New Kate Middleton Photo Is a Fresh Crisis for the Palace

Kate Middleton has been photographed by a paparazzo in Windsor after feverish speculation over whether she was "missing" in the aftermath of her abdominal surgery.

TMZ ran images taken, seemingly on a long lens, as she sat in the passenger seat of a car driven by her mother Carole Middleton. The U.S. tabloid website said the images were captured near Windsor Castle while the Daily Mail speculated the pair may have been returning home after a school run, reporting they were taken shortly before 9 a.m.

The Princess of Wales had not been seen since Christmas Day.

Pressure had been mounting on Kensington Palace to release a picture of Kate as wild theories blossomed on social media, including claims by a Spanish journalist that she was in a medically induced coma, which aides told Newsweek were "ludicrous."

However, the fact paparazzi images have been captured during a sensitive recovery period and, if the Mail's speculation is correct, at a sensitive moment on the school run, is now a major challenge to the palace's hard line on privacy.

No U.K. outlet has so far run the pictures with some, including ITV royal editor Chris Ship, publicly citing her privacy as the reason.

He wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "There are pap picture of the Princess of Wales.
We are not running them out of respect for her privacy whilst she recovers from her operation in the timescale we were given for it.

"As far as I know, no other UK broadcaster or newspaper has published the photos either."

The move may well be more than just respect, as privacy rights in Britain and Europe are stronger than in America. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry forced paparazzi agency Splash News and Pictures into bankruptcy after it got photos of Meghan 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 is going about their private life.

However, there may be little Buckingham Palace can do about TMZ because it is a U.S.-based outlet.

It will be doubly frustrating for Prince William though that the photographer and the website have not only breached Kate's privacy but will have made significant sums in doing so.

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

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

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

"Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to 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 normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.

"Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress when there is significant new information to share.

"The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."

Jack Royston is Newsweek's chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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