Kate conspiracy theorists have been branded “delusional” by the customer who filmed the Prince and Princess of Wales leaving a farm shop together.
Nelson Silva, 40, said he saw a “relaxed” princess with his “own eyes” as she shopped with William in the meat section of the upmarket grocery on the Windsor Park estate on Saturday.
As frenzied speculation over Kate’s health reaches fever pitch, the 40-year-old father said his sighting should finally put the wild rumours to bed. “What more do you need to lay off her?” the engineer said, afterThe Sun published the footage.
However, the saga has only continued, with some even going so far as to claim that the woman in the store was a lookalike.
There were suggestions that the shopper was too tall to be the royal, or that the video had been taken in December as there appeared to be “Christmas decorations” in the background.
Heidi Agan, who has impersonated Kate for over a decade, has been forced to respond after her social media had “gone crazy” with people claiming it was her in the recently published clip.
She told The Mirror: “I was at work at the time so I know that is not me – I 100 per cent believe that is Kate Middleton and William in that video.”
The sighting of the royal couple at the farm shop, which is a short drive from their home in the grounds of Windsor Castle, was the first time Kate had been seen in public since a heavily edited picture was shared by Kensington Palace on social media to mark Mother’s Day last week.
Mr Silva, from Windsor, told The Sun: “I’m not so much shocked that these comments have continued, I’m just confused how exactly they can continue. This is a video clearly showing her and William. I saw them with my own eyes. It was a completely relaxed situation.
“What more do you need to lay off her? I thought after this was released they’d go quiet. But these people are so invested in the drama now. They’ve put so much time and energy into these rumours and lies that they can’t pull the plug.
“Even famous people are guilty. People with a large platform online – they can’t admit they are wrong now because they look so delusional.”
Mr Silva said he spotted the Waleses when he was shopping for steak, describing them as looking “relaxed and happy.”
He said: “I had about 40 minutes to kill and decided to get some produce.
“I went into the shop and at first I noticed their figures, they were standing near the bread. Then I saw Kate turn her head slightly, I was like, ‘Oh I know her’. They went to the meat section and I was stood behind them.
“They were talking to staff and laughing. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the staff seemed overwhelmed in a nice way. When I went to pay for my produce, the girl at the counter was so shocked she was hardly breathing. Everyone in there was very excited. It was a really nice atmosphere.
“I went to the car and decided to take a video to share with my family in Portugal. I started to record as they [Kate and William] walked towards the car park.
“They just looked very happy and relaxed together. William was obviously protective of Kate and I quickly stopped recording because I didn’t want to make them uncomfortable.
“They walked towards fields at the back. I guess they could get back on to the Windsor estate that way.”
He added: “My family sent screenshots of the rumours. I couldn’t believe how delusional people can be.
“On Monday my colleague said, ‘Do you realise that video could debunk all the rumours if it was put out there?’ It shows she [Kate] is OK and getting better.”
The sighting is the third near Windsor Castle this month, after the princess was snapped driving with her mother, and then in a car with her husband.
Kate has been recovering away from the public eye after undergoing successful planned abdominal surgery at the London Clinic on 17 January. She took a step back from royal duties, prompting wild conspiracy theories to gain traction online.
However, Kensington Palace has always suggested the mother-of-three would return after easter. Royal aides have reportedly drawn up plans for Kate to make a “soft return” to public life over Easter weekend.
In the latest twist in the royal saga, the London Clinic has become embroiled in its own scandal over the princess. It was revealed on Wednesday that an investigation has been launched at the central London hospital over claims staff tried to access the 42-year-old’s private medical records while she was a patient, according to The Mirror.
In a message to the conspiracy theorists, Mr Silva said: “Get a hobby. Get something better to do with your day than this.
“I feel for Kate, after I saw her, it really hit me that, look, these are just two human beings. This is a mother who has had an operation and people should not be speaking about her in this manner.
“The people saying nasty things and jumping on the bandwagon, I think they just want to get likes. It is very sad. I’ve had operations and know what the recovery is like.
“Kate just wanted to take a walk with her husband. She looks well. I’d say, ‘Draw a line under it now’.”
It comes amid an escalating royal photo row, triggered by the palace’s release of the doctored Mother’s Day picture of Kate and her three children – Princes George and Louis, and Princess Charlotte – which further fuelled the frenzied speculation over her health.
As eagle-eyes royal fans began pointing out concerns online, major international picture agencies started to withdraw the image, citing fears it had been manipulated.
Hours later, the princess publicly took the blame for touching up the photo and issued a personal apology – sparking a global discussion about the ethics of editing images.
The incident has thrown other official royal photos into question, with the American broadcaster CNN announcing it is reviewing all pictures handed out by the palace.
