The Growing Popularity of Kate Middleton Conspiracies Points to a Troubling Future
What is Kate Middleton up to?
To quote the National Enquirer’s famous ’80s catchphrase, inquiring minds want to know.
People are not just sitting back and accepting information blindly. They are like Miss Marples on Adderall, using the full power of the Internet to come up with wild theories and dive deep into rabbit holes.
Since January, there have been four photos of Princess Kate released following the announcement of her three-month break from royal duties due to abdominal surgery. Each photo has only fueled more speculation about her situation. Some even question if the photos are actually of her or a lookalike.
The Kate-anon cult includes celebrities like Kim Kardashian (“On my way to go find Kate,” she captioned an Instagram photo) and Andy Cohen (“That ain’t Kate,” he tweeted after the latest picture of the princess was released).
While poking fun at the royals may seem harmless, the growing trend of photo manipulation and conspiracy can lead to a dangerous society where the line between reality and fiction is blurred.
As technology advances, PhotoShop, AI, and deepfakes have made it harder to trust images and videos. For example, a Mother’s Day photo of Kate Middleton and her children was manipulated, leading to its rejection by photo agencies. Google’s Gemini chatbot also produced inaccurate images, further adding to the skepticism of what is real.
Recently, Middleton admitted to doctoring a Mother’s Day portrait and news agencies are now scrutinizing other photos she has taken and released through Buckingham Palace. This trend of manipulation has even entered the political arena, with deepfake videos being used to influence public opinion.
Even when images are genuine, they can be dismissed as AI fabrications, as seen with a photo of Donald Trump’s head on another person’s body.
This culture of mistrust and doubt is creating a new reality where people struggle to discern truth from fiction. When the truth about Middleton’s absence is finally revealed, it may be so mundane that people refuse to believe it.
