If that was the aim, it certainly has not worked.
"Do you believe this is Kate Middleton?" is the caption of one TikTok video about the pictures that has been viewed 3.5m times. "Not Kate. Nooo," reads one of the almost 2,000 comments. "I'm not even big on the royals and I knew it wasn't her," says someone else. Another video, titled "Where is #katemiddleton? Cause that's not here! [sic]", has 1.1m views.
Ten days after Kensington Palace released a photograph of Catherine with her children - which it later was forced to admit had been altered - the enormous scale of the conspiracies it has fed and generated is becoming apparent.
The Princess's whereabouts, and the more outlandish theories attached to that question, have been the subject of frenzied online speculation around the world, as illustrated by data seen by the Guardian. According to BrandMentions, a company that monitors the spread of hashtags and keywords online, over the past seven days the hashtags #whereiskate #katebodydouble and #katemiddleton have been used on social media accounts and webpages with a total reach of 400 million people worldwide, as measured by factors such as account followers.
The hashtags were mentioned 5,400 times, with Instagram accounting for more than eight out of 10 mentions, followed by Tik Tok which accounted for 5% of mentions. Posts with those hashtags have been shared 2.3m times and liked 2.2m times.
Denne historien er fra March 21, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra March 21, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Parry: Premier League would be 'sterile' without EFL
Rick Parry has accused the Premier League of undervaluing the football pyramid, arguing that without the \"variety and competition\" that come from relegation and promotion the game would become \"sterile\".
Official review: Coote faces FA investigation as Webb breaks silence on video
The Football Association has launched its own investigation into the behaviour of the referee David Coote after remarks he made about Jürgen Klopp in a video that surfaced online this week.
Match-by-match: Coote's Liverpool games as an official
Referee who has been caught on video in a foul-mouthed tirade against Jürgen Klopp officiated 21 Liverpool games. Andy Hunter takes a look at the decisions in each one
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Is it really a surprise that an official or someone similar should end up glassy-eyed and spitting toxins on a sofa?
Hall's audition adds intrigue to England's Nations League finale
In-form Newcastle defender can show Thomas Tuchel he can be the solution to perennial problem on the left
'It's about robust planning, proper financial control'
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The super-lightweight world champion Katie Taylor says her rematch against Amanda Serrano in Texas, as the main support act to Tyson v Paul, will be something special
Blindkilde Brown and Fujino help City avoid slip up
Manchester City maintained their 100% start in the Women's Champions League group stage as second-half goals from youngsters Laura Blindkilde Brown and Aoba Fujino were enough to beat a determined Hammarby side.
Players must cope with extra scrutiny, says Lewis
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No input from Jones in England's plan to upset Springboks
England will not be benefiting from the insider knowledge of their former Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones this weekend after it emerged that neither their players nor key staff members have been in contact with the Irishman, still supposedly employed remotely by the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
