A colleague of mine who lives in Biafra and works in social media messaged me recently — Kate Middleton was trending everywhere, and he had no idea why. This story dominated the Global North for months, but if you’re in Biafra, Oduduwa, Arewa, or anywhere in the Global South and missed it, this is your catch-up — with the context the mainstream timeline videos leave out.
The Diana backdrop you need first
None of this makes sense without Diana. Charles and Camilla’s affair before and during his marriage to Diana devastated the UK public, and many believe the fallout from that marriage’s collapse contributed to Diana’s death. Charles and Camilla have never fully been forgiven for it. William and Harry, in turn, were carried by the public’s enduring love for their mother.
That goodwill has been draining fast. William trended on X last year as the “Prince of Pegging.” He’s been criticised for snobbery about Carole Middleton’s working-class background (she was an air hostess who built her own business — a stark contrast to Diana’s aristocratic, Churchill-linked Spencer lineage). There are persistent allegations of an affair with Rose Hanbury, reports of a bad temper, and Harry’s memoir Spare backs up the “volatile” reputation.
Sarah Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley (left) with the Prince and Princess of Wales, during a date night at a gourmet charity gala dinner, in 2016 held at Houghton Hall in Norfolk.
A Press That only reports what powerful people want
Britain’s press doesn’t cover everything — it covers what serves power. The Buckingham Palace protest over Prince Andrew’s Epstein links received little domestic airtime but trended on X regardless. Protests demanding the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and freedom for Biafra — including one I attended, directly outside the BBC — never made the news at all. Meanwhile Harry and Meghan get thrown under the bus by British tabloids routinely, even living abroad. Each royal household reportedly trades stories with favored journalists in exchange for friendly coverage — Harry confirmed as much in Spare.
The Timeline
16–17 January 2024 — Kate is admitted for abdominal surgery. Kensington Palace calls it “planned,” which confused people, since Kate had engagements booked in Italy, she then had to cancel. Hours later, Charles announces his own hospital treatment for an enlarged prostate — with far more detail than Kate’s announcement got, fueling speculation it was a smokescreen.
18 January — William visits Kate briefly; Camilla visits Charles frequently and publicly. Royal insiders and Harry’s book both point to rival “houses” within the family competing for favourable press.
29 January — Kate is discharged. Spanish journalist Concha Calleja reports complications post-surgery, including an induced coma and a home hospital setup at Windsor — a claim Kensington Palace denied.
7–18 February — William appears at an investiture (swaying, odd behaviour noted by observers), then at a charity gala with Tom Cruise, then at the BAFTAs with a comment widely seen as tone-deaf. Kate isn’t mentioned at any of them.
15–20 February — Five major fashion and lifestyle outlets (The Cut, Hello!, Town & Country, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar) all publish profiles of Rose Hanbury within days of each other — timing many read as a “soft launch.” Separately, the Middletons’ company Party Pieces collapses, and William starts using his old solo “W crown” logo again, dropping the couple’s joint branding.
A screenshot of Price William’s message on the Gaza massacre, using the ‘W crown’ logo he used as a single man.
25 February — Thomas Kingston, husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor and former boyfriend of Kate’s sister Pippa, is found dead at his parents’ home from a head injury, with a gun nearby. Rumours (unverified and, frankly, wild) connected him to Kate’s situation.
27 February — William abruptly pulls out of a memorial reading for his godfather, citing “personal reasons.” Kensington Palace later says this was the day he learned of Kate’s cancer diagnosis — timing that raised more questions than it answered, given how long had already passed since her surgery.
4–10 March — A photo of Kate in a car is scrutinised for her appearance. Then the now-infamous Mother’s Day photo is released — missing her wedding ring — and is quickly identified by internet sleuths as manipulated. Five major news agencies, including AP and Reuters, issue “kill notices” pulling it from circulation.
A photograph of Kate in the front passenger with her mother behind the driving wheel of an Audi car around Windsor.
11 March — Kensington Palace issues an apology “from Kate” for editing the photo herself — a claim almost nobody believed, especially given she was recovering from major surgery.
