TikTok is spinning over speculation that the BBC has been alerted of an impending palace announcement — but the rumors are unfounded.
Over the weekend, the speculation spread across TikTok and the internet as several content creators said that the BBC was "on standby" or alert for an official royal announcement. Some claimed the update involved Kate Middleton, who continues her private recovery following abdominal surgery, while others alleged that it was about King Charles amid his cancer treatment.
Despite the traction online, none of the parties involved have confirmed the claims. Furthermore, it would be unusual for the palace to provide advance notice of impending royal announcements spanning multiple days.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment when reached by PEOPLE. The BBC has yet to respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Kate's absence from public view has sparked rumors on social media regarding her whereabouts and the details of her medical procedure. In response to the intense speculation, Kensington Palace released a rare statement last month to debunk conspiracies surrounding the Princess of Wales' return to royal duty.
Kate Middleton, Prince William, King Charles and Queen Camilla following a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication to the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla at St Giles' Cathedral on July 5, 2023 in Edinburgh, Scotland.Lesley Martin - Pool/Getty
A spokesperson for Princess Kate said, "We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant."
The spokesperson reiterated the princess, 42, is "doing well."
Over the weekend, The Sun reported that Princess Kate, 42, looked "happy, relaxed and healthy" during a visit to a store near her home on Saturday. According to the outlet, the Princess of Wales and her husband Prince William popped by the Windsor Farm Shop, which is a mile from their home at Adelaide Cottage. The sighting was significant as the first time Princess Kate has reportedly been seen at a public place since her surgery on Jan. 16.
"Kate was out shopping with William and she looked happy and she looked well, " an onlooker told the outlet.
While the couple’s children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, didn’t tag along to the farm shop, The Sun reported that the Prince and Princess of Wales spent Saturday morning watching their children play sports. It’s no surprise that William and Kate are keeping their three kids on a schedule, as the initial statement from Kensington Palace about Princess Kate’s surgery expressed her wish to "maintain as much normality for her children as possible."
Prince William and Kate Middleton visit Outfit Moray in Moray, Scotland on November 2, 2023.Jane Barlow - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Meanwhile, chatter around King Charles hit new levels when Russian media outlets published a story claiming that the British monarch died on Sunday. Screenshots of a doctored death announcement from Buckingham Palace made the rounds online and eventually made its way to TikTok, reports The Mirror.
The British Embassy in Ukraine swiftly refuted the claims made in the Russian reports on the same day, issuing a statement via Twitter declaring, "News about the death of King Charles III is fake."
Additionally, the palace reportedly dismissed the rumors in a statement to the state-run Russian news agency TASS, affirming, "We are happy to confirm that The King is continuing with official and private business," as reported by the New York Post.
The King, 75, has postponed public-facing duties since he began cancer treatment in January but has continued to work behind the scenes. He was most recently photographed meeting with the Commonwealth Secretary-General at Buckingham Palace last Wednesday after appearing in a pre-recorded video at the Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration on Monday.
Baroness Scotland of Asthal, the Commonwealth Secretary General, and King Charles meet at Buckingham Palace in London on March 13, 2024.YUI MOK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
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Queen Camilla and Prince William led the royal family into Westminster Abbey, which came the same day that Princess Kate shared a surprise apology to social media for "any confusion" around her Mother's Day photo after multiple photo agencies pulled the picture due to suspicion of manipulation.
As the royal family strives to maintain a balance between privacy and public disclosure, there are increasing demands for transparency
"Everybody feels unsettled by uncertainty, and there is too much uncertainty that is surrounding the monarchy right now," royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith recently told PEOPLE. "Queen Elizabeth used to say, 'I need to be seen to be believed.' It is important for Charles and his reign for the public to know a little bit more."
