Kate Middleton Finds Support From An Unlikely Source: Donald Trump

In just a matter of weeks, public chatter about Catherine, Princess of Wales, has shifted from "Hope she's okay!" to "What is she hiding?" It was bad enough that the public had been left in the dark about Kate Middleton's recovery from an undisclosed abdominal surgery, with only a vague statement about returning to her duties sometime after Easter. Now, all the focus has shifted to "Photogate," with questions and conspiracy theories about the Mother's Day picture she and William, Prince of Wales, posted on their Instagram account. How much of it was Photoshopped, by whom, and why? The speculation even spread so far as to create drama over Kate's family snap of Queen Elizabeth II and her grandchildren, taken shortly before Her Majesty's death. 

At least one very public figure is shrugging his shoulders over the growing controversy. In a March 19, 2024 interview with Nigel Farage of GB News, Donald Trump offered his opinions on various royal family members. Bringing up the topic of Kate's surgery and the whole photo debacle, Farage said, "It's pretty tough being in her position, isn't it?" The former president replied, "That shouldn't be a big deal, because everybody doctors. You look at [photos of] these movie actors and you see a movie actor and you meet him, and you say, 'Is that the same person in the picture?'" Trump acknowledged that he'd noticed changes in the infamous pic, but reasoned they weren't a big deal. However, the former president notably didn't specify exactly which ones he'd spotted.

Donald Trump's empathy toward Kate Middleton isn't as surprising as it may seem. Amid his fight for a second term in the White House, the controversial politician knows he needs to be on good terms with King Charles III. During his GB News interview, Trump made it quite clear that he's on Team Palace, stating, "I'm a big fan of the concept of the royal family [and] the royal family." He also heaped praise on the late Queen Elizabeth II, noting her gracious diplomacy and the good relationship they'd developed during his administration. For good measure, Trump chastised Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, for being "very disrespectful" toward his family in his memoir. 

On the topic of the Princess of Wales' edited family photo, Trump opined, "I don't understand why there could be such a howl over that," adding that the press "really went after her." It's the same sentiment he has often shared about himself. As Trump's legal woes continue to pile up, he frequently protests about being persecuted by the media, judges, and pretty much anyone else who expresses a negative opinion of him. 

In response to the interview, frequent Trump critic Ron Filipkowski, of Meidas Touch, commented on X, formerly known as Twitter, "Given Trump's social media team's work, it is no surprise he would defend [Kate] on the subject." A follower responded with a reminder about the digital trading cards that the former president sold, which featured some, er, creative representations of Trump as an Adonis-like superhero.