Piers Morgan continued to raise red flags about Princess Kate Middleton‘s health following the royal family’s Photoshop debacle.
In a clip from the upcoming TMZ Investigates: Where is Kate Middleton? special, the 58-year-old journalist expressed doubts about when Kate’s now-infamous Mother’s Day photo was taken, saying he’s “not convinced” that the portrait was snapped the week before it was shared online.
“I know somebody who saw her that week who said she didn’t look anything like the picture,” he claimed. “It was just somebody who bumped into her who knows her who said she looked a lot thinner than she did in the picture.”
Acknowledging that Kate, 42, has always been “pretty thin anyway,” Morgan said he was told she looked “thinner than usual” after undergoing abdominal surgery in January. In the family photo, however, Kate appeared “absolutely blooming with good health.”
Morgan argued, “I do not believe that’s an accurate reflection of how she accurately looks at the time.”
Kensington Palace announced on January 17 that Kate was hospitalized for a “planned” procedure that would keep her out of the spotlight for several months. “The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” read a statement shared via social media. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
According to the palace, updates would only be provided “when there is significant new information to share.”
While the palace has requested privacy for the royal family, fans have espoused conspiracies about Kate’s health and whereabouts. Reps for both Kate and Prince William have attempted to quiet the speculation, but rumors continued to swirl after the family released a new photo in honor of the U.K.’s Mother’s Day earlier this month.
In the pic, Kate sat with her and William’s three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — beaming widely for the camera. William, 41, was credited as the photographer.
Several news agencies were subsequently given a “kill” notice instructing them to remove the photo from publication. Kate issued a statement via X on March 11 apologizing for “confusion” and admitting that she “occasionally” experiments with photo editing.
Morgan has been outspoken about the scandal, claiming earlier this month that the royals are “hiding something” about Kate’s health.
“Why is Princess Catherine, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, spending time hunched over photoshop, making amateur edits of official portraits when they literally have servants to do that. Most baffling of all, why not edit in the missing wedding ring?” he said to OK! Magazine.
While he noted that Kate “needs a break,” he also claimed the palace’s tight-lipped nature has only caused more trouble. “On one level [the edited picture] could be trivial — she could be fine and doing well and tried to do something to correct the conspiracies and got it wrong — or it could be that they’re hiding something,” he said.
Morgan alleged that he’s heard “some stuff” that has sounded “pretty alarming,” claiming, “I don’t know what to believe, nor do any of us — we’re not there.”
As rumors continue to spread online, Kate has been spotted three times this month but has not directly addressed her procedure. A source exclusively told Us Weekly this month that Kate “will likely be ready to talk about it” whenever she returns to work.
