Breaking News: Here’s Why Kate Middleton and Prince William Divorce Rumors Are Spreading and Where They Came From

Remember when the Palace initially announced Kate Middleton’s post-surgery break and the response was relatively chill? Times have changed and there is no chill to be found, none at all, not even an iota. Cut to several months and one baffling attempt at Photoshop later, conspiracies about Kate’s whereabouts now range from “she’s growing out bangs” to “she and Prince William are getting a divorce.” So…[awkward silence]…are they? All signs point to absolutely not, but let’s go over the origins of this theory.

People Zeroed in on Kate’s Missing Wedding Ring
Okay, first things first, let’s discuss the fact that Kate’s ring is missing in her Mother’s Day photo.

It’s definitely unusual for Kate to be seen without her signature sapphire, but Prince William being credited with taking the pic initially seemed to calm everyone down. However! Once Kate’s many bizarre Photoshop errors were clocked, questions were raised. Specifically: If this image isn’t trustworthy, can we really expect the caption to be?

There’s also the fact that Kate—who certainly wasn’t being subtle when it came to Photoshop—didn’t take time to add in her ring, which left some suggesting the move was intentional. As columnist Sarah Vine put it in the Daily Mail, the ring’s absence seemed to be “deliberate, a statement in its own right. If it’s not there, could that be because she doesn’t want it there? It doesn’t bear thinking about.”

Even Kate’s friends were said to be “completely baffled,” with one acquaintance telling the Daily Beast, ““It’s fair to say we were all completely baffled when the picture came out with the wedding ring missing, especially as it was Photoshopped. It just seemed guaranteed to get people asking questions about the state of the marriage.”