Prince William and Kate Middleton
Prince William volunteered on three instances at The Passage homeless shelter in London.
(Photo: Andy Commins/Pool via REUTERS)

A shopper who captured video footage of the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, out shopping with her husband, Prince William, has dismissed theories suggesting that the woman in the video was not the princess. The newly-released footage shows the future princess walking next to William as they visited the Windsor Farm Shop on Saturday, dressed casually in a jumper and leggings, while William wore a baseball cap.

Nelson Silva, the shopper who took the video, insisted that it was authentic, despite some on social media questioning its legitimacy amidst weeks of wild conspiracy theories about Kate's whereabouts and health. "I'm not in that mindset and all of that was nonsense," Silva told the Sun. "Then William turned back and I thought 'hold on I know this person'. I said to the staff 'I think it's them' as I paid."

Silva recounted that he went to his car and filmed the couple as they left the shop, saying, "I think they walked out through a gate out of the grounds. They just vanished and I didn't see a car." He later told TMZ that he validated the footage's legitimacy via metadata and that he "just wanted to share with my family footage and show just how normal they were."

 

Kate's absence from public life has led to rampant speculation and conspiracy theories on social media about her well-being and whereabouts. However, the recent sighting at the Windsor Farm Shop suggests that her recovery from surgery, the details of which have not been disclosed, has progressed. Kensington Palace previously stated that the surgery was not cancer-related and that Kate wished her personal medical information to remain private.

Since her operation on January 16, Kate has been spotted twice in public. In early March, she was photographed as a front-seat passenger in a car driven by her mother, Carole Middleton, in the Windsor area. She was also seen sitting next to William in a car last Monday when he attended the Commonwealth Day service in London, and she was driven to a private appointment.

Friends of the Princess of Wales have suggested that she may speak about her health during public engagements upon her return to official duties after Easter. A friend reportedly said, "They will want to be clear and more open, but they'll do it when they feel ready. I would expect that to be her instinct and it will be her call. They're not going to be rushed."

The video footage of Kate and William's outing to the Windsor Farm Shop has provided a glimpse into their everyday life and has helped to dispel some of the more outlandish rumors surrounding the princess's health. Customers who allegedly saw the couple described Kate as "happy, relaxed, and healthy," with one eyewitness telling The Sun, "Kate was out shopping with William and she looked happy and she looked well. The kids weren't with them but it's such a good sign she was healthy enough to pop down to the shops."

While the palace has not provided a specific timeline for Kate's return to public duties, the recent sightings and reports from friends suggest that she is on the mend and may soon address the public's concerns about her health. As an astoundingly uninformative "friend" told Us Weekly, the Princess will "likely be ready to talk about" her health "when she goes back to work after Easter." Until then, the public will have to rely on occasional sightings and statements from the palace to gauge the progress of Kate's recovery.