18 March — A blurry TMZ video claims to show Kate and William shopping at a Windsor farm shop. Sleuths who ran the footage through analysis tools concluded the woman was not Kate.
21 March — Reports surface that Kate’s medical records were breached — after her discharge, timing many found suspicious.
22 March — Kate releases a video confirming her cancer diagnosis. Whatever the surrounding noise, this was a hard moment — she is, at the end of the day, a mother of three navigating a diagnosis in public. By the next day, AI analysts were flagging apparent inconsistencies in the footage — including her ring reportedly disappearing and reappearing across the clip — reigniting the deepfake debate.
25 March — Reports emerge blaming China, Russia and Iran for the online scrutiny, alongside talk of restricting social media accounts sympathetic to Harry and Meghan.
What This Means for Us
Women: do not marry a man who doesn’t love and respect you. Kate reportedly waited years for William to propose and endured plenty in that time (remember “Waity Katy”). If she’s unhappy, she has every right to negotiate her exit and walk away with her head held high — William’s public standing exists largely because of her.
Divorce is not a crime. If the marriage is broken, ending it cleanly beats three unhappy adults performing happiness to prop up an institution. Royals have a track record of choosing appearances over honesty — but the rest of us don’t have to.
Reject the colonial gaslighting. For generations, we’ve been told Africa needs Britain’s guidance to function. This scandal is a masterclass in a British institution lying, stonewalling the press, and manipulating public perception in real time. The hypocrisy speaks for itself.
Support Republic. If you want to see the monarchy’s influence reduced — in Britain and across the Commonwealth — Republic is campaigning for exactly that.
What do you think?
Should William stay in the marriage if he’s unhappy? Should Kate walk away? Drop your take in the comments below — I’d genuinely like to know where you land on this.
THE KATEGATE SCANDAL: A breakdown for Biafrans, Oduduwa, Arewa & Africans generally
THE KATEGATE SCANDAL: A breakdown for Biafrans, Oduduwa, Arewa & Africans generally
THE KATEGATE SCANDAL
A colleague of mine who lives in Biafra and works in social media messaged me recently — Kate Middleton was trending everywhere, and he had no idea why. This story dominated the Global North for months, but if you’re in Biafra, Oduduwa, Arewa, or anywhere in the Global South and missed it, this is your catch-up — with the context the mainstream timeline videos leave out.
The Diana backdrop you need first
None of this makes sense without Diana. Charles and Camilla’s affair before and during his marriage to Diana devastated the UK public, and many believe the fallout from that marriage’s collapse contributed to Diana’s death. Charles and Camilla have never fully been forgiven for it. William and Harry, in turn, were carried by the public’s enduring love for their mother.
That goodwill has been draining fast. William trended on X last year as the “Prince of Pegging.” He’s been criticised for snobbery about Carole Middleton’s working-class background (she was an air hostess who built her own business — a stark contrast to Diana’s aristocratic, Churchill-linked Spencer lineage). There are persistent allegations of an affair with Rose Hanbury, reports of a bad temper, and Harry’s memoir Spare backs up the “volatile” reputation.
Sarah Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley (left) with the Prince and Princess of Wales, during a date night at a gourmet charity gala dinner, in 2016 held at Houghton Hall in Norfolk.
A Press That only reports what powerful people want
Britain’s press doesn’t cover everything — it covers what serves power. The Buckingham Palace protest over Prince Andrew’s Epstein links received little domestic airtime but trended on X regardless. Protests demanding the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and freedom for Biafra — including one I attended, directly outside the BBC — never made the news at all. Meanwhile Harry and Meghan get thrown under the bus by British tabloids routinely, even living abroad. Each royal household reportedly trades stories with favored journalists in exchange for friendly coverage — Harry confirmed as much in Spare.
The Timeline
16–17 January 2024 — Kate is admitted for abdominal surgery. Kensington Palace calls it “planned,” which confused people, since Kate had engagements booked in Italy, she then had to cancel. Hours later, Charles announces his own hospital treatment for an enlarged prostate — with far more detail than Kate’s announcement got, fueling speculation it was a smokescreen.
