Kate Middleton video does little to curb rampant online conspiracies

It looks as though the Prince and Princess of Wales were out shopping over the weekend, but much of the public isn't buying it.

Hawk-eyed royal watchers are decidedly split over the authenticity of a new video that reportedly shows Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, out shopping with her husband, Prince William.

The clip was filmed by a member of the British public, and shared with TMZ and The Sun, both of which published the video Monday. It came after widespread reports on Sunday that the Prince and Princess of Wales were spotted at a farm shop over the weekend.

In the brief video, taken from a distance, the couple is seen dressed down in casual clothes, carrying bags of groceries they reportedly bought during a visit to an upscale grocery store just minutes from their Windsor home. They walk quickly past a group of picnickers, who don’t seem to notice them.

Nelson Silva, the amateur videographer who took the footage, explained to TMZ that he was shopping when he “noticed a couple choosing loaves of bread and the woman turned her face and I felt like I had seen the face before. It was familiar. I knew it from somewhere.”

He continued: “I went to my car and as they came out of the shop I just filmed them. I think they walked out through a gate out of the grounds. They just vanished and I didn’t see a car. I just wanted to share with my family footage and show just how normal they were.”

Another eyewitness told The Sun: “After all the rumours that had been going round I was stunned to see them there.

“The kids weren’t with them but it’s such a good sign she was healthy enough to pop down to the shops.”

All told, there is now supposed video evidence, along with two witnesses claiming Middleton is alive and well. In another time, it likely would have been enough to calm the conspiratorial inclinations of the masses — but after the all-out debacle the royals have stirred in recent weeks, the clip is only raising more questions.