The Prince of Wales attended the funeral of Thomas Kingston — husband to King Charles’ second cousin — this week without the monarch or Catherine, Princess of Wales, amid an influx of conspiracy theories about her health.
William, 41, on Tuesday was among an estimated 140 friends and family who attended the private funeral in London at Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace, where Buckingham Palace confirmed a reception was subsequently held, Sky News reports. Queen Camilla was reportedly also absent due to an engagement.
The late financier, 45, who was married to Lady Gabriella Kingston, died on Feb. 25 of a “traumatic wound to the head,” according to local officials. He was found at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds with a gun near his body.
News of Kingston’s sudden death broke on Feb. 27, just hours after William pulled out of the memorial service for his and Lady Gabriella’s late godfather, King Constantine of Greece, citing personal reasons.
Charles, 75, who has sporadically been seen since announcing his cancer diagnosis and treatment last month, was absent from the services for Kingston and Constantine.
William’s absence from Constantine’s memorial further fueled speculation about his wife’s health, following Kensington Palace’s announcement on Jan. 17 that Catherine had just undergone a “successful” abdominal surgery.
The palace at the time noted that the 42-year-old princess, born Kate Middleton, would likely be out of commission until after Easter.
That didn’t quell the internet’s inclination to dive into conspiracy theories though, in part due to Charles’ recent public appearances, rare though they may have been.
Two days after Constantine’s memorial, the palace finally addressed the theories, pointing to their original notice that the princess “was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant.” They have repeatedly said she is “doing well.”
Within days, the royal — who had not been seen since Christmas — was photographed riding shotgun in an Audi driven by her mother.
This weekend, for U.K. Mother’s Day, speculation crested yet again when multiple media outlets pulled Kensington Palace’s photoshopped image of the princess with her and William’s three children.
The Associated Press issued a “kill order” on further publishing the image, citing inconsistencies “at closer inspection.”
Middleton on Monday took blame for the debacle, tweeting: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.”
