Where is Catherine?

[Little My]

Well that is brand new information.

[Chicky]

The farm shop video was apparently lookalikes and not them at all. I have to say it didn’t look much like her.

[Morganna]

What are they playing at? Is the idea that the farm shop pair were hoaxing the media, or is the suggestion that the RF are covering up something sinister. Or does that depend on your conspiracy theory of choice?

[Chicky]

I would think it’s nothing to do with the Royals and entirely a hoax to make money.

[Texaco Shirley]

I think media hoax.

[Morganna]

Who is making money? People selling 'stories' to the press? Does anyone buy newspapers now? I can't imagine sales rising, as most people subscribe online, I think. The story about the hospital employee looking at her notes was awful, though. I hope they will be traced and sacked.

[Tsu]

The farm shop video was apparently lookalikes and not them at all. I have to say it didn’t look much like her.

I thought KP had confirmed it was them.

[Red]

The Times reporting that the Palace looking at options for a soft-return to the public eye for Kate, perhaps her walking to the church at Easter.
So if a walk is only a possibility, I don't think she was skipping around a farm shop in Windsor last weekend.

[Roma]

Who is making money? People selling 'stories' to the press? Does anyone buy newspapers now? I can't imagine sales rising, as most people subscribe online, I think. The story about the hospital employee looking at her notes was awful, though. I hope they will be traced and sacked.

I’m sure the press makes a lot of money by publishing stories online. The more clicks and subscribers the more ad revenues, I would think?

[ParisGal]

Anyone who gets a viral video makes money out of it. Often if there's something "wrong" it's better as people watch and comment more.

[Ruby]

The farm shop video was apparently lookalikes and not them at all. I have to say it didn’t look much like her.

Where have you heard this? As far as I'm aware no-one credible has said it isn't her?

[Blondiejude]

I was just about to ask that, a lot of news websites are still showing it so presumably it hasn’t been pulled?

[Chicky]

I thought I saw something on Twitter from the guy who took the video admitting it. But there is so much fake news out there it’s hard to tell anything is real!

[Pippedydeadeye]

I simply don’t believe anything on Twitter any more. It’s easiest that way.

[Ruby]

I simply don’t believe anything on Twitter any more. It’s easiest that way.

This is very true.

As far as I can tell this rumour is because TMZ published the original video/pics then a guest on a random TMZ stream said they weren't sure it was genuine.

Then Twitter people found the bloke who had taken the video - Nelson Silva - and said he was a film producer & found his LinkedIn etc. Except it wasn't him and his employer had to get people to stop harassing him.

Then the crazies identified the 'Kate' in the video as a specific Kate Middleton lookalike who has had to publicly deny it was her and give an 'alibi'.

Now, honestly, I get finding this funny. And I totally understand people loving the drama. But some of these people need to seek help. Genuinely. At this point, she could appear on national TV, taking a DNA test, holding up a copy of today's newspaper and people would still think it was fake.

[Ruby]

The rest is terrible comms - explained by the fact that the royal family still mostly have a load of other ludicrously posh people working for them and not people with an actual talent for PR. Which is probably why Meghan wanted her 'own people'.

Ok. To prove my point about them having terrible PR, this is an advert that is on the royal household website;

https://theroyalhousehold.tal.net/vx/la ... tant/en-GB

Look at the salary. In London. This job isn't meant to be taken by a talented young professional - this is meant to be done by Lady Cressida St John Percy-Neville or at least someone who went to one of the 'better' universities and doesn't need to pay rent. Now, I get that this is an entry level position and they have senior people with experience, but they need some hard-nosed hack to run things.

[Lola]

I agree with everything you’re saying, Ruby. It’s sinister now rather than funny.

Is that salary even minimum wage in London?

There was a good article yesterday about how all these daft rumours started:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... SApp_Other

[Lily]

As an institution they're notoriously penny-pinching, although the pension is good.

I'm not really interested in this but the insanity around this is mindboggling and proves (even more strongly) why the palace just need to make a statement.

[Luce]

That properly surprises me, Lily, you love the royal family! And there's penny pinching and there's systemically excluding poor people...I know which one I suspect more.

[Montana]

I don't know that that's such a bad salary for an entry level position. But agree that you would expect even a junior role in that environment to require some previous experience rather than just 'an interest in media'.