Princess Diana's younger brother Charles Spencer is weighing in on the speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding Kate Middleton's absence from the public eye.

In a new interview with the BBC, the 9th Earl Spencer -- who recently opened up about the alleged sexual abuse he suffered as a child at his English boarding school in a book called "A Very Private School" -- compared the level of press intrusion suffered by Prince William and Prince Harry's mother to the "online kind of conspiracy" seen today.

"I do worry about what happened to the truth," Spencer said of the rumors surrounding Princess Kate.

But the aristocrat said he believes his late older sister faced a "more dangerous" situation compared to the current Princess of Wales.

"I think it was more dangerous back in the day," Spencer said.

Princess Diana died at the age of 36 when the speeding car carrying her and her then-partner Dodi al-Fayed away from the paparazzi crashed into a pillar as it entered the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France, on Aug. 31, 1997.

"I think, if I look back to '97 and Diana's death, I think that was so shocking too -- the circumstances of her death were so shocking, that it did make the industry that supports the paparazzi really consider more carefully what it could and couldn't do," Spencer told the BBC.

He added, "Not because they had a moral judgment, but because it was unacceptable to the public."

In the past few weeks, the British royal family found itself in the spotlight but not for the right reasons after royal fans began wondering why no photo of Middleton had been snapped since she underwent abdominal surgery in mid-January.

Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that the Princess of Wales' surgery was "successful" and that she would not be returning to public duties until after Easter.

Middleton stayed in the hospital for two weeks before being discharged at the end of January to continue her recuperation at the Waleses' family home in Windsor.

But the lack of photos of Middleton and updates from her sparked wild conspiracy theories regarding her health and whereabouts, including that she may have gotten plastic surgery, was in a coma, or died.

Speculation that Middleton and Prince William were heading for divorce due to his alleged affair with Lady Rose Hanbury also gained traction on TikTok and X, formerly Twitter.

TMZ then published grainy photos the outlet said show Middleton with her mother, Carole, in a car, but these failed to put an end to the speculation.

On March 10, Kensington Palace released a photo of Middleton with her and William's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, for Mother's Day in the U.K., along with a message signed with the Princess of Wales' initial "C" for Catherine.

It marked Middleton's first official public sighting since her operation.

However, the post and the controversy surrounding it only fueled the speculation that the royal family may be hiding something as the image was later pulled by the Associated Press and other major photo agencies due to concerns of manipulation.

Eagle-eyed social media users had noticed several discrepancies in the image, including the absence of Middleton's wedding ring and some parts of their bodies and clothing appearing blurred or erased.

Shortly after, Middleton took to X to issue an unprecedented apology for any "confusion" the image caused, claiming she "occasionally" experiments with editing.

Kensington Palace reportedly declined to release the original portrait, which was reported to have been captured by Prince William this month.

Hours after the apology, the Daily Mail published photos it said showed Middleton in a car with Prince William.

However, Princess Kate's face was not captured in the images, prompting some social media users and royal fans to question whether it was really her.

Kensington Palace has not given an exact date for Middleton's return to royal duties.

But The Sunday Times recently reported that Middleton may not return until April 17, which coincides with the end of her kids' school break.

An unnamed royal insider reportedly told the outlet that the Prince and Princess of Wales could share details about her surgery and recovery at public engagements next month.

"They are at their most open when out interacting with members of the public and I can see a world in which the princess might discuss her recovery out on engagements," the source claimed. "If she was going to do it, that's how she would do it."

The Times also quoted an unnamed "friend" of the couple as saying, "They will want to be clear and more open, but they'll do it when they feel ready. I would expect that to be her instinct and it will be her call. They're not going to be rushed."

Tags
Kate Middleton, Princess Diana, British royal family