service for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, who died in 2023 — due to what Kensington Palace called a “personal matter.” The last-minute change surprised royal watchers, particularly because he was supposed to speak during the service.
Though the palace didn’t elaborate on what personal matter William was skipping the service for, a royal aide — likely anticipating that William’s absence would prompt speculation about Middleton’s health,the official social-media accounts for William and Kate shared a photo of her with their three children in celebration of Mother’s Day (which the U.K. observes in March). What was initially deemed another proof-of-life photo quickly backfired when several news outlets retracted the image, citing evidence that suggested it had been doctored.