Some members of the royal family, especially princes and princesses of the younger generation, can easily be labeled as victims. They are wealthy, famous and photogenic, and their roles in public life make them adored by many.
Catherine specifically has been a ready goal for a conspiracy narrative, not only because she is glamorous and widely liked in Britain (due to positive coverage within the tabloid press), but additionally because she has remained more private about her life than many other members of the royal family . “Kate’s signature is calm and discretion,” Arianne Chernock, a historian at Boston University who studies the British monarchy, told me. “Kate was a much more private person” than Princess Diana, she said.
The latest conspiracy theories have emerged with premeditated villainy: for instance, within the speculative corners of the Internet, William has been forged into the villainous role once occupied by Charles while reporting on Diana.
And as an establishment, the royal family is, by its nature, particularly vulnerable to stating mistakes and even ridicule: in spite of everything, it’s a centuries-old tradition constitutional relic, built on strange rituals and financed by British taxpayers, which many consider anachronistic in a contemporary parliamentary democracy. There is a paradox in its essence: it’s a family of human beings, held together by relationships and love, but additionally it is “Undertaking,”, as Prince Philip called it, an institution that ruthlessly pursues its own interests, even at the expense of the royal family itself.
Importantly, there was an online subculture devoted to speculating about the royal family’s perceived institutional corruption and mistreatment of its members: supporters of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, often called the “Sussex Squad,” had long scoured royal accounts for evidence of abuse. This community has turn out to be the source of some conspiracy narratives which were amplified by social media algorithms and even a Russia-linked disinformation operation. The scale of online speculation then became the topic of mainstream media coverage, adding fuel to the hearth and creating what Are claims is a widespread feedback loop.
