–3 votes
in General Factchecking by Apprentice (1.3k points)
Kate Middleton has not been seen for months, is she dead?

8 Answers

+5 votes
by Apprentice (1.2k points)

There is no evidence stating that she is dead. While there are some funny theories as to where she is now, the Princess of Wales has not been reported dead.The palace reported that she had an abdominal surgery, but since December she has not been seen by the public. I do believe that she is simply recovering from a difficult surgery, but maybe she really is the masked singer. 

Variety wrote an article recently on what the public knows so far (here) but none of the theories that are floating around have been proven true or false. 

No available information
by Novice (880 points)
I appreciate your fact check and agree with the claim that this is not true. I think you provide a little support to back up your claim, but it would make your response even stronger if you had listed more sources you consulted to come to this conclusion. I think the conciseness of your fact check is beneficial because oftentimes people want a quick answer and don't feel like doing extensive reading. Good work!
by Apprentice (1.3k points)
This is a great fact check, I appreciate that you provided a link to your research on the claim as well. I liked your little joke to play into the rumors as well. Maybe she is the masked singer but I would agree that the Princess is likely recovering from a physically exhausting surgery.
+5 votes
by Apprentice (1.9k points)
There is no evidence stating that Kate Middleton is dead. However, palace did report that she went to the London Hospital for abdominal pain and hasn't been seen in the public eye since December 25th. A press released photo of Kate came out March 10 of Kate and her child celebrating Mother's Day. Many on social media believe that the photo is photoshopped pointing out some distortion around her left wrist, and other elements that look like the work of bad photoshopping. The associated press advised people to take the photo down after finding that it was manipulated. While the Princess of Wales has not been pronounced dead she has been out of the public eye for sometime, which is unusual for the Princess causing some concern as seen in this Tik Tok.

https://apnews.com/article/princess-wales-kate-surgery-photo-manipulated-3863e9ac78aec420a91e4f315297c348

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/fake-kate-middleton-photo-2450079
False
by Novice (880 points)
Great job on your fact check! It's thorough and provides lots of details that someone concerned about this topic might be wondering about and ask. You go into detail to explain many of the smaller rumors surrounding this topic as well which I think really strengthens your claim. The sources linked is a great touch as it backs up what you're stating and proves it isn't just your own personal thoughts. Adding years to your dates would make it a little more relevant but I think this is a really well done fact check.
by Novice (580 points)
Your comment provides a good overview of the situation regarding rumors surrounding Kate Middleton's well-being, particularly addressing concerns raised by a recent photo circulated on social media platforms. You clarified that there is no evidence to support the claim that Kate Middleton is deceased. However, it acknowledges reports from the palace regarding her hospital visit due to abdominal pain, as well as her absence from public appearances. Great work!
+2 votes
by Novice (770 points)
This information was linked to a Tiktok users post. There has been a lot of media presence around this issue. However, there is no evidence she is dead. She has been out of the public eye since December due to a planned surgery she was having. There have been images posted of her online that seem to be altered, which has drawn more attention to this.
False
by Newbie (400 points)
I agree that this claim has no evidence to support it; however, I think it would be beneficial to provide some sources that support your fact check. This article by Variety shares everything the public knows thus far in regard to the state of Kate Middleton. https://variety.com/2024/politics/global/where-is-kate-middleton-altered-photo-controversy-1235940634/
+3 votes
by Novice (880 points)

The claim that Kate Middleton is dead is false and misleading as it could confuse people and lay out an incorrect narrative. The rumor that Kate Middleton went missing has spiraled into a false claim that she is dead. The royal palace has reported that Kate Middelton had gone to the London Hospital due to abdominal pain she’s been having. She was at the hospital for an extended period of time in hopes of getting care and has been out of the public eye since December 25th, 2023. The false claim that Kate is dead comes from a tiktok account with the handle, @from.uk8. When searching their account for more information and insight, I was unable to find much which I find to be a red flag. Where a biography summarizing the account would usually be a message displaying “no bio yet.” is posted. They follow no other accounts on tiktok, but do have quite a large following themselves. All of their videos fall under a similar format with yellow text on black background and revolve around rumors and drama surrounding the royal family. Many of their videos appear to use altered and generated images. This causes me to conclude that the account's purpose is to gain views and build their following despite whether or not the information they’re posting is accurate and should not be used as a trusted source. When researching this topic, I found worried claims that Kate had been photoshopped into an image posted to celebrate Mother’s Day. Some viewers thought her wrist looked distorted and pointed out other examples of bad photoshop. Despite this, she has recently been spotted in early March near Windsor Castle, dispelling these false claims that the Princess of Wales was dead. I have linked the sources I consulted to find this information. 

