Kate Middleton
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrives at the Royal Variety Performance in London, Britain November 18, 2019. (Photo: Henry Nicholls/REUTERS)

The recent sighting of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has sparked a new wave of speculation and conspiracy theories, with the co-hosts of ABC's "The View" comparing the footage to a "Bigfoot sighting." The video, published by the Sun, shows Middleton, 42, and her husband, Prince William, 41, shopping at a local farm store, with the princess donning black athleisure wear.

During Tuesday's episode of "The View," co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, 34, commented on the grainy nature of the video, likening it to the elusive Bigfoot sightings that have been reported in the United States since the 1800s, particularly in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. "It's grainy," Farah Griffin said. "It's like a Bigfoot sighting."

The discussion took an unexpected turn when co-host Sunny Hostin, 55, suggested that the woman in the video was not actually Kate Middleton, but rather a body double. "That's not her," Hostin interjected. "That's her body double. You know the royals have body doubles, y'all." Hostin claimed to have read about the concept of royal body doubles in "various places," citing it as a "security issue."

Hostin went on to say that she had conducted her own "internet sleuthing" and was convinced that the profile of the woman in the video did not match that of the Princess of Wales. She also questioned why Middleton would be carrying a heavy bag if she had recently undergone abdominal surgery, as reported earlier this year.

Farah Griffin agreed with Hostin's observations, adding, "When have we ever seen the princess carry a bag?" Co-host Joy Behar, 81, took the opportunity to criticize Prince William, suggesting that he should have been carrying the bags to make the alleged charade more believable. "It sounds like William is not very bright," Behar said. "He should be carrying those bags to make it look good."

Moderator Whoopi Goldberg, 68, attempted to put the speculation to rest, stating that Middleton's whereabouts were not a cause for concern among the British public. "I did try to explain to you that this is not something they're worried about over in London," Goldberg said. "They're not worried about it. We're the only ones who do this."

 

The latest body double theory is just one of several conspiracy theories that have emerged since Middleton's unspecified abdominal surgery in January. Despite Kensington Palace's statements that the princess was recuperating at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor and was unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter, internet trolls have continued to question her absence.

In February, Kensington Palace reaffirmed that Middleton was "doing well" and that they would only provide significant updates regarding her recovery. However, speculation intensified when Middleton posted a heavily photoshopped picture of herself and her children for UK's Mother's Day, which was later pulled by news organizations due to its extensive manipulation.

Middleton later apologized for the confusion caused by the edited family photograph, stating, "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."

Despite the recent sighting of Middleton and Prince William at the farm store, which a palace insider hoped would "put an end to the outside noise about her recovery," the co-hosts of "The View" remain skeptical. As the conspiracy theories persist, the public's fascination with the royal family and the whereabouts of the Princess of Wales shows no signs of abating.