Unveiling 8 of Kate Middleton's Major Scandals Pre-Photoshop Saga

Here Are 8 of Kate Middleton's Biggest Scandals Before the Photoshop Controversy

Let's be real, being a royal is no walk in the park—just ask Kate Middleton. Long before the recent Photoshop blunder, Kate Middleton found herself smack dab in the middle of some serious scandals. We're talking about alleged Meghan Markle feuds, that whole topless photo fiasco, and even whispers about Prince William's alleged cheating. Then there was that time she apparently greenlighted Prince Harry's notorious Nazi costume choice. Through it all, Middleton kept her chin up and a stiff upper lip, handling each crisis like a total pro. But just when you thought the drama was dying down, bam! The Photoshop fail reignited the rumor mill. Check out these 8 big scandals that happened before the Middleton Photoshop controversy.

1. Rumors of a Feud Between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle Circulated

The former Suits actress addressed the reports about her and Middleton's feud during Prince Harry and Markle's candid interview with Oprah Winfrey, asserting that the "reverse happened." Markle claimed that a week prior to her royal wedding, Middleton had made her cry. "And I don't say that to be disparaging to anyone, because it was a really hard week of the wedding, and she was upset about something. But she owned it, and she apologized, and she brought me flowers and a note apologizing," she said to Winfrey.

2. Kate Middleton's Topless Photo Makes Waves on Magazine Cover

2012 saw the release of exclusive photos of Middleton nude on the terrace of Viscount Linley's estate by the French magazine Closer. A statement regarding the images was issued by Clarence House, expressing that the Princess of Wales and Prince William were left "in anger and disbelief." "[Prince William and Kate] have been hugely saddened to learn that a French publication and a photographer have invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner," the statement said in part. After Closer released the images with the headline, "Oh My God!, The photos that will go round the world" the royal family filed a lawsuit against the company," as per Business Insider. A few years following the publishing, Middleton won in court and received a $118,000 payout.

3. Kate Middleton Dealt With Prince William's Infidelity Rumors

In 2019, Middleton handled reports of Prince William's infidelity when it was alleged that the heir to the throne had an affair with their close friend, Rose Hanbury. They never replied to the rumor. A source of the Middleton family told Us Weekly, "Kate finds the rumors hurtful, obviously, and hates the thought that one day her children will be able to read about them online." According to the insider, "It forced her and William to sit back and examine their relationship, which they realized they should have been doing more often."

4. Kate Middleton Was Blamed for Prince Harry's Nazi Costume

Prince Harry got into trouble in 2005 for showing up to a Halloween party dressed as a Nazi. In his book, Spare, he disclosed that Prince William and Middleton chose the attire for him. "I went up and down the rows, sifting through the racks, seeing nothing I liked. With time running out I narrowed my options to two. A British pilot's uniform. And a sand-colored Nazi uniform. With a swastika armband. And a flat cap," wrote Prince Harry. "I phoned Willy and Kate, asked what they thought," he said. "Nazi uniform, they said. I rented it, plus a silly mustache, and went back to the house. I tried it all on. They both howled."

5. The Princess of Wales Was Named in Racism Accusations

Harry and Markle revealed in their candid interview that two royals had questioned Prince Archie's skin tone prior to his birth. Ombudsman Scobie, a royal scholar, said that Middleton was one of the two members in question in the Dutch translation of his 2023 book Endgame. After the book's publication, sources refuted the allegations. "Kate was 100 percent not one of the people who discussed it." A source stated, "She is saddened that her name got pulled into this because she had nothing to do with it."

6. Did She Edit Their Holiday Card?

The controversy around the Prince and Princess of Wales' 2023 family Christmas card reappeared in the wake of Middleton's latest photo blunder. The black-and-white image of Prince William and Middleton with their three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—was made public by Kensington Palace in December 2023. There were suspicions that the youngest child's apparent absence of the middle finger on his left hand was the result of another photo editing error after several people saw it. The couple was humiliated by how others believed they had altered their holiday card, a source close to the situation told Us Weekly after it surfaced.

7. What Does 'Waity Katie' Mean?

Middleton was branded "Waity Katie" by the press because of the ups and downs in their romance. There was a brief breakup in 2007 before Prince William and Middleton's royal wedding in 2011, which led to the press making fun of the duchess and nicknamed her "Waity Katie." In addition, she was called by this nickname because of her lack of professional success and the length of time she waited for the king to pop the question. A year later, the pair got back together.

8. Kate Middleton Reportedly Edited Queen Elizabeth II's Photo

After Getty Images discovered "inconsistencies" in a picture of Queen Elizabeth II and many royal children, the controversy around the manipulation of royal photos continued. The image was taken at Balmoral Castle by Middleton and posted in April of 2023. A representative for Getty Images informed, "Getty Images has reviewed the image in question and placed an editor's note on it, stating that the image has been digitally enhanced at source," as per USA Today. InStyle claims that Kate also altered the image.