18 January — William visits Kate briefly; Camilla visits Charles frequently and publicly. Royal insiders and Harry’s book both point to rival “houses” within the family competing for favourable press.
29 January — Kate is discharged. Spanish journalist Concha Calleja reports complications post-surgery, including an induced coma and a home hospital setup at Windsor — a claim Kensington Palace denied.
7–18 February — William appears at an investiture (swaying, odd behaviour noted by observers), then at a charity gala with Tom Cruise, then at the BAFTAs with a comment widely seen as tone-deaf. Kate isn’t mentioned at any of them.
15–20 February — Five major fashion and lifestyle outlets (The Cut, Hello!, Town & Country, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar) all publish profiles of Rose Hanbury within days of each other — timing many read as a “soft launch.” Separately, the Middletons’ company Party Pieces collapses, and William starts using his old solo “W crown” logo again, dropping the couple’s joint branding.
A screenshot of Price William’s message on the Gaza massacre, using the ‘W crown’ logo he used as a single man.
25 February — Thomas Kingston, husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor and former boyfriend of Kate’s sister Pippa, is found dead at his parents’ home from a head injury, with a gun nearby. Rumours (unverified and, frankly, wild) connected him to Kate’s situation.
27 February — William abruptly pulls out of a memorial reading for his godfather, citing “personal reasons.” Kensington Palace later says this was the day he learned of Kate’s cancer diagnosis — timing that raised more questions than it answered, given how long had already passed since her surgery.
4–10 March — A photo of Kate in a car is scrutinised for her appearance. Then the now-infamous Mother’s Day photo is released — missing her wedding ring — and is quickly identified by internet sleuths as manipulated. Five major news agencies, including AP and Reuters, issue “kill notices” pulling it from circulation.
A photograph of Kate in the front passenger with her mother behind the driving wheel of an Audi car around Windsor.
11 March — Kensington Palace issues an apology “from Kate” for editing the photo herself — a claim almost nobody believed, especially given she was recovering from major surgery.
18 March — A blurry TMZ video claims to show Kate and William shopping at a Windsor farm shop. Sleuths who ran the footage through analysis tools concluded the woman was not Kate.
21 March — Reports surface that Kate’s medical records were breached — after her discharge, timing many found suspicious.
22 March — Kate releases a video confirming her cancer diagnosis. Whatever the surrounding noise, this was a hard moment — she is, at the end of the day, a mother of three navigating a diagnosis in public. By the next day, AI analysts were flagging apparent inconsistencies in the footage — including her ring reportedly disappearing and reappearing across the clip — reigniting the deepfake debate.
25 March — Reports emerge blaming China, Russia and Iran for the online scrutiny, alongside talk of restricting social media accounts sympathetic to Harry and Meghan.
What This Means for Us
Women: do not marry a man who doesn’t love and respect you. Kate reportedly waited years for William to propose and endured plenty in that time (remember “Waity Katy”). If she’s unhappy, she has every right to negotiate her exit and walk away with her head held high — William’s public standing exists largely because of her.
Divorce is not a crime. If the marriage is broken, ending it cleanly beats three unhappy adults performing happiness to prop up an institution. Royals have a track record of choosing appearances over honesty — but the rest of us don’t have to.
Reject the colonial gaslighting. For generations, we’ve been told Africa needs Britain’s guidance to function. This scandal is a masterclass in a British institution lying, stonewalling the press, and manipulating public perception in real time. The hypocrisy speaks for itself.
Support Republic. If you want to see the monarchy’s influence reduced — in Britain and across the Commonwealth — Republic is campaigning for exactly that.
What do you think?
Should William stay in the marriage if he’s unhappy? Should Kate walk away? Drop your take in the comments below — I’d genuinely like to know where you land on this.
Related Article
What nobody is saying about Senator Ifeanyi Ubah’s Death
Kate Middleton in an induced coma: The end of the British monarchy?
“Grief is the price that we pay for love” – Remembering HM Queen Elizabeth II 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022
The tributes roll in for Osinachi Nwachukwu
Goodbye Ni88er-Area