https://www.thecut.com/article/kate-middleton-health-update.html

https://apnews.com/article/princess-wales-kate-surgery-photo-manipulated-3863e9ac78aec420a91e4f315297c348

https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/princess-kate-middleton-missing-mystery-18925802.php

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/fake-kate-middleton-photo-2450079

https://www.thewrap.com/john-oliver-kate-middleton-dead-weekend-at-bernies/

False
by Apprentice (1.7k points)
Great job with this fact-check. I think you did a really good job thoroughly explaining your sources. You also gave a very nice timeline of events.
+1 vote
by Novice (790 points)
There is no confirmation of where Kate Middleton currently is. That being said, there is no word on if she is dead or alive. It appears that many are assuming she has passed, which is not something that can have an informed decision be made about. She has not been seen in the public eye since December 25th, 2023. But sources say just before this she underwent a rather major surgery. Complications with this surgery could explain the reason for her prolonged absence. TIK TOK is formulating and passing around a lot of information about this topic that is ultimately clickbait and false information that is being used for effect. News sources believe she is okay and she is in recovery or dealing with a possible personal issue. Regardless, there is no proof that she has passed. Many news sources, like peoples magazine, say she is still in recovery and is rumored to be seen in the public eye soon.

https://people.com/kate-middleton-misses-st-patricks-day-parade-amid-surgery-recovery-8609822
False
0 votes
by Novice (550 points)

After historically suspicious behavior on behalf of those speaking for the Royal Family when it comes to dead members of the family, some have been led to believe that a similar case to Princess Diana has happened to Kate Middleton; where there was a sudden disappearance or death occurred coincidentally around the time of gossip and potential information that can disrupt the monarchy.  There is no evidence - as Forbes describes - that Kate Middleton has been pronounced dead or missing. There just is some suspicious behavior going around the Royal Family because of them speaking on her behalf for being reportedly out of the sight of the public since Christmas, and there only being short messages and blurry (what seems to be doctored) pictures of her evidence for being present in the public eye. Social media has noticed similar patterns occurred when Princess Diana passed, thus they believe in the controversy that the family could have done something to her, but it is just a rumor and is not confirmed. There is currently no evidence of her disappearance or passing. 

No available information
by Novice (960 points)
I think this is a very clear factcheck. You touch on all of the subjects necessary in order to have a clear understanding of the situation. You also linked a reputable source and fit it into your writing well.
0 votes
by Novice (770 points)
The claim that Kate Middleton is dead is not true. There have been many claims about this, but when you look further into this matter there is no concrete evidence to support this. This claim is simply speculation and someones opinion. It is confirmed that Kate Middleton has been out of the public eye since her abdominal surgery in December, but other then that, there is not factual evidence to support the knowledge of her whereabouts.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/15/world/kate-middleton-news-controversy-cec/index.html
No available information
0 votes
by Novice (900 points)

After looking into the claim "Kate Middleton is dead" there is no evidence that supports it. The only medical knowledge we have is "On January 17, Kensington Palace announced that Kate had entered the hospital the day before for planned abdominal surgery," (Vox). While no one has confirmed seeing her, there is no evidence that she has died. It is interesting though, because her X (twitter) account posted a mothers day photo of her and her kids that was photoshopped "Multiple major photo agencies, including the AP and Reuters, concluded that the image was “manipulated” and issued a kill notice for it." (Vox). 

https://www.vox.com/culture/24087565/princess-kate-middleton-disappearance-rumors-explained-abdominal-surgery-kensington-palace

Community Rules


Be respectful.

There is bound to be disagreement on a site about misinformation. Assume best intentions on everyone's part.

If you are new to factchecking, take some time to learn about it. "How to Factcheck" has some resources for getting started. Even if you disagree with these materials, they'll help you understand the language of this community better.

News Detective is for uncovering misinformation and rumors. This is not a general interest question-answer site for things someone could Google.

Posting

The title is the "main claim" that you're trying to factcheck.

Example:
Factcheck This: Birds don't exist

If possible, LINK TO to the place you saw the claim.

Answering

LINK TO YOUR EVIDENCE or otherwise explain the source ("I called this person, I found it in this book, etc.")

But don't just drop a link. Give an explanation, copy and paste the relevant information, etc.

News Detective is not responsible for anything anyone posts on the platform.
...