Video Expert Tells Us Edits In Kate Middleton Announcement Reveal Hasty Production

Kate Middleton confirmed the sad news on March 22, 2024, that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Kate took control and shared her health update in a video posted to her social media accounts, which millions of well-wishers across the globe have watched. But there's a chance Kate maybe didn't intend to share her news with the world quite this soon. Speaking on the British show "Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg," Paddy Harverson, who previously served as Catherine, Princess of Wales, and William, Prince of Wales' spokesperson, said he felt Kate would have waited to share her news had it not been for the media firestorm that surrounded her notorious edited family photo. "They would have still waited till this last Friday [April 29] when the schools are breaking up to make the announcement," he claimed.

To find out more about Kate's video and how it was shot, we spoke exclusively to Chris Flook, senior lecturer of media at Ball State University. His take on the clip supports the theory it all came together quite quickly, perhaps to get the sad news out as soon as possible. "I think the video was hastily shot, or at least, the window in which the recording happened was limited," he shared, also noting the production was understated due to its lack of editing. "There aren't any edits, morph transitions, or cuts that I can see," he said of the video, which featured several important details you may not have noticed.

There could be a few reasons Kate Middleton or the palace opted not to spend much time on her video, produced by BBC Studios. We know she may have wanted to shut down conspiracy theories quickly, which, as Chris Flook pointed out to us, is supported by the fact Kate appeared to read from a prompter, likely to reduce the need for multiple takes.

The clip's simpler (and therefore quicker) production may also be down to its personal nature and desire for it to feel intimate and authentic. And Flook believes BBC Studios purposefully didn't keep cutting in and out for that reason. He noted that the only editing appears to be on the audio, as Kate didn't stop filming during moments that affected the sound, such as when a plane flew past. "The fact they went with a recording that had plane noise bad enough for a filter indicates, to me, limited time," he explained.

But for those suggesting Kate may have filmed in front of a green screen, Flook is firmly shutting that speculation down. "There's no indication that it was recorded anywhere other than outside on a beautiful sunny spring evening or morning," he said. He also highlighted the elements that point to an authentic setting, including the movement of insects and the greenery within the frame. "We can also clearly see the sun coming in and out from behind the clouds. The resulting exchange of shadow and sunlight matches across the entire shot," Flook explained.