Prince William and Kate Middleton's choice to take separate cars when they went to Queen Elizabeth's Christmas lunch in Buckingham Palace last Wednesday sparked a lot of speculations. Apparently, some royal fans think that this was a clear sign of a romantic friction between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
According to TMZ, this move has fueled rumors of a marriage problem between the Cambridges considering Prince William and Kate were able pack their whole family in one car for Christmas lunch last year. This time, however, Kate drove with Prince Louis and the nanny at the back of the car, while Prince William was driving a separate vehicle, with Prince George in the passenger seat to the front and Princess Charlotte was at the back with the bodyguard.
Netizens on Twitter came up with different reasons behind the separate cars. One royal observer was so sure that there is trouble in paradise for the Cambridge royals. Another chimed that Prince William and Kate can no longer cover up the stories of his alleged cheating, while the duchess continued to put on appearances.
What made the rumors worse was the release of a new viral video featuring Kate and Prince William from their most recent appearance in the cooking show A Berry Royal Christmas on BBC. Allegedly, Kate tried to shrug off Prince William's hand when he tapped on her shoulder.
Fans concluded, without validating the authenticity of the video, that Kate pushed away her husband. Their speculations were compounded when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took separate cars a few days later.
A royal correspondent, however, posted on Twitter that there's only one simple reason for the separate cars. According to Victoria Arbiter, Prince William and Kate's children are growing, which means that they can no longer fit everyone, including the nanny and the bodyguard, into one vehicle.
Still, even with this rational explanation from a royal expert, some fans still think that there's something else going on. Prince William and Kate could have opted to ride together while the guard and the nanny stay in the second car.
Meanwhile, Princess Margaret's son and Queen Elizabeth's nephew, David Armstrong-Jones, arrived at the Christmas lunch by bicycle. While royal fans argue about Prince William and Kate's environmentally wasteful two-car ride, the Earl of Snowdon was praised for being eco-conscious.
Apparently, the Earl of Snowdon goes around the U.K. in a bike pretty much all the time. It is his preferred mode of transport as a low-key member of the royal family.
