Where is Kate Middleton? From NYT to WSJ, American press can’t keep calm over royal drama

Internet’s hysterical obsession with Kate Middleton isn’t dying anytime soon. Gone are the days when contentious headlines marred her sister-in-law Meghan Markle’s name and tossed their rivalry to the top of the royal mess pile. In the new present, the inescapable Where-is-Kate-Middleton-gate shares its global traction with her recently manufactured photo scandal. The Kate fiascos have occupied an inflated discourse, far heftier than the troubles of Prince Harry’s rushed in-and-out meeting with his cancer-stricken father, King Charles III. As the media ate up Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s estranged vows with the royal scenario, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, enjoyed her distanced, untouchable pedestal. But those days are gone.

FILE PHOTO: Princess of Wales Kate Middleton, is seen at The Mall opposite to Marlborough road, following Britain’s King Charles’ coronation ceremony, in London, Britain May 6, 2023. Anthony Upton/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo(via REUTERS)

Even the Palace hadn’t been much of a help in her case. Instead of tidying things up, its commonly visited ‘rare’ notices are piling up on the table’s edge, with news agencies rebuffing it as an unreliable source altogether. Even if the Princess Protection Program is in a daze about Catherine’s whereabouts, she’s already been immortalised in the American coverage streak. So what if her UK is killing off stories around this arc? You can still find Kate Middleton in the blown-up exaggerations on social media, America’s Late Night escapades, and journalist pieces that once showered undivided attention on political feuds.

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Where is Kate Middleton

The New York Times calls out the British PR’s hypocrisy of the Meghan Markle vs Kate Middleton media divide:

While many British sources are busy killing off stories around Kate Gate, the sycophant response has grown unimaginably. The New York Times called out the “double standard” with which the British press derided Markle for “trying to smash the royal family’s contract with the public: We pay, they pose,” this was when she hoped for some privacy after her first pregnancy. No “shameful speculations” came to light back then because Meghan apparently had no right to privacy. But, as soon the picture was flipped, with Catherine as the target of a photo scandal, columnist Celia Warden jumped to shield Middleton: “The shameful speculation about the Princess of Wales’s health… has to stop,” she wrote.

Also read | Prince William argued over Kate Middleton’s parents, there were signs of sour relationship prior to Duchess’ surgery

The Late Show: Stephen Colbert’s ‘tea’ on Katespiracy

On The Late Show’s March 12 opening monologue of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert dug up some dirt on Prince William’s alleged affair with Lady Sarah Rose Hanbury. He quickly quipped about Middleton supposedly missing out on royal action for the same reason, recalling tabloids from 2019 when Kate seemingly confronted her husband about the rumours. His way of addressing the issue? Laughing it off.

“My heart goes out to poor Kate,” said Colbert after twisting the knife.

 

The Washington Post’s cartoons

The big Kate-Gate question again circles around Prince William being ‘Home Alone.’ Pia Guerra’s new carton for The Post is a savage callback to Macaulay Culkin’s Christmas movie, and its reference works even better when juxtaposed with Prince William’s predicament about keeping up the looks of Middleton still being around despite her alleged “disappearance”.

“Washington Post mocks Prince William as he refuses to release the original photo.🤭 Come clean William.” (X / @ChrisBaronSmit1) “Washington Post mocks the British Media’s sycophancy and royal propaganda as it takes aim at The Daily Mail. Branding it “Daily Fluff”. AFP compares it to North Korea.”(X / @ChrisBaronSmit1)

Anderson Cooper 360: Harry Enten breaks down the internet’s Katespiracy craze

The CNN journalist put aside his thinking cap about senators, Biden-Trump rows and everything else politics, dissecting the internet’s growing obsession with Middleton. He shed light on the expanding horizon of ‘Katespiracies’ as the Princess dominated the top Google search index, beating baseball, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. From whereon, he jumped to elaborating on Meghan Markle’s recently launched mystery lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, also claiming that she is not “all that popular in the United States,” with her net favorability rating significantly lower than the “big royals,” a chart where Middleton reigned supreme yet again.

Also read | Are Prince Harry-Meghan Markle trying to outshine William-Kate Middleton?

John Oliver speculating Kate Middleton is ‘dead’

At least Colbert wished Kate well after his bit at her expense. On the other hand, British-American comedian John Oliver didn’t mince words while pointing out that, supposedly, a lot of people had been thinking on the internet.

“There’s a non-zero chance she died 18 months ago,” he said on Andy Cohen’s show Watch What Happens Live. He continued, ”I’m not saying it happened, I’m saying it’s non-zero. Until proved otherwise, until we see her with a copy of today’s newspaper.”

New Westminster Record’s Greg Perry cartoon relays “The most important news of the day”

March 13, 2024. Greg Perry’s cartoon on the Kate Middleton situation. (NewWestminster Record)

The Daily Show hosts ‘calling bullsh**’ on Kate editing her picture

The Daily Show hosts Desi Lydic and Michael Kosta were not having any of it when they sat down to analyse the new photo-gate. They had trouble digesting the fact Kate edited her own picture. Lydic flippantly remarked: “I’m calling bullsh** that Kate was the one who edited the picture. This is the royal family. They don’t do anything themselves…The only they know how to do without help is adultery,” and the audience responded accordingly.