This year’s Commonwealth Day was held on Monday, March 11, 2024. It marked 75 years of the Commonwealth’s existence, with this year’s theme, “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Commonwealth,” shedding light on global resilience.
This year’s celebration included prominent royal family members, including the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Princess Royal. Prince Williams was spotted beside his stepmother, Queen Camilla, engaging the attendees with smiles and handshakes.
Amidst the ceremonious greetings from the photos posted from the event on the royal family’s social media accounts, social media speculators quickly observed Williams going to the public without his wedding ring.
Observations From Online Speculators
After some of the photos from the Commonwealth Day found their way to social media, onlookers noticed Prince Williams appeared in public without his ring. Hence, speculations sprang up about possibilities of what could be going on with Prince William and his wife, Princess Catherine.
This observation spiraled into a topic with several comments under the family’s social media post. With the drama surrounding the family, people started commenting out of curiosity. A commenter stated, “William without his wedding ring.” Another commenter asked, “Is he wearing a wedding ring? Bc I do not see one,”
More Observations
Other social media users noticed similarities to his late mother, Princess Diana. “William’s smile: exactly his mom’s!” a user wrote. However, others couldn’t help but notice his burgeoning role within the Royal Family. “Clearly, William has stepped into the role of king,” another user commented.
On the other hand, one commenter noted, “He looks so sad to me.” However, a particularly sharp comment caught the attention of many, garnering thousands of likes. “Is this photoshopped?” the user asked, referring to a recent controversy where the Royal Family allegedly edited a picture of Kate Middleton and her children.
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Kate Middleton’s Controversial Picture on UK’s Mother’s Day
On March 10, 2024, the UK’s Mother’s Day, the internet went down a rabbit hole with conspiracy theories. The royal family reportedly posted a picture of Middleton hugging her three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, on social media.
However, the picture caused controversies, as major news outlets pulled it from their pages over allegations of “doctoring the picture.”
Also, fans noted that the kids were holding their fingers rather unusually. They commented on the unusual way the kids held their fingers. One fan questioned, “Why’s Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte’s fingers crossed?”
“Prince Louis’ fingers are crossed, what you do when you tell a lie. Is it a message?” another fan noted. “Not to mention the fact that both George and Louis have their middle fingers crossed over their ring fingers, and Charlotte has her ring finger crossed over her middle, but that’s a level of possible symbolism I’m not well versed in,” another fan added.
While fans had a field day trying to confirm if the picture was edited, the Kate Middleton conspiracy theories did not help.
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Was the Photo of Kate Middleton and Her Children Photoshopped?
Yes, it was. Following the social media backlash, major news outlets pulled the picture, confirming that the photo was doctored. Although sources claimed Prince William took the image of his wife and the kids, media outlets later discredited the information.
Things seem not to have been so good on the Middleton side of the family. First, her disappearance, and now, lies regarding Prince William and the photo’s author. “Prince William lied about taking a photo of Kate Middleton and her kids,” an X user wrote. “Photo agencies say it’s fake. They have issued a Kill Notification.”
Many worried about Middleton’s safety and whereabouts following the incident, while others worried about the family’s well-being. However, the palace responded to the speculation with a statement signed “C,” believed to have been written by Princess Catherine herself.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” the statement read. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.”
Skepticism Over Prince William and Princess Kate’s Marriage
As it is, no one knows what’s happening with the royal family. There have been speculations about Princess Catherine’s whereabouts and an alleged affair. Prince William made headlines a while back after appearing at a black-tie event with another woman.
This triggered public concern about the state of their marriage. Also, after her first public outing since her alleged surgery in January, fans of the royal family noticed a new dynamic between Middleton and Prince William.
Some observers viewed their public outing as a positive sign indicating happiness and unity within their relationship. The sighting also revived uneasy comparisons to a tumultuous period in royal history. One X user commented, “It’s reminiscent of Charles and Di at the end.” Another user suggested, “Will is mad with her!”
The world is keen on the royal family and their well-being, as speculations about them continue circulating in the media. While some see nothing wrong with Prince William appearing without his ring, others link it to an underlying family drama.
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