Catherine, the Princess of Wales underwent abdominal surgery in January, and has since remained out of the spotlight, sparking concern
Kate Middleton apologizes for royal photo confusion
Princess Kate Middleton issued an apology after a Mother’s Day family photo sparked viral confusion.
In an interview with the BBC airing Sunday, Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, was asked about the current conspiracy theories surrounding Catherine, the Princess of Wales, in conjunction with the media attention his late sister received before her death.
"The treatment of your sister Diana by the press, if you look now at 2024, at how the paparazzi has sort of developed into this kind of online circus, this online free-for-all, do you think the dangers of that are perhaps more potent than if you look at what's happening now around the current Princess of Wales'?" Laura Kuenssberg asked Spencer, 59, referring to Kate Middleton, 42.
"Do you think the dangers of that online, almost sort of conspiracy theory world, are more potent than the press intrusion that you have fought against?" she added.
PRINCESS DIANA'S BROTHER, CHARLES SPENCER, REVEALS DEVASTATING FAMILY SECRET
Princess Dianas brother, Charles Spencer, touched upon how both his sister and Kate Middleton are treated by the press. (Getty Images)
"No, I think it was more dangerous back in the day," he said with conviction.
"If I look back to ‘97 and Diana’s death, I think that was so shocking. … The circumstance of her death was so shocking, that it did make the industry that supports the paparazzi really consider more carefully what it could and couldn't do," he said.
Princess Diana died in 1997 at the age of 36. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
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"Not because they had a moral judgment, but because it was unacceptable."
Princess Diana tragically died in a car accident in 1997. She was only 36. Since her death, Spencer has condemned the media for interfering with his sister's life. Although Diana's driver was found responsible for the car crash and Diana's subsequent death, the paparazzi following the former royal were also blamed.
Speculation surrounding Kate Middleton's whereabouts continues to grow as she recovers from abdominal surgery. (Max Mumby/Getty Images)
The media's interest in the Princess of Wales' has not subsided, even now that a new woman holds the title. Catherine has inundated headlines for the past several months, as she recovers from abdominal surgery away from the spotlight.
Spotted in early March by photographers being driven by her mother, Carole Middleton, the princess had previously not been seen since December.
Last weekend, Middleton broke her silence and shared a family photo that ultimately raised more questions. Several news agencies deemed that the photograph had been "manipulated," and issued a "kill" on the picture.
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AP News issued a "photo kill" notice on a picture of Kate Middleton and her children she released to the public. (AP News)
The Princess of Wales has since issued an apology, admitting to editing the photograph. Following Middleton's admission, Instagram put an "altered photo" label on the post for the account's 15.2 million followers.
"Independent fact-checkers say the photo or image has been edited in a way that could mislead people, but not because it was shown out of context," the warning read.
Kate Middleton's photo scandal has only made circumstances for the royal family worse. (Max Mumby/Getty Images)
In the wake of the scandal, Spencer, who is promoting his new memoir, "A Very Private School," added his two cents on the conundrum. "I do worry about what happened to the truth," he said in regard to Catherine's situation.
A representative for Earl Spencer did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Caroline Thayer is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Follow Caroline Thayer on Twitter at @carolinejthayer. Story tips can be sent to
