When it comes to the Royal Family, there are some rumors that just won’t go away. For example, there have been many rumors that Prince William and Kate Middleton were on the brink of divorce, which would be a huge scandal. He’s the future King of England, and the rumors constantly claim he might be divorcing the future Queen long before he takes the throne.
For a while, those rumors had fallen silent, and it looked like they might die out altogether. Recently, though, those rumors were reignited by a visit from Donald and Melania Trump. And not because of anything the President and FLOTUS did…rather, it all came down to what William didn’t do.
What went down between these four? What’s up with the rumor, and are William and Kate actually getting divorced? Keep reading to find out!
Donald and Melania Trump were in rare form
William and Kate aren’t the only ones who have been the subject of divorce rumors over the years. The same can be said of Donald and Melania Trump, the latter of whom has allegedly had several previous affairs. This, combined with Melania Trump’s behavior (including her initial refusal to move into the White House and the minimal role she now seems to play in her husband’s politics), has convinced many that these two are going to get divorced any day now. But the Trumps effortlessly shut down all the haters’ speculation when they recently visited William and Kate in England.
That’s because Donald and Melania Trump appeared quite happy as they walked alongside their royal hosts. The Trumps walked hand-in-hand, and they looked like exactly what they are: a couple who are confident in their marriage and very content to spend time together. And the two looked that much happier compared to William and Kate, who looked downright frosty compared to the Trumps!
RELATED: Melania Trump’s Time With Donald Trump: A History In Photos
William and Kate were very distant (literally)
Ever hear about celebrities or politicians looking “distant?” Here’s a little secret: that’s usually a description used by journalists who are reacting to something as innocuous as a distant look or a downcast glance. During Donald and Melania Trump’s visit to England, though, the future King and Queen weren’t metaphorically distant. Instead, they were physically distant!
In photos taken of this meeting between world leaders, William and Kate seemed to be keeping their distance from each other. It was impossible not to notice this, considering that the Trumps were holding hands while walking and generally appeared to be a very affectionate older couple. Just like that, the rumor mill reversed course: now, everyone was talking about how happy Donald and Melania seemed and wondering what the deal was between William and Kate!
Social media weighs in, and things get ugly
We’ve been talking a lot about the rumor mill, but in this digital day and age, that means one thing: social media. All it takes is a single weird photo or video to spark endless online rumors; as you can imagine, social media users had a field day discussing William and Kate keeping so far apart during the Trumps’ visit. Some, for example, made tongue-in-cheek remarks that only the future King and Queen could make the Trumps’ marriage look good. Others made jokes about Kate keeping so distant from her husband that she might as well be on a royal holiday.
Perhaps the most incisive social media jokes concerned William’s behavior towards Donald Trump. Several users noted that William was keeping his hands closer to the visiting president than his own wife, triggering snickering speculation that he’d rather be holding Donald’s hand than Kate’s. While these users were mostly having fun at the royals’ expense, many expressed genuine concern that this distant behavior could be an omen that divorce is around the corner for William and Kate.
RELATED: The Unknown Truth Of Prince William And Rose Hanbury’s Relationship
The William/Kate divorce rumors intensify
In a vacuum, all this divorce speculation probably seems a bit extreme. After all, there could be any number of reasons William and Kate were keeping their distance…right? However, the rumor mill ran wild with speculation because these two have had so many different incidents over the years that have prompted speculation that this couple was about to call it quits.
For example, there were persistent rumors that William was cheating on Kate with Rose Hanbury, a woman who seemed to have a falling out with Kate’s tight circle of friends and associates. Others speculated that William would leave Kate after her cancer diagnosis, callously choosing to marry someone else rather than stick with a sick woman. Those latter rumors seemed likelier when Kate appeared in a photograph without her wedding ring; this was shortly before the cancer reveal, after which some speculated the two were getting divorced.
However, that image turned out to be Photoshopped (a scandal unto itself), and the Hanbury rumors were never substantiated. So far, William and Kate’s marriage seems like it will go the distance. But maybe this speculation will teach them a lesson: next time, hold hands when the whole world is watching!