When Catherine, Princess of Wales was spotted at a local farm shop near her family’s home in Windsor, England on Saturday, tabloid stories about the sighting of the recently reclusive royal were oddly devoid of any photographic proof. Royal fans, well-wishers, and the growing contingent of conspiracy theorists wildly speculating about Kate’s disappearance from the public eye since undergoing abdominal surgery late last year just had to take their word for it.
But on Monday afternoon, a 38-second video purportedly showing the outing was finally published in tandem by The Sun and TMZ—though neither outlet gave a reason for the delay.
The cell phone footage appears to capture Kate walking alongside her husband, Prince William, in leggings and a sweatshirt. The Sun, describing her as “relaxed and happy,” reported that the footage had been obtained “just hours” after its initial report about the shopping trip was published on Sunday.
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“Some even refused to believe our front page yesterday,” the tabloid sniffed, noting that “vile and bullying online behavior” targeting the royals was continuing apace.
Both The Sun and TMZ credited the footage to a witness named Nelson Silva, a 40-year-old shopper who spotted the couple in the bread aisle. Silva gave an identical eyewitness statement to both outlets.
“I went to my car and as they came out of the shop I just filmed them,” he said. “I think they walked out through a gate out of the grounds. They just vanished and I didn’t see a car. I just wanted to share with my family footage and show just how normal they were.”
Silva also said the outing looked “natural,” something confirmed by an unnamed witness who spoke to The Sun. “It’s just a woman shopping with her husband on a Saturday afternoon just like thousands of other couples across the country,” that person said.
TMZ also published a screenshot of the video’s metadata, showing that it had been shot on an iPhone on Saturday afternoon near William and Kate’s home. “So yes, it’s a legitimate video,” the tabloid said.
The couple visited the farm shop after watching their three children—George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 5—play sports, according to The Sun’s initial report.
The Sun added on Monday that “it is understood” Kate plans to return to work when she is “good and ready,” a declaration that is unlikely to put to bed a rumor mill still churning through the grist of a botched Photoshop job and two prior “confirmed sightings.”
The 42-year-old was initially expected to resume royal duties around Easter, but her return has since been pushed back.
A source in Kate’s office, when asked if the images were authentic, said they wouldn’t comment on her private time.
