Prince William breaks his silence on Kate Middleton conspiracy theories regarding her health

Prince William has officially broken his silence on the many online conspiracy theories concerning his wife Kate Middleton’s health and conspicuous absence after getting some sort of surgery. Speaking to People for its Wednesday cover story, a spokesperson said on behalf of the prince, “His focus is on his work and not on social media.”

Kate’s well-being continues to be a major topic of concern, especially after William abruptly pulled out of a planned outing to his godfather King Constantine of Greece’s memorial service on Feb. 27, People reported. On Jan. 17, Kensington Palace announced that the Princess of Wales underwent a “planned” abdominal procedure the previous day without giving further information on her health. They noted that her medical condition was non-cancerous and that Kate wasn’t expected to return to public royal duties until after Easter. 

The uncertainty surrounding Kate’s health invited a myriad of conspiracy theories online, including Redditors speculating that Kate and William’s relationship is on the rocks and the Spanish media speculating that Kate is in a coma.

The palace recently assured the public that the Princess of Wales “continues to be doing well” in her recovery. Kate was also spotted during a car ride with her mother, Carole Middleton, this week.

On Feb. 29, a spokesperson reiterated to People that Kate would not be resuming public engagements until after Easter: “We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant.”