MOST PEOPLE HAVE SEEN CONSPIRACY THEORIES ONLINE - BUT TRUST IN ROYALS UNDENTED, POLL SHOWS
More than half of people in the UK have seen conspiracy theories on social media about why the Princess of Wales is absent from public life, but it hasn't dented trust in the Royal Family, polling for Sky News shows.
William and Kate have, in recent weeks, faced social media speculation surrounding Kate's health and whereabouts after it was announced in January that she had abdominal surgery and would not undertake public engagements until after Easter.
Update:
The couple were filmed shopping in Windsor at the weekend, a week after Kate apologised for confusion after admitting to editing an image of her with her children that was released for Mother's Day.
The poll, carried out by YouGov, shows 51% of people have seen discussion of theories about her absence online, with 44% saying they have not, while 5% were unsure.
It also reveals how more than one in three people (36%) thought the royals released too little detail about her surgery.
Some 41% thought they released the right amount and 5% thought it was too much information.
People believe that the King's announcement of his cancer diagnosis was better judged - with 64% saying the information released struck the right balance, against 14% who wanted to know more and 4% who wanted to know less.
Overall, trust in the royals appears to be holding.
Almost one in ten people (9%) say they trust the Princess of Wales less - but the same number trust her more.
Many more - 68% - say their opinion has not changed in recent months.
Analysis:
Trust in the King is better, as 5% of people say they trust him less, whereas 11% say they trust him more. The majority, 72%, say their opinion has not changed.
Trust in the Queen has risen by 9% in recent months - while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have fared worse.
Some 13% of people trust Prince Harry less, against 5% who trust him more - 69% didn't change their opinion.
Meghan is less trusted by 11% of people but more trusted by 4%. Again, the majority didn't change their opinion.
Of the royals that people were asked about, the Duchess of Sussex was trusted the least, 54% of people don't trust her and haven't changed their minds in recent months, according to the online poll of 2,081 adults.
The poll was undertaken between 15 - 17 March.
The Royal Family have hardly been out of the headlines in recent months.
On 16 January, the Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic, a private hospital in Marylebone, central London, for abdominal surgery.
A spokesperson for Kate, 42, said she was "making good progress" when she returned home to Windsor at the end of the month.
Read more: 'Extraordinary' US reaction to royal story
Details of the princess's condition have not been disclosed.
At the beginning of February, the King, 75, announced he had been diagnosed with cancer.
It came after hospital treatment for an enlarged prostate - Buckingham Palace later said he does not have prostate cancer, without giving further details.
On 9 February, Prince Harry and the publisher of the Daily Mirror newspaper settled the remainder of his hacking claim against the company.
Mirror Group Newspapers agreed to pay "a substantial additional sum" in damages to the prince, as well as his legal costs - on top of the £140,600 already awarded in December.
At the end of February, Harry lost a legal challenge against the government's decision to take away his right to automatic high-level police protection when he is in the UK.
Then in March, the Princess of Wales apologised "for any confusion" after she admitted to editing a picture - taken by Prince William - published on Mother's Day of her with their three children.
Photo agencies pulled the image over concerns it had been "manipulated" by "the source".
2024-03-19T06:03:05Z dg43tfdfdgfd