Prince William’s Eyebrow-Raising Kate Middleton Comment
John Oliver is the newest British detective in town.
The Last Week Tonight host shared his candid thoughts on the controversy surrounding Kate Middleton, especially when it comes to the family photo she shared on March 10, which was pulled from news sites for being “manipulated.”
“I was out. I thought ‘Let’s all just ignore this, we’ve moved on,’ until the Photoshop thing,” he said on the March 12 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. “Feels like you’re almost handling it badly in an impressive way at this point.”
Host Andy Cohen asked, “Isn’t their motto, ‘Never complain. Never explain?'” to which Oliver joked, “There is a non-zero chance she died 18 months ago. They might be Weekend at Bernie’s-ing this situation.”
After poking fun at comparisons to the ’80s classic about two guys pretending their boss isn’t dead, the comedian clarified that he’s not sure what’s actually going on with the Princess of Wales.
“I’m not saying it happened!” he exclaimed. “I’m saying it’s non-zero. Until proved otherwise. Until you see her with a copy of the day’s newspaper.”
Although Oliver was clearly joking, many have expressed for concern for Kate’s whereabouts, especially as the 42-year-old has not made a formal public appearance since undergoing abdominal surgery in January.
Kensington Palace originally stated that she is not due to resume her royal duties until after Easter, and so far Kate has only been photographed driving around twice: once with her mother on March 4, and again with husband Prince William on March 11.
The same day, Kate addressed her Photoshop controversy by admitting that she had been experimenting with editing the photo, which featured her with children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
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In light of the altered image, the royals have lost some credibility, including with the Agence France-Presse (AFP), which announced that it no longer views Kensington Palace as a trusted source.
“At this moment in time, AFP’s trust in handout pictures from the [Kensington] Palace has been compromised,” global news director Phil Chetwynd shared in a March 14 statement to E! News. “We cannot say they are a trusted source for handout pictures. We still require further explanations.”
In the meantime, Kate’s rep maintains that she is doing “well,” while William’s rep has said that “his focus is on his work.”
Keep reading for more of what the royal family has been up to this year.
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Kate Middleton Apologizes for Edited Family Photo Controversy
After photo agencies pulled the picture Kensington Palace shared of Kate since having her abdominal surgery on March 10, the Princess of Wales addressed claims the photo was doctored.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she tweeted on March 11. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”
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Lady Kitty Spencer Privately Welcomes Baby
Princess Diana‘s niece celebrated Mother’s Day in the U.K. by sharing she and her husband Michael Lewis privately welcomed their first baby.
“It’s the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally,” she captioned her March 10 Instagram post. “Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate today.”
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Queen Camilla Takes a Break
After keeping up her full slate of engagements in the wake of her husband’s cancer diagnosis, the palace cleared Camilla’s schedule.
The Times pointed out March 2 that the 76-year-old didn’t have any engagements on her calendar until March 11, when she’d be due at Westminster Abbey to observe Commonwealth Day.
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Thomas Kensington Dies at 45
The husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor and ex-boyfriend of Pippa Middleton, was found dead Feb. 25. Days later, a coroner’s inquest found that he died by suicide.
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King Charles Diagnosed With Cancer
While King Charles III was in the hospital for his benign prostate enlargement procedure, the royal family member was diagnosed with cancer.
“His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” Buckingham Palace said Feb. 5. “Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.”
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Sarah Ferguson Is Diagnosed With a Second Type of Cancer
The Duchess of York’s rep said in a statement on Jan. 21 that Sarah was recently diagnosed with malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. Several months prior, she underwent a single mastectomy to treat breast cancer.
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Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Abdicates the Throne
On Jan. 14, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark made history as she officially abdicated the throne, handing the crown over to her son, now known as King Frederik the 10th.
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Kate Middleton Is Hospitalized
Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that Kate Middleton underwent planned abdominal surgery and was set to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days.
“Based on the current medical advice,” the Palace said, “she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
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Prince William Adjusting His Schedule
Amid Kate’s recovery, Prince William postponed a number of engagements as he supported his family, including the couple’s three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
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King Charles III Undergoing Treatment
Shortly after Kate’s hospitalization was made public, Buckingham Palace shared that Charles “has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate.”
“His Majesty’s condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure,” the statement added. “The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation.”
Arnold Jerocki/WireImage
Luxembourg Welcomes a New Baby
Princess Claire and Prince Felix of Luxembourg welcomed son Balthazar Felix Karl on Jan. 7, the first royal baby of the New Year!
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