Kate Is Dead/Paul Is Dead: Parallels Between Two Conspiracy Theories

ANDREW ARNETT

Mar 20, 2024 • 7 min read

55 years ago, in the summer of 1969, something unusual happened. Something so bizarre in fact, that it took hold of the public imagination and became a media sensation. This no less, in a heavy news cycle that was already bombarded with coverage of the Vietnam War, social unrest, assassinations, etc.

I’m talking about the phenomenon referred to as “Paul is Dead,” that is, the conspiracy theory that Paul McCartney of the Beatles had died. And not only that, but that he was replaced in the band with a look-alike body double. This theory spread like wildfire and was covered by the major news outlets at the time.

I bring this up of course, in light of the current hysteria over the Kate Middleton controversy. Is there even a controversy? Apparently so. The news cycle for the past week has been dominated by the question of what has happened to Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales. Has she fallen victim to foul play, has she been replaced by a body double, etc.?

A significant portion of the public in fact believes that Kate is dead. And with today’s social media capabilities, this conspiracy theory has taken on a formidable life of its own.

If we look at the two events side by side, that is, the Kate is Dead vs the Paul is Dead conspiracies, we see remarkable parallels emerge. Let’s begin the Kate Middleton story with a little recap.

Spot the Difference 🙊😂#FakeKate #WhereIsKate #NotKate #PrinceWilliamIsALiar pic.twitter.com/JbUHvQ4kjC
— Zandi Sussex (@ZandiSussex) March 18, 2024

On Monday, March 11, Kate Middleton felt obliged to post a personal message on Twitter (X) apologizing for a photo she posted to social media the previous day, which in the UK was Mother’s Day. She wrote:

“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”

At first glance, the photo seems innocent enough, with Kate sitting on a chair surrounded by her three children. But straight away, the rumor mill started churning out inconsistencies.

Her legs looked strange and out of proportion with the rest of the body. Her wedding ring was missing. Reflections were missing. Her fingers crossed and even, a plant that was blooming out of season.

All this innuendo seemed a right fit with the tin-foil hat crowd. But then someone discovered that Kate’s face was clipped from a years-old Vogue cover shoot and photoshopped on the present shot.

Oops.

The major media outlets, including The Associated Press, AFP, Reuters and Getty Images, at once put out a “kill notice” and withdrew the image from circulation.

🇬🇧 People are using AI to ‘Unblur’ Kate Middleton’s face from the released footage today.

Ladies & Gentleman - Let me introduce …..

Kate Middleton Clone #1

Truth is stranger than fiction. pic.twitter.com/b1FpGbR9xU
— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) March 18, 2024

The outlying problem with this debacle is that it exacerbated an already tenuous situation, that is, the question of the whereabouts and well being of Kate Middletown. She had not been seen or heard from since January 17, when she was admitted into the hospital for abdominal surgery.

Some speculated that she died during surgery, or had lapsed into a coma. Even more bizarre, that she fell victim to the wiles of Prince William, who locked her in an insane asylum as he starts a new life with another woman. Or had her killed and replaced with a double.

The results are that the conspiracy has gone global. According to BrandMentions, a company that monitors social media, keywords and hashtags such as #katebodydouble and #kategate have had a total reach of 400 million people just in the past seven days alone.

All this sounds eerily familiar to that other conspiracy theory I speak of, regarding Paul is Dead.

In the summer of 1969, a rumor started circulating on college campuses across the US suggesting that the Beatles bass player, Paul McCartney, had died. The details that were leaked, though suppressed by the main stream media, were that McCartney was killed in a car crash on the M1 motorway on September 11, 1966 and was secretly replaced by a look-alike double.

This duplicitous decision was made, albeit with a heavy heart by fellow band members and management, so as to keep the money rolling in for the band and Britain. The Beatles were of course, one of England’s greatest exports.

To appease their guilty conscience, however, The Beatles would subsequently implant clues attesting to the fact, in their music and artwork.

On 17 September 1969, the Des Moines’ Drake Times-Delphic published the first article on the subject. Entitled, “Is Beatles’ Paul McCartney Dead?” the article delved into some early Paul is Dead clues, like hearing Lennon say “Turn me on, dead man” when playing “Revolution 9” backwards.

After radio station disc jockeys spread the conspiracy, the mainstream media got involved. The Beatles were pressed to comment on the allegations. John Lennon said the rumors were “insane.” Ringo Starr told the press, “If people are gonna believe it, they’re gonna believe it. I can only say it’s not true.”

A CBS News crew snuck up to Scotland and, with a TMZ-like zeal, secretly filmed McCartney working on his farm. Life magazine sent some reporters up to the farm and Paul relented to an interview, saying:

“Perhaps the rumor started because I haven’t been much in the press lately. I have done enough press for a lifetime, and I don’t have anything to say these days. I am happy to be with my family and I will work when I work. I was switched on for ten years and I never switched off. Now I am switching off whenever I can. I would rather be a little less famous these days.”

Soon after that the media frenzy abated somewhat but the conspiracy has never gone away, continuing to this present day.

Allegations that Paul McCartney, the original one that is, was replaced by a body double all those years ago are as prevalent as any other conspiracy theory. There are currently dozens of books, YouTube channels and websites that delve headlong into this iceberg.

Meanwhile, a video which was just published on TMZ and reported on by The Sun alleging that Prince William and Kate Middleton were seen shopping at a farmers market over the weekend turns out to be bogus. And the lady in the video is considered by many to be a Kate Middleton body double.

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erWJNmbrECs

https://theoccultbeatles.wordpress.com/2024/01/28/the-world-of-the-beatles-meets-the-world-of-the-prisoner/

Andrew K. Arnett is a writer and producer. He has been published in Paranoia Magazine, New Dawn, Nexus, Konbini and Alien Buddha Press. He lives in Brooklyn, NY and hunts ghosts with the Brooklyn Paranormal Society. Find him on Twitter: @AndrewArnett

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