Princess Kate speculation is vicious. We KNOW it’s her in the farm shop video
The Sun's royal reporter reveals how he got the world-beating scoop
THE wild speculation surrounding the Princess of Wales is vicious and we know it’s her in the farm shop video, a veteran royal commentator has said.
In a series of exclusives from The Sun, Kate Middleton, 42, was spotted at the Windsor Farm Shop, her first sighting in public after undergoing abdominal surgery in January.
A bystander then came forward with footage of her and her husband the Prince of Wales, 41, carrying bags after their shopping trip.
Robert Jobson, who has covered the Royal Family for some 30 years, told The Sun’s royal reporter Matt Wilkinson that the woman in the footage was “absolutely 100 per cent” her and people now needed to “back off”.
The “Godfather of royal reporting” told The Sun: “That is the Princess of Wales, and even when that video was shown, people were ringing up from TV channels asking ‘is it her?’ I said ‘yes, it’s her’ and I couldn’t believe they were still asking that question.”
Mr Robson also addressed the wild and often fanciful speculation and conspiracy theories that have been circulating on social media, with ridiculous theories about what they thought had really happened to Kate.
He said: “People have known, because they have been chatting behind the scenes that she’s been getting in a routine in the last few weeks, that she has been seen out and about.
“That’s why it’s a bit ridiculous, I was getting calls saying the BBC is going to make a big announcement… No there’s not.
“This was all being fuelled by the madness that was on the internet, probably coming from America and whizzing around everywhere.
“It got to the point where people were saying ‘I’ve practically got this from the director general’, the doctor of so-and-so… I said but you haven’t.
“Then eventually when you asked them and pinned them down it was clear they hadn’t.”
The Sun’s Matt also gave an insight on how he got the world-beating exclusive and the black-lash it stirred up.
He said: “As all good stories start, it started with having a chat in a pub and someone I know, a very good contact said they had seen the Princess and Prince of Wales at the farm shop earlier that day on Saturday.
“I got that stood up. It was a verified sighting, 100 per cent she was there.
“We published that in The Sun on the Monday.”
He added: “That’s when people started kicking off, complaining it was fake news, the trolls suddenly appeared saying The Sun had made this up, it was a false sighting, she hadn’t been seen. It all kicked off online.
“Then we got the video. A lovely guy called Nelson Silva came forward and said ‘well, I was there. I didn’t think it was extraordinary because I hadn’t been following the news. Once I showed it to my friends and family they looked at me like I’d seen a ghost because the Princess of Wales hadn’t been seen since Christmas, officially’.”
Despite The Sun’s video footage, some online commentators have refused to believe what they saw, and are still making outlandish claims about what they believe has really happened, despite having no evidence to back up their claims.
'Lay off Kate'
THE Sun last week led the way in defending Princess Kate when she was being criticised from all angles over the edited photo saga.
Social media trolls were quick to attack the future Queen over her editing of a Mother’s Day family picture.
Media critics also weighed in with their opinions alongside the idiotic conspiracy theorists, but The Sun stood alone in saying: Lay off Kate.
Our front page blasted: “The furious attacks on the future Queen over her photoshopping of a Mother’s Day family picture are not just absurd.
“They now look like a bullying campaign against a devoted mum, recovering from a serious operation, who simply wanted to offer the public a perfect portrait of her and her kids.
“She meant well, made a mistake and fessed up. Fair enough.
“Now leave her alone to get over her op.”
Theories are still swirling on the likes of X, TikTok and Instagram.
Crazy cynics have tried to say it’s a body double walking with Wills in the clip from the weekend – or that it’s not the royals at all.
Others ridiculously said artificial intelligence (AI) had been used to create the clip.
The Sun last week called on the world to “Lay Off Kate” after she was criticised for editing her Mother’s Day family photo – before vile fake tales started spreading.
Piers Morgan even chipped in, saying: “Great to see (via The Sun) Kate laughing and joking with William on their shopping trip.
“She’s obviously recovering well. This should end a lot of the conspiracy theories…”
Princess Kate video shows she's recovering well & warms my heart, says The Sun's royal photographer Arthur Edwards
IT’S lovely to see Catherine looking so happy.
People keep asking me, ‘Where’s Kate? How’s Kate?’
These pictures are the answer. She’s obviously recovering well from the quite serious operation she had in January.
The images of her smiling really warm my heart and I’m sure millions of others will be so pleased to see the Princess out and about.
There have been so many rumours circulated about her on social media – but they can now be put to rest.
It was lovely to see William at Kate’s side. I bet other visitors to the farm shop couldn’t believe their eyes when they walked in.
But I know the shop and it’s close to their home and sells wonderful produce.
Kate was really hammered by some for doctoring her Mother’s Day picture.
I really felt for her – she was just trying to produce a lovely picture of her family.
So it’s nice to see these wonderful images of her with a beaming smiling and clearly working her way back to full health.
Now I’m so looking forward to her getting back to life as a working Royal, when she’s fully ready. She’s been missed by millions.
But, he posted an hour later – “Update: Nobody on here believes it’s them (it is…) so the conspiracy theories have increased.”
Nelson Silva, 40, who took the video, was shopping for steak when he spotted Kate and William in the bread aisle.
He told The Sun: “I noticed a couple choosing loaves of bread and the woman turned her face and I felt like I had seen the face before. It was familiar. I knew it from somewhere.
“Then William turned back and I thought ‘hold on I know this person’. I said to the staff ‘I think it’s them’ as I paid.
“I went to my car and as they came out of the shop I just filmed them. I think they walked out through a gate out of the grounds. They just vanished and I didn’t see a car.
“I just wanted to share with my family footage and show just how normal they were.”
Another eyewitness who watched the footage said it was “exactly what I saw”.
They added: “It’s just a woman shopping with her husband on a Saturday afternoon just like thousands of other couples across the country.
“I’m delighted that she is well and everyone else can see her back on her feet enjoying life again.”
Experts have said the sightings are a “great sign” and show the country how well she is doing in her three-month recovery process.
Kensington Palace maintains Kate is “doing well” and will offer only significant updates as she recovers.
She spent 13 nights in hospital after requiring major surgery to her abdomen on January 17 at The London Clinic.
But in the past two months the internet has become a cesspit of unfounded gossip.
Earlier this month a palace spokesman blasted the “madness of social media”.
