The 'Katespiracy' is officially getting out of control

• Kensington Palace's attempt to quell speculation about Kate Middleton may have backfired spectacularly.
• Several photo agencies have removed a newly issued photo of Kate over concerns that it was doctored.
• The rife speculation about Kate has coalesced into what some are now calling the "Katespiracy."

Kensington Palace's move to publish a photo of Kate Middleton and her children to quell speculation about where she's been hasn't landed very well — and now it's safe to say that the "Katespiracy" is spiraling out of control.

The image, which was released on Sunday, was removed by several photo agencies such as the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse the same day. The portrait was the first official photo of Kate since her last public appearance in December.

In its kill notification, the AP said that on "closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image."

The removal of the photo has only fueled speculation about Kate's whereabouts. Now some people on X, formerly Twitter, have coined a catchall term for all the Kate-related conspiracy theories that have been swirling online — "Katespiracy."

Dissecting the 'Katespiracy'

Some eagle-eyed X users have taken pains to dissect the photo, pointing out what they say are suspicious details like blurred spots, or what they believe to be a missing sweater cuff on Princess Charlotte.

"I've never been much of a conspiracy theorist but if AP, AFP, Reuters and other picture agencies are concerned enough to remove it and ask clients to delete it, there are serious questions for Kensington Palace - which was the source of the photo," ITV News' royal editor Chris Ship wrote on X on Sunday.

Some people on X have joined in on the "Katespiracy" talk by making memes that poke fun at the palace's attempt to dispel rumors.

"I started the KateSpiracy as a joke but now I'm a full card-carrying subscription-paying member," an X user wrote on Sunday.

As of press time, Kensington Palace has not publicly responded to allegations that the photos were altered.

In the age of 'Taylor Swift, CIA mole,' it's no surprise that the 'Katespiracy' is getting out of hand

That the "Katespiracy" is morphing into something far more complex and nefarious than it ever needed to be is unsurprising — considering how online communities have gone down endless rabbit holes in search of what they believe to be the truth.

Take "Pizzagate," for instance, where people on 4chan and Reddit made unsubstantiated claims that former First Lady Hillary Clinton and her staffers were using a pizzeria as a base for child trafficking.

And there's no shortage of conspiracy theories swirling around celebrities' lives.

Pop-rock star Avril Lavigne has long been the subject of a conspiracy theory claiming that the real Lavigne has been dead for years, and was replaced by a doppelgänger.

More recently, Taylor Swift was embroiled this year in a wild right-wing conspiracy theory, where people baselessly accused her of faking a relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and being part of a sprawling CIA plot to clinch the 2024 election for the Democratic Party.

Releasing a photo should've made all the speculation go away

Besides Sunday's photo, Kate has not been spotted at any events. The only other recent photo of her was a paparazzi photo published by TMZ on March 4.

The lack of public appearances has only fueled the rumor mill and spawned unfounded theories on social media. Some people have wondered aloud if Kate is still alive, or if her marriage to Prince William is on the rocks.

None of these conspiracy theories, which range from the mildly plausible to completely outlandish, have been definitively proven. What people do know, however, is what Kensington Palace has been willing to disclose.

On January 17, the palace said in a statement that Kate had been admitted to the hospital for "planned abdominal surgery." The palace said in a subsequent statement on January 29 that Kate had returned home to Windsor to continue with her recovery.

As speculation mounted, the palace broke its silence on February 29, saying in a terse statement to the media that they'd been clear on Kate's recovery timeline.

"As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates," the statement read.

Royal commentators previously told BI that they found it odd that the palace was being so secretive about Kate's health and whereabouts.

"The weird thing is, the palace could make it all go away with one single photo of Kate, but they seem to not want to do that," royal commentator and podcast host Jack Royston told BI on March 1.

Kensington Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.