It’s turning right into a thriller to rival the disappearance of Amelia Earhart or the D.B. Cooper hijacking. As Andy Cohen so eloquently put it on “Watch What Occurs Stay” on Tuesday night time: “What the fuck is happening with Kate Middleton?”

Kate, whose official title is Catherine, Princess of Wales (beforehand she was the Duchess of Cambridge however moved up the ranks following Queen Elizabeth II’s loss of life), was final seen in public in December. In January, Kensington Palace confirmed she’d undergone an unspecified “stomach surgical procedure.” By March, the princess — who’s married to Prince William — had not been seen for nearly three months. With little concrete info, rumors and conspiracy theories have flourished. An innocuous try and allay the general public’s curiosity with a Mom’s Day {photograph} fanned the flames, rapidly snowballing into an unmitigated catastrophe. So what’s going on?

Right here, Selection takes you thru what we all know and don’t learn about Kate’s mysterious absence.

Dec. 25: Kate’s Final Public Look

Kate final appeared in public on Christmas Day on her solution to church on the royal Sandringham property in Norfolk, England. She was accompanied by her husband, Prince William, and their three younger youngsters. Wearing a cobalt blue coat and jaunty hat, the princess regarded in good well being, giving no indication that she would quickly discover herself hospitalized simply two weeks later.

Jan. 16: Kate Admitted to Hospital

Unbeknown to anybody outdoors the royals’ inside circle, Kate underwent “deliberate stomach surgical procedure” in a non-public hospital in London. Kensington Palace wouldn’t affirm the surgical procedure till the next day.

Jan. 17: Two Royal Medical Procedures Revealed

In two separate statements, palace officers introduced that Kate efficiently underwent “stomach surgical procedure” the day gone by and would stay within the hospital for as much as two weeks earlier than recovering at dwelling. They declined to reveal any additional particulars of the surgical procedure however stated she was “unlikely to return to public duties till after Easter.”

In a separate communication, the Buckingham Palace press workplace revealed that King Charles was to endure a medical examination the next week for an “enlarged prostate.”

Kate’s need to maintain the explanations for her surgical procedure a secret — whereas comprehensible — contrasts with Charles’ openness about his prostate examination and results in an explosion of rumors and conspiracy theories throughout the web. These vary from speculative, with on-line commentators suggesting an “stomach surgical procedure” may imply a hysterectomy or perhaps a colostomy (requiring a colostomy bag), to ludicrous, with some individuals throughout the web suggesting Kate had died.

Jan. 28: Spanish Anchor Claims Kate Was in a Coma

Spanish information anchor Concha Calleja claimed Kate was in an “induced coma” and wanted life-saving intervention throughout a stint on the information present “Fiesta.” She added that Kate was first hospitalized on Dec. 28 — simply days after her final public look — and a call was made to function. The Instances of London reported that Kensington Palace strongly denied Calleja’s claims.

Jan. 29: Kate Is Discharged From Hospital

Kate returned dwelling to Windsor to proceed her restoration.

Feb. 6: King Charles Has Most cancers

Extra dangerous information for the British royals, because it was revealed that King Charles had been recognized with most cancers and would postpone his public duties to start remedy instantly. Upon listening to about his father’s situation, Prince Harry instantly boarded a aircraft for London, the place native papers reported he’d spent half-hour with Charles earlier than returning to California. Though the kind of most cancers has not been confirmed, Buckingham Palace stated it had been found throughout his “hospital process for benign prostate enlargement.”

March 4: First Image of Kate Put up-Op Emerges

After two months out of the general public eye, worldwide tabloids together with TMZ printed a single paparazzi image of Kate within the passenger seat alongside her mom as they drove by means of Windsor. It was not printed by the U.Okay. press, who’re cautious about working paparazzi photographs of the royal household after they have been blamed for Princess Diana’s loss of life. The grainy picture, which confirmed Kate together with her neck coated up and huge darkish glasses, fanned the conspiracy theorists, a few of whom claimed the individual within the passenger seat was another person, corresponding to a physique double or Kate’s look-alike sister Pippa.

March 6: Kate’s Uncle Provides a Tantalizing Clue

Including to Kate’s woes, her rogue uncle Gary Goldsmith turned up as a contestant on “Celeb Large Brother,” the place fellow contestant and former “Love Island” winner Ekin-Su wasted no time in asking him “The place’s Kate?” Goldsmith stumbled over his response, saying Kate “doesn’t wish to speak about that” and “there’s a type of code of etiquette.” However he added cryptically: “If it’s introduced, I’ll offer you an opinion.” Royal watchers instantly puzzled what “it” referred to, however Goldsmith gave no additional clues, though he promised: “She’s getting the perfect care on the earth… She’ll be again. After all she is going to.”

March 10: Mom’s Day Picture Controversy

With hypothesis intensifying over Kate’s situation and whereabouts, the Kensington Palace X (previously generally known as Twitter) and Instagram accounts — which perform because the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s official social media — posted {a photograph} celebrating U.Okay. Mom’s Day. It featured Kate together with her three youngsters and was stated to have been taken by William the earlier week. The picture, which in accordance with custom was subsequently handed to official information companies for syndication, rapidly spiraled right into a royal scandal. After suspicious social media customers noticed quite a few discrepancies within the picture, 4 picture companies – AP, AFP, Reuters and PA – quickly despatched out a “kill discover” on the picture, accusing the royals of “digital manipulation.”

March 11: Kate’s Mea Culpa and One other Paparazzi Picture

With the picture scandal gathering steam, threatening to overshadow even the Oscars, the royals printed a press release during which Kate took duty for altering the picture. “Like many beginner photographers, I do often experiment with enhancing,” the assertion, ostensibly from Kate, learn. “I needed to precise my apologies for any confusion the household {photograph} we shared yesterday induced. I hope everybody celebrating had a really completely satisfied Mom’s Day.”

That afternoon, one other blurry paparazzi {photograph} of her emerges within the automobile with William, who’s on the way in which to a royal engagement whereas Kate is claimed to be going to a “non-public appointment” in London. Her face is just not seen within the image which, this time, is printed by each the British and worldwide press.

March 13: Andy Cohen Asks What Everybody’s Considering

Throughout “Watch What Occurs Stay” on Tuesday night time, host Andy Cohen asks British comic John Oliver what everyone seems to be considering: “What the fuck is happening with Kate Middleton?”

“There’s a non-zero likelihood she died 18 months in the past,” Oliver replied. “They could be ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’-ing this case. I’m not saying it occurred, I’m saying it’s non-zero. Till proved in any other case, till we see her with a duplicate of immediately’s newspaper.”