Wilhelm and Kate They have been dragged into the quagmire of an unproven sex scandal that Kensington Palace is absolutely silent on. The news has spread around the world, particularly in Russia, where its echo does not seem to be waning but is being fueled by new articles that would risk deepening the political rift between the Federation and Britain.
A post too vague
“This gossip is so spicy I’m almost too shattered to share it with you (but I’ll do it anyway). The British royal family’s extramarital affair is a well-known secret in London and among the English aristocracy, causing a stir at parties and in newsrooms. At a recent media party they told me that the real reason for the affair is the love of the real for pegging, [pratica] that his wife was too old-fashioned to achieve this. The wife doesn’t care and even prefers that her husband get his sexual needs met elsewhere as long as it doesn’t get sentimental like the last wife did. This post, published at the end of July 2022 by the Instagram page “Deux Moi”, managed, albeit in its vagueness, to spark a new scandal before the English court, in which the Prince William and Kate. A media hurricane whose echo has spread all over the world. It is precisely the uncertainties in terms of content and form in the presentation of the alleged news that could be exploited by those who have a great interest in falsifying and distorting the image not only of a family but of an entire society.
A strange scandal
The disclaimer on the “DeuxMoi” page warns: “The statements made about this account are not confirmed. This report makes no claims that the information published is based on fact.” An attempt to warn readers, but one that appears to contradict the way the alleged scandal at the Cambridge home is being reported. The writing style pays no heed to dubious formulas, but reports the fact to be proved as if it were already established. All of this without providing any evidence or citing a source. The post was deleted shortly after publication and nobody knows who is behind the “DeuxMoi” page. Finally, perhaps the most important detail: the post does not include the names of William and Kate. In truth there is no mention of a soul. Some users who expressed their opinion would have suggested the names of the Dukes of Cambridge and of Rose Hanbury. The latter, married to Marquis David de Cholmondeley and neighbor to William and Kate at Anmer Hall, was listed as a possible mistress of Prince William in April 2019. This is also a story that has never been proven and has been forgotten over the years.
William and Kate in the Eye of the Storm
Despite the unreliability of the news and the impossibility of determining events and protagonists, circumstances that should suggest users a minimum of caution in sharing and word of mouth, the post went viral. Kate and William’s names have been irrevocably linked to the story of this unspecified marriage betrayal. Two Twitter hashtags have even emerged #PrinceWilliamAffair and #PrinceofPegging. However, the topic emptied within a few days, but not everywhere. The Russian media continue to talk about it and fuel the comparison of the figures of the Dukes of Cambridge and the rough affair. “Kate Doesn’t Care: The True Story of Prince William’s Treason Rumors,” headlines Mainstyle. “Prince William accused again of treason,” writes Marie Claire.ru again and again in the headlines. Or again: “She took off the ring: Kate Middleton and Prince William’s sex-scandal-ridden marriage is exploding,” says Dni-Ru, pointing to the fact that the Duchess of Cambridge didn’t wear the engagement rings to the Commonwealth Games (as if that proves anything. Usually, rings, even engagement rings, are meant to be worn on and off).
gossip… geopolitical?
Just passion for gossip? Perhaps, but the times we live in would force us to think further. It would not be unreasonable to think that DeuxMoi’s post could be misused to feed disinformation due to its fuzziness. Gossip can be an exceptional weapon given its social and, in some cases, political function. The Duke of Cambridge is a hugely popular character with an impeccable image. It’s the future King of England, a key nation on the geopolitical chessboard, and which has often had disagreements with Russia in the past (the two countries are also on opposite sides in the war in Ukraine). The post from “DeuxMoi” may have been an occasion (but let’s be clear: there is no evidence that it is from the Federation) to distort the image of the Prince, and consequently of all of Britain and the whole of the West, presented as malicious and corrupt, worthless and therefore weak, “transformed” so to speak. Just a thought, let’s repeat it. But maybe not so science fiction.