‘Where Is Kate Middleton?’ Fans want 'Dateline NBC' investigation after TMZ docu exposes #KateGate Palace PR failure
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The red herring portrait of the missing Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales and future Queen of England, has sent the globe into a frenzy. Instead of putting out the fire, viewers of 'TMZ Investigates: Where is Kate Middleton?' allege Kensington Palace PR is fueling it with kerosene.
"Where is Kate Middleton?" is no longer a joke; it's becoming sinister. It's the burning question for all royal watchers, drama buffs, and anybody else who spends a lot of time on the internet.
Kate's latest health issues have the globe doubting every new picture of the princess... and revealing a complete lack of faith in the British monarchy as a whole. TMZ interviewed several insiders and experts for their new documentary, 'TMZ Investigates: Where is Kate Middleton?', which aired on FOX at 9 pm/8 pm central on March 21, and they all believe that a lack of trust is what has fueled so many rumors.
The Princess of Wales, one of the world's most recognized ladies, appears to have gone from view. Fans allege Kensington Palace failed badly in their attempt to prevent rumors from spreading.
On Reddit, viewers of the new TMZ documentary wrote, "To be fair, it didn’t start until about 2 months after the last time she was seen and after William pulled out of his Godfather’s funeral last minute. That was the start of all the really big PR mistakes."
Another person chimed in, "I’d love a serious case study on how the PR failures of this debacle spun so out of control. (Sunday night on Twitter was particularly wild). No medical details, just a Dateline-esque examination of how things spiraled. It’s a fascinating case study of how old media/social media/celebrity can intertwine to create a crisis."
One user claimed, "I think their PR is doing everything not to be KP’s PR. The more private KP is the more we will see BP be open. Charles has kinda always been this way when he thought it would make him look good."
A fourth Redditor sighed, "You know what would be worse? If the truth about Kate was exactly what KP stated, but their PR is so bad that it just falls apart at the slightest stress."
Another user quipped, "If Kris Jenner were in charge of the BRF’s PR, this event would have gone much more smoothly."
One questioned, "I also ‘couldn’t care less’, but the thing is… why to lie? Why go through all these hoops? It just indicates that something pretty bad has to be going on…"
Buckingham Palace hiring communications assistant Amid #KateGate
Buckingham Palace appears to have learned a lesson from the Kate debacle, as they are searching for a new worker bee to help handle the media for them, although someone who will be rather low-paid. In a job ad that was discovered this week by eagle-eyed parties and looks to be relatively recent, BP claims they're looking for a communications assistant to manage all things media for them, including press queries and a variety of other obligations.
It's an unusual moment, given the intense speculation surrounding the Princess of Wales. BP is seeking someone to offer administrative assistance, issue media credentials for palace activities, and "Produce content for a variety of platforms, including media advisories, social media updates, and feature articles."
Buckingham Palace's advertisement does not demand Photoshop ability; therefore, it appears that no photo touch-ups will be necessary. However, social media is certainly vital to the Crown.
One more thing: look out for the salary for this work. It works out to just around $32,500 per year USD -- not exactly a king's ransom coming from the Royal Family!
What surgery did Kate Middleton have?
On January 17, Kensington Palace confirmed Kate's hospitalization for "planned abdominal surgery," but did not identify the cause of the operation. "The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery," the statement said.
While we don't know what caused Kate's hospitalization, Harper's Bazaar has verified it wasn't cancer.
When will Kate Middleton return to royal duties?
According to the palace's first announcement, the princess will not return until after Easter, which falls on March 31 this year, based on "current medical advice." Although we don't know when Kate will return, the Ministry of Defense in the United Kingdom announced in early March that her attendance at a Trooping the Color event on June 8 has been confirmed, during which she will inspect soldiers from the Household Division in her role as honorary colonel of the Irish Guards.
However, on March 5, a source in Wales informed Bazaar that only Kensington Palace can formally confirm the princess' presence at any event. In other words, we'll have to wait and see if Kate will be at Trooping the Color.