Princess Kate married Prince William and joined the royal family in 2011 and has been a darling of the press ever since.
But the Princess of Wales has faced a few scandals during her time in the spotlight. These are the Kate controversies the royals might prefer her fans forget about.
Princess Kate scandals: Topless pics
Intimate photos of Kate Middleton showing her topless were taken in the summer of 2012.
At the time, Kate and William were holidaying at a private chateau owned by Viscount Linley in Provence.
Paparazzi pics of Kate sunbathing topless were subsequently published in France, leading to legal action.
Glossy French mag Closer and local newspaper La Provence were later sued – and handed over thousands in damages.
“The clandestine way in which these photographs were taken was particularly shocking to us as it breached our privacy,” Prince William reflected in 2017.
“My wife and I thought that we could go to France for a few days in a secluded villa owned by a member of my family, and thus enjoy our privacy.”
Meghan Markle and Kate ‘fallout’
According to reports over the years, Kate is alleged to have made her brother-in-law’s wife Meghan Markle cry in the run-up to the Sussexes’ 2018 wedding.
During the Sussexes’ 2021 TV chat with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan claimed Kate said there was a “problem” with Princess Charlotte‘s bridesmaid dress.
Additionally, it was suggested Kate insisted all of the bridesmaids’ dresses would need to be “completely remade”.
Meghan told Oprah: “A few days before the wedding, she was upset about something pertaining – yes, the issue was correct – about flower girl dresses, and it made me cry, and it really hurt my feelings.”
I am not sharing that piece about Kate to be in any way disparaging about her.
She went on: “Everyone in the institution knew it wasn’t true. I am not sharing that piece about Kate to be in any way disparaging about her. I would hope that she would want that to be corrected.”
However, Meghan indicated she would withhold further details, claiming Kate had apologised.
“[Kate] brought me flowers and a note, apologising. And she did what I would do if I knew that I hurt someone. To just take accountability for it,” Meghan added anyway.
Prince Harry ‘Nazi’ costume claim
In January 2023, Prince Harry blamed Kate and his brother for his infamous fancy dress appearance as a Nazi.
Harry wrote in his memoir Spare that he consulted William and Kate over whether to wear the uniform or a pilot’s costume to a 2005 ‘Native and Colonial’ themed-event.
He claimed: “I phoned Willy and Kate, asked what they thought. Nazi uniform, they said.”
Harry also reportedly indicated the couple were amused by the choice.
He went on: “They both howled. Worse than Willy’s leotard outfit! Way more ridiculous! Which, again, was the point.”
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Princess Kate scandals: Mother’s Day ‘photo editing row’
The latest Kate controversy, which has come amid feverish social media speculation about her health since she underwent surgery in January, has led to her apologising over a Mother’s Day photo shared last weekend.
The ‘photo editing row’ was sparked when fans noticed an image of Kate and her three kids appeared to have ‘inconsistencies’.
Picture agencies which had distributed the Instagram shot to the press later mysteriously withdrew the image.
Then, the next day (Monday March 11), Kate issued an apology statement and admitted she had edited the snap.
She said: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.
“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”
Our family Christmas card for 2023 ❤️
Josh Shinner pic.twitter.com/X9du9EkpaI
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 9, 2023
William and Kate’s 2023 Christmas card
Now, the curious circumstances surrounding the Waleses’ Mother’s Day post, has generated further speculation about previous images taken by Kate.
Just a few months ago, fans noticed Prince Louis appeared to be ‘missing a finger’ in a shot used for the family’s Christmas greeting.
However, observers were split about whether this was actually a Photoshop-related error, or whether Louis was holding his hand in a particular way that might obscure his finger.
“There was something off about their Christmas card too,” one social media user recently alleged. Was Kate involved in editing that pic, too?
Read more: Princess Kate looks ‘happy and well’ as she’s ‘spotted out with William’
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