I was going to skip this but some commenters made reference to it and it seems like even more evidence that there’s a movement afoot to soft-launch a “Wales divorce” storyline. All week, there have been references in American and British media that the Mother’s Day photo fiasco was symptomatic of deeper problems in Prince William and Kate’s marriage. It’s important to remember, for those of you who just became interested in royal gossip recently, that William spent much of 2023 soft-launching himself as a hot single dad who was ready to mingle, and who looked forward to traveling solo. This was also around the time when Kensington Palace let everyone know that Kate was flatly refusing to travel or work because of the fakakta school run. Adjacent to that, there were stories throughout 2023 about William and Kate “cracking under the pressure” and turning on each other. There was a lot of foreshadowing for all of the sh-t that’s gone down this year, that’s all I’ll say. In any case, Sarah Vine’s column in the Daily Mail was full of some intriguing asides and assertions. Some highlights:

The Mother’s Day photo fiasco: No fewer than 12 alterations have been clearly identified, and there are queries about other aspects of it – ranging from the intriguing to the frankly insane. Some bonkers people are even suggesting the image is from November of last year – although there is no indication from the metadata (digital information about a picture, including details of the device used, plus location, dates and more) to suggest that it is remotely true. Nevertheless, it just seems so… well, amateur.

Odd that no one thought to add Kate’s wedding ring or Big Blue: Even odder, to my mind, is that the one thing that really stands out about the photograph, the detail most likely to set tongues wagging, has been left untouched. I’m talking, of course, about the fact that the princess is not wearing any of her rings. It’s true that she doesn’t always wear the diamond and sapphire engagement ring, for obvious reasons. But her wedding band? When has the Princess of Wales ever been seen without that? If you were going to digitally alter anything about the picture, wouldn’t that be it? Forget Charlotte’s sleeve, just pop that wedding ring back on. If nothing else, to stop people putting two and two together and making five.

William hasn’t been himself lately: Especially since the prince hasn’t exactly been quite himself of late, failing as he did to turn up to the late King Constantine of Greece’s memorial service at St George’s Chapel a couple of weeks ago, cancelling with less than an hour’s notice because of a ‘personal matter’. This wasn’t just anyone, it was his godfather – and the prince’s name was on the order of service. Plus, the chapel is only a few minutes by car from his home in the grounds of Windsor Castle. How serious a ‘personal matter’ can it have been that he couldn’t get away for an hour or so? All of this makes the absence of that wedding ring on a picture that the princess, by her own admission, spent a good deal of time doctoring even more concerning. It makes it seem almost 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.

The Monday photo in Windsor of William & Kate: Certainly that snap of them leaving Windsor in the car together yesterday was less than encouraging. They didn’t exactly look cheery, she with her back to the camera in shady profile and he looking somberly down at his papers. Of course, all this could mean nothing. But it could also mean something. And that’s the real problem here. As much as I would love to think that, as is so often the case in life, this is more cock-up than conspiracy, at every turn the combined cack-handedness of Kensington Palace and, let’s be honest, the demeanour of the Prince and Princess of Wales themselves conspire to make one think otherwise. I don’t say this out of criticism, more out of genuine concern for the couple and their wellbeing. After all, life in the royal fishbowl is far from easy. The princess has clearly had a very nasty operation, and it has come at the end of a very difficult and destabilising period for them both.

Just some explanations for William & Kate’s divorce, if it should happen: One shouldn’t underestimate the emotional strain – common to the whole of the Royal Family – of losing their great matriarch, the late Queen. Add to that the King’s cancer diagnosis, and inevitably it’s been an unsettling few months. It also goes without saying that the stress placed upon them both as a result of the accusations levelled at them by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has been immense, and in particular the attacks on the princess have been especially vicious. It’s also worth remembering that on Kate’s side of the family, things haven’t been all that easy, either. Her parents’ business, Party Pieces, went into administration last year with more than £2.5million of debt. Inevitably that will have also taken its toll.

[From The Daily Mail]

Again, all of this speculation about the state of Huevo and Buttons’ marriage has been happening at lower levels for some time, but the weirdness of everything this year has led to more mainstream chatter. Chatter about affairs, chatter about Rose Hanbury, chatter about an unhappy marriage, chatter about all of the explanations the Waleses could give if they do end their marriage. Here’s my question though: if they were headed for divorce for a while, did Kate’s medical issues delay the inevitable or accelerate the inevitable? Discuss.

Kate tries to be discreet but her anger and frustration are becoming harder and harder to hide. William can't even pretend anymore.

How long before their cheerleader and mouthpiece Camilla Tominey writes a new rumor about H&M's marriage to distract from this crumbling facade? pic.twitter.com/CAQnA18GwH

— Julia 🐈‍⬛ (@Julia44993) July 7, 2023

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Kensington Palace, Backgrid.