Today show host Karl Stefanovic very bizarre conspiracy theory around wild social media speculation and gossip regarding Kate Middleton‘s health and whereabouts was debunked on Tuesday.

Until recently, the Princess of Wales, 42, had not been seen for weeks as she recovered from the abdominal surgery she underwent in January.

Looking healthy, happy and relaxed, Kate reassured fans she is making a good recovery from her procedure when she was snapped by a member of the public on Saturday visiting the Windsor Farm Shop, a short drive from their Berkshire home.

During a segment on the Today show on Tuesday, Karl, 49, discussed his theories with his co-host Sarah Abo and The Telegraph’s Associate Editor Camilla Tominey.

He said he believed the footage of Kate and William was a set-up to quash rumours about her whereabouts, and other people in background were either members and staff from the palace or actors.

Today show host Karl Stefanovic (left) very bizarre conspiracy theory around wild social media speculation and gossip regarding Kate Middleton ‘s health and whereabouts was debunked on Tuesday. Pictured with Sarah Abo (centre) and Camilla Tominey (right)

‘You’ve been brainwashed by the royal family,’ he told Tominey, as the journalist insisted Kate had simply been recovering at home from her surgery and there was nothing more to the story.

‘I mean, Sarah [Abo] can’t go to Melbourne without getting paparazzied at the airport. How do the the two most famous people in that neck of the woods go to the markets on Sunday and not one person pulls out a phone, except for a guy with a long lens inside his car? I mean, come on,’ Karl responded.

Camilla then stated that Windsor residents aren’t bothered by their public appearance.

‘Bear in mind, that they’re local residents there. So people are used to seeing them out and about and they don’t take photographs of them, because it’s not a particularly rare occurrence,’ she said.

‘These are local Windsor people who will be like, “Oh, there’s a couple of royals.”‘

Until the weekend, the Princess of Wales, 42, had not been seen for weeks as she recovered from the abdominal surgery she underwent in January. Pictured with Prince William in October 2023

Looking healthy, happy and relaxed, Kate reassured fans she is making a good recovery from her procedure when she was snapped by a member of the public on Saturday visiting the Windsor Farm Shop, a short drive from their Berkshire home

Sarah interrupted: ‘It’s the biggest story in the world! Even if they are local.’

‘Look the people there, look at those people in the background. They don’t even know it’s William and Kate,’ Camilla replied.

‘Do you know what I think, Camilla? I reckon, looking at that vision, all those people around there are members of the royal household. They’re extras on a set!’ Karl chimed.

It has since been confirmed the footage of Kate and William was indeed taken by a member of the public and not by the paparazzi.

During her weekend outing, the princess carried her own shopping bag and laughingly chatted with her husband as the pair exited the shop and return to their car, according to the footage and images published by The Sun.

They were not accompanied by their three children, Prince George, ten, Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Prince Louis.

The couple have, in recent weeks, been left deeply distressed by wild social media speculation and gossip about Kate’s health and whereabouts.

This has since been reported by publications ranging from the New York Times to British Vogue – and even become the subject of cruel mockery on prime time American television.

Global superstars such as Kim Kardashian have added fuel to the fire with posts about Kate’s ‘disappearance’ to their millions of fans.

The debacle over the princess’ well-meaning Mother’s Day photograph, which she later admitted to having tried to edit, only added to the swirl of speculation.

This was preceded by William’s sudden announcement he was pulling out of his godfather’s memorial service last month on what was only described as a ‘personal matter’ just 45 minutes before he had been due to give a reading.

Against the backdrop of the King’s cancer diagnosis, the drama has created a febrile atmosphere of gossip and conjecture around the Royal Family.

Sources close to the Wales’ have told the Mail they have found the speculation hugely hurtful and hard to deal with, but were determined to focus on what was important to them – their family and the princess’ recovery.

It is anticipated that the new image, showing the couple going about their normal lives, will go some way to calming many of the wilder rumours that have gripped people across the globe.

The snap was taken at 12.43pm on Saturday by a member of the public who was also at the farm shop, just a mile’s drive from the Wales’ Adelaide Cottage home, on their Apple iPhone 12 Pro phone.

William and Kate were spotted leaving Windsor for Westminster Abbey to attend The Commonwealth Day Service last Monday. She has now been seen four times in a fortnight

Her Mother’s Day portrait was edited by the Princess of Wales to make the perfect family shot. But conspiracy theorists have used it to question everything about Kate’s health

The person concerned said they were visiting the shop to ‘𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 time’ while on the way to meet someone to buy an item from Facebook when they recognised William and Kate and were struck by how ‘happy’ they looked.

They spotted the couple again in the car park and decided to capture the moment to share with their own delighted family.

‘When I went inside I looked around and noticed them. They all looked happy,’ the person, who wishes to remain anonymous, said.

On January 17 Kensington Palace announced that Kate had been admitted to The London Clinic in Marylebone, Central London, the previous day for ‘planned abdominal surgery‘.

It said the operation had been successful but would result in a two-week stay in hospital before a period of lengthy recuperation at home.

Her spokesman added that, based on the current medical advice, she was unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter. That advice has not changed.

A spokesman stated that it was the Princess’ personal wish to keep her medical information private and said it would only provide an update if there were ‘significant new information to share’.

The couple are said to have visited the farm having watched their their three children – George, 10, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five – take part in sports. Pictured: Kate with Louis and Charlotte in May 2023

King Charles III (wearing his Welsh Guards uniform) watches a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023 in London. He hopes to attend this year, the Mail revealed today

However their clear statement failed to stop social media and overseas publications, websites and television from speculating wildly about the Princess’ whereabouts and what may have happened to her. The hashtag #whereiskate began trending.

Even the BBC website tackled the issue, highlighting the outlandish speculation under the title: ‘Royal dilemma as public curiosity over Kate’s health grows.’

Some of it has been farcical, including the much-repeated rumour that she is recuperating from a ‘Brazilian bum lift’ or hiding away after a bad haircut.

Other claims, however, have been downright offensive – including that made by a journalist on Spanish television that she has been in a coma that gained huge international traction and had to be openly denied by Kensington Palace.

However trolls and conspiracy theorists have continued used her absence and the lawlessness of social media to spread deeply sinister and highly libellous claims to this day.

A spokesman recently re-iterated their previous advice that they were not going to provide a ‘running commentary’ on the Princess’ health.

‘From our perspective, we were very clear from our statement at the start of this in January that the Princess of Wales planned to be out of public action until after Easter and that hasn’t changed,’ they said.