Here's Why Critics Are Questioning Kate Middleton's Lengthy Public Absence

Before Meghan Markle entered the picture, the British press zeroed in on Kate Middleton and everything she said, did and wore. As a matter of fact, the Duchess of Cambridge has a history of canceling her public appearances and royal engagements, which the British press has often noted. 

Kate canceled a solo trip to Malta in 2014 during her second pregnancy, according to Page Six, and a visit to her charity, The Art Room, the following month, per Vanity Fair. She also didn't show up to present the shamrock to the Irish Guards during St. Patrick's Day in 2016, states E! Online, and pulled out of the Tusk Conservation Awards gala in 2019 because of her children, as People detailed. Both Kate and her husband Prince William have been criticized for carrying out half of the amount of appearances that the other senior members of the royal family, with some critics even calling them part-time royals. But William has dismissed the criticism, noting it's "all part of the job" in an interview with ITV in 2016.

Yet, Kate's absence from the royal spotlight in the last few months has some people raising eyebrows again, but for a different reason. Here's why.

While Buckingham Palace has not made any comments as to why Kate Middleton is all of a sudden MIA on the royal engagement scene, there's some speculation from royal observers that suggests she might be pregnant again. Kate and Prince William share three children: Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and 3-year-old Prince Louis. Kate has not been seen in public for two months, which has a lot of people asking the same question: what is going on?

In an interview with Australia's "Today" show, royal expert Russell Myers suggests that because of Kate's pattern of skipping events in the past due to pregnancy or family, there's a chance that she might be pregnant with her fourth child. That — or she is simply taking a break from royal public life, seeing how many members of the British royal family often retreat back home or take their vacation time during the end of the summer. When asked if Kate will be debuting a baby bump in the coming weeks, Myers put it this way: "Well, I don't know, listen, who knows what goes on in the royal family these days. Anything is possible after the last year we've have had. But I reckon that is a bit of mischief-making on a few people's parts. But listen, anything is possible."

If there's anything we've learned about Kate over the years, it's that there are always rumors swirling around her actions.