The photo of Kate Middleton that turned us into conspiracy theorists

The topic on networks of the week has been the photograph of Kate Middleton with her children.

This is how Rafa de Miguel, EL PAÍS correspondent in the United Kingdom, summarized it in one of the 857 pieces (perhaps I exaggerate) that he has had to write these days on the matter: “The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, wanted to

retouch

the photo with which he intended to silence rumors and speculation about his health, and has ended up plunging the English royal family into a credibility crisis that is difficult to overcome."

As everyone knows, the word “crisis” is translated on Twitter as “opportunity to make jokes.”

And it has been truly crazy: there are threads on Twitter and videos on TikTok that have reached crazy conclusions after examining not only the retouches, but also the clothes, the hair, the teeth and anything that seemed out of place in the image .

The speculations have ranged from the mournful, the lustful, the serious and the comic, such as the theory that suggests that the true explanation lies in an unfortunate haircut: the princess does not want to appear in public again until her hair grows back. the bang.

And the montages have been up to par: they have given Middleton the face of Borja's eccehomo, they have placed the family in the purged photos of Stalin and the poster for the film

This dead man is very much alive has

been recalled , in an allusion to the most outrageous theories about his scarce public presence.

you're a bunch of conspiracy nutters, the #KateMiddleton photo is fine pic.twitter.com/j9LwLB6ugB

— your #1 source for absurdist true crime 🐀 🐍👑 🌷 (@davidgerard) March 10, 2024

pic.twitter.com/KQJSGtHSqu

— David KC (@DavidMuttering) March 10, 2024

pic.twitter.com/X8jDDSKqAg

— Colin the Dachshund (@DachshundColin) March 10, 2024

The photographer Sara Sánchez has recalled a Spanish precedent from 2005, almost 20 years ago.

Given the impossibility of being photographed with their seven grandchildren at the same time, Juan Carlos I and Sofía sent an obvious photomontage, without warning and in case it worked, although it did not work because it seemed to be made with scissors and a Pritt glue stick.

At that time there was no Twitter, but there were blogs and email, and dozens of montages were moved there.

In some they put the faces of the Lunnis, in another they multiplied the grandchildren and in one more they put them all in the Simpsons' living room.

Regarding the photo of Kate Middleton, just remember that, for everything "good", our Royal Family, always, more and better.

pic.twitter.com/GUznaBNbQP

— Sara Sánchez_ Photo & HerStory (@SaraSanchez___) March 11, 2024

One of the montages with the Christmas greetings from the kings in 2005.

Despite the antecedents, the British royal family has not known how to respond to this very strange thing that was happening on the internet, and has pretended to be above tweeting.

But that is a mistake: if you think you are above the networks, you will end up below them, overwhelmed.

It's not even easy to stay out of it: conspiracy theories were circulating before the photo, as Noelia Ramírez reported last week.

In the end, and as unfair as it may be, which it is, if someone has a job with a minimum of public exposure, it is dangerous to disappear for a few days without giving explanations, because they risk someone inventing them for them.

There is no mercy even for those recovering from surgery.

Furthermore, and as a good handful of tweeters have recalled, everything that is happening with Middleton is very similar to the classic urban legend that said that Paul McCartney was replaced by a double after a traffic accident in 1966. And something similar happened with Avril Lavigne in 2003. In a statement to

Life

magazine

in 1969, McCartney explained that “perhaps the rumor started because I haven't been in the press much lately.”

And he concluded: “I would like to be a little less famous.”

And with this we come to another conclusion that I admit is not at all sensible: the networks make us a little crazy.

“Has anyone gone two hours without tweeting?

It is obvious that this is a CIA operation.”

It is true that we can no longer be fooled with images, but it is also true that we no longer believe anything.

Some will never be convinced that Middleton has not been supplanted by a double or an alien.

And we're all two weird photos and a very funny meme away from ending up flat-earthered or convinced that Donald Trump won the 2020 election.

Paul McCartney to Kate Middleton: pic.twitter.com/MAQJepV21E

— The Musical Comic (aka Jesús Báez Alcaide) (@HistorietaLa) March 11, 2024

King Charles: in shit

Kate Middleton: missing

The royal family: in crisis

Camila in a field in Ciudad Real when she sees a rabbit passing by:pic.twitter.com/mjnhVr6tDf https://t.co/odHFElsY6f

— Manu 💢 (@unamsangue) March 12, 2024

The one who knows everything is the teacher at Prince Louis' school, because at that age children crack everything.

— Osa (@fuiunaosa) March 12, 2024

Omg I tried to recreate the Kate Middleton picture in ai and they're all smoking cigs???

pic.twitter.com/YozP3LPnTe

— Mark (@markdorenfast) March 10, 2024

not now sweetie mummy's experimenting with editing pic.twitter.com/BjKFKEhJmw

— FKA Biriyani (@fkabiriyani) March 11, 2024

Working on a legendary Kate Middleton thread: pic.twitter.com/qQKNNVxmNC

— Eliot Higgins (@EliotHiggins) March 12, 2024