Why Royal Fans Think Kate Middleton Might Be Pregnant

Prince William and Kate Middleton are two of the most well-known people in the world. The British royals are usually seen at numerous events each month, and fans have come to expect to see new photos of the pair as they attend their many engagements. However, some royal enthusiasts have noticed that the Duchess of Cambridge has been very absent from the public eye as of late (via Yahoo), which is strange considering she and her husband have reportedly been given higher roles within the institution.

According to royal expert Andrew Lownie, Queen Elizabeth is taking a step back from some of her duties because of her advanced age. Because of this, William and Kate are now taking on more responsibility. "We're in a period of what can be called a soft regency, in effect the queen is standing back, not doing many roles," Lownie told Express.

He went on to reveal that Elizabeth's oldest son, Prince Charles, is now taking on a heavier workload due to the queen's lighter schedule. This means that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are taking over some of the previous jobs that Charles and his wife, Camilla had overseen. "As a result, William and Kate, who seem to be very popular, are stepping into the position that Charles and Camilla had. Because they are, I would say almost more popular than Charles and Camilla, they've probably been given a higher role," Lownie noted.

Yahoo reports that Prince William has officially returned to work after taking some time off during the summer to spend time with his family. Meanwhile, Kate Middleton has gone over two months without a public outing.

Fans are now wondering if Kate may be in hiding or just at home resting due to a possible pregnancy. TV host Natalie Barr recently revealed that the Duchess of Cambridge may be staying out of the spotlight because she's at home feeling sick, having been known to get very ill during her pregnancies. "I've no idea, I'm just adding to the rumors. She could actually just be having a life," Barr stated (via Yahoo).

Although Kate hasn't been photographed out in weeks, it appears that she's not in hiding. Page Six reports that William and Kate took their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis to France over the weekend to attend the wedding of her brother, James Middleton, to Alizée Thevenet. The couple had previously postponed their nuptials twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and finally walked down the aisle in an intimate ceremony that was attended by close friends and family members. Middleton donned a green dress at the ceremony, while prince William rocked an off-white suit.

The pair reportedly made an effort to ensure the attention remained on James and Alizee (via The Daily Beast). Wedding guest François Arizzi, the mayor of Bormes-les-Mimosas, described the event to the local newspaper Var Matin. He said, " There were about 50 people, including Pippa. Prince William and Kate were there too but they did not want to steal the limelight from the newlyweds, Alizée Thevenet and James Middleton, who is a very nice boy."

This low profile is something Kate has maintained for the past few months. While neither William nor Kate have made any statements about the Duchess of Cambridge's public absence, many spectators believe she is pregnant and will surely be looking for signs of a baby bump during Kate's next outing. However, it's much more likely that she's simply taking some well-deserved time off from her duties to spend time with her children as they return to school. Royal commentator Russel Myers told Today Australia that the rumors surrounding Kate are nonsensical and come as a result of people wanting to stir up some trouble for the duchess (via Good To Know).

He said, "I think that the Duchess isn't pregnant, I think that some people have been asking the question of where has Kate been? But where the truth really lies is they have been on holiday." Meyers went on to explain that William and Kate typically spend their summers in Norfolk and with the Queen at Balmoral. He continued, "There is normally an agreement between the press and the royals of if they are on holiday the kids don't get followed around. The [photographers] leave them alone during the holidays." Though this helps explain why Kate has kept out of the press lately, it's going to take a new set of photos — sans baby bump — to quell the rumors once and for all.