Prince William slams Kate Middleton conspiracy theories

London, UK - Prince William has spoken out amid swirling conspiracy theories surrounding his wife, Kate Middleton, and her recent hospitalization.

Prince William (l.) brushed off speculation about his wife, Kate Middleton, and her health in a new statement.
Prince William (l.) brushed off speculation about his wife, Kate Middleton, and her health in a new statement.  © Collage: IMAGO / MAXPPP & i Images

On Wednesday, a representative for the Prince of Wales hit back at the viral conversation in a story published by PEOPLE.

"His focus is on his work and not on social media," the spokesman said.

While Kate first underwent abdominal surgery in January, her extended recovery period and subsequent absence from the public eye sparked significant chatter online in the past week.

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Running with the knowledge that the 42-year-old hadn't been photographed since Christmas, social media users crafted endless memes about what she could be up to, with theories ranging from cheating on William to scoring a job at a certain Willy Wonka experience (coming from the more chronically online, of course).

Still, the secrecy has led to some genuine concern and uncertainty about the royal family, which has been hit with plenty of trouble this year already, including a cancer diagnosis for King Charles III.

Confusion lingers around Kate Middleton's expected return

Kate Middleton (r.) is not expected to return to public royal duties until April.
Kate Middleton (r.) is not expected to return to public royal duties until April.  © IMAGO / i Images

"Everybody feels unsettled by uncertainty, and there is too much uncertainty that is surrounding the monarchy right now," royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told PEOPLE.

Kate was photographed in a grainy paparazzi snap on Monday – her first sighting since the hospitalization.

The following day, it was reported that she would make her return to royal duties at rehearsals for Trooping the Colour on June 8, with the event to take place one week later.

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Adding further fuel to the conspiracies, the Ministry of Defense then scrubbed word of Kate's attendance at the Trooping the Colour from their website.

This may have been a mere mix-up, as Kate was reported to be attending rehearsals, not the actual event, and formal confirmation for the big day may have to wait until her recovery period is up. Nevertheless, the many suspicious moves by the royals in recent weeks has led just about everyone to have their doubts about the situation.

Kensington Palace previously tried to shut down the theories in a statement to Us Weekly that reiterated her anticipated public return after Easter and noted that they will only provide "significant updates" until then.

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / MAXPPP & i Images

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