before 9am.

Pressure mounted on Kensington Palace to release a photo of Kate as wild theories emerged on social media, including claims by a Spanish journalist that she was in a medically induced coma, which aides told Newsweek were “ridiculous.”

However, the fact that the paparazzi images were taken during a sensitive recovery period and, if the Mile's speculation is correct, at a sensitive moment during the school's administration, now poses a major challenge to the palace's strict privacy policy.

No UK media outlet has yet run the images with some, including ITV royal editor Chris Ship, publicly citing their privacy as the reason.

“There's a picture of the Princess of Wales,” he wrote on X, previously on Twitter.
We do not administer them out of respect for her privacy while she recovers from surgery on the timeline we gave her.

“To my knowledge, no other British radio station or newspaper has published the photos either.”

The move may be more than just out of respect because privacy rights in Britain and Europe are stronger than in America, where Meghan Markle and Prince Harry previously forced photographer agency Splash News and Pictures into bankruptcy in similar circumstances.

The photo agency obtained photos of Meghan Markle with Prince Archie strapped to her chest in a baby carrier in a public park in Canada in January 2020.

While in California there is no right to privacy in a public place under European privacy laws, there is a right to privacy when a public figure conducts his or her private life.

However, there may not be much they can do about TMZ because it is a US-based outlet.

It will be doubly frustrating for Prince William, though, as the photographer and website have not only violated Kate's privacy, but will be making huge sums of money doing so.

There may also be questions about whether the photographer had the opportunity to make money from the photo specifically because the palace was unwilling to voluntarily release the photo earlier.

A Kensington Palace statement on January 17 announced Kate's surgery while requesting privacy.

It read: “Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to a London clinic yesterday for a planned abdominal surgery. The surgery was successful and she is expected to remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery.” .

“Based on current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to her public duties until after Easter.

“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normalcy as possible for her children; and her wish for her personal medical information to remain private.

“Therefore, Kensington Palace will only provide updates on Her Royal Highness's progress when there is important new information to share.

“The Princess of Wales would like to apologize to everyone involved for the fact that she has had to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to bringing back as many engagements as possible, as soon as possible.”

Jack Royston is NewsweekMain ownership companyCorrespondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston And read his stories on Newsweek Kings page on Facebook.

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