“Wills Confirms: Baby No. 4 On The Way!” reads the headline of an article in New Idea. That headline would have you believe that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have announced that they’re expecting their fourth child because, well, that’s exactly what it says.
However, if you actually read the article you’ll notice that the tabloid immediately walks back that bold claim. Rather than confirming any pregnancy, the outlet quotes unnamed “palace insiders” who say lockdown has made Prince William think about expanding his family.
The story was inspired by several photos released on the Kensington Royal Instagram account, originally taken by Middleton, of Prince William playing around with their kids. “He’s loved getting to spend more time with the kids, and it got him thinking that maybe he does want another,” the shady source says. “Of course, that was music to Kate’s ears. She’s always been keen. In a perfect world she’d have two of each.”
This tabloid is really stretching the definition of the word “news” here. Just so we’re all clear, Prince William hasn’t “confirmed” anything, despite what that bait-and-switch cover would suggest. His official Instagram account shared some photos of him spending time with his children, and now an unnamed source is making the unsubstantiated claim that he’s considering having another kid.
Never mind that Kate Middleton has publicly stated multiple times in the past several months that he doesn’t want any more kids — no, a random anonymous “insider” totally knows better than the prince’s own wife. Bottom line: While it’s possible that Prince William may one day come around to the idea of a fourth kid, this tabloid has no idea what it’s talking about.
Gossip Cop also has good reason to be suspicious of New Idea’s claim, considering all the other bogus theories the outlet has pulled out of thin air about Prince William and Kate Middleton. The cover story of an issue from back in May likewise claimed that Middleton was pregnant with “Baby No. 4.”
Once again, the article under the headline just didn’t live up to the hype, with the publication instead quoting a “royal commentator” who speculated that “lockdown has increased the chances” of a fourth child happening.
And because no tabloid can write about the royal family without throwing in some melodrama for spice, just a couple of weeks before that, the outlet reported that Middleton was “fighting” mother-in-law Camilla Parker Bowles for the throne.
The Duchess of Cornwall was supposedly upset that Middleton and Prince William had “stolen the spotlight” from her and Prince Charles amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and was working on ways to convince Queen Elizabeth that she, not Middleton, should be the next queen.