Rumors continue to swirl online about the whereabouts of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales—who has not been seen publicly since Christmas after she reportedly had abdominal surgery—including one claim, that has gone unconfirmed by all key players, that the BBC has been told to be on alert for an announcement from the Royal Family.
Social media users have been circulating an unconfirmed claim that the Royal Family told the BBC to ... [+]
Viral posts online have suggested that the BBC, Britain’s public broadcaster, is “on-alert” for an unspecified major announcement from the Royals in the coming days, but the broadcaster has not said anything publicly to confirm that.
The BBC has not replied to Forbes about whether they were alerted to any pending Royal announcement.
Before major announcements, Buckingham Palace has been known to give some in the media a warning. Before the palace announced King Charles had cancer in February, some reporters were reportedly given a heads-up.
Kate’s months away from the public have prompted social media speculation about where exactly she is and the specifics of her announced medical procedure. On Jan. 17, Kensington Palace announced Kate’s abdominal surgery to the public and said “based on the current medical advice,” it was “unlikely [she would]
On Friday, Agence France-Presse told the BBC that Kensington Palace was no longer considered a “trusted source” after they released the digitally altered photo of Kate and her children. In an interview with the BBC, Phil Chetwynd, global news director of AFP, described the “kill notice”—the decision to tell outlets not to use the photo because it was alerted—as a “big deal” that is more commonly used for propaganda from North Korea or Iran.
The couple may discuss Kate’s recovery in the future, unnamed people “familiar with the couple’s thinking,” told The Times of London. That did not specify when a discussion of Kate’s health might happen.