Forget tears over tiaras and tantrums, Princess Kate Middleton was once embroiled in royal drama when a surgeon claimed she had paid for Botox. In a rare statement, Kensington Palace was forced to speak out about the hurtful rumours.
Following in Queen Elizabeth II’s tradition of ‘never complain, never explain’, the royal family tend to avoid responding to rumours or scandals. They’re the most famous family on the planet, and with the likes of social media and the internet, it’s no surprise that they get dragged into baseless rumours. It’s not the first time Kate has been subject to conspiracy theories, either.
But when it came to Kate Middleton being the target of Botox allegations – the palace chose to speak out.
Kate Middleton Botox rumours
In the summer of 2019, top British plastic surgeon Dr Muni Somji posted images of the then Duchess of Cambridge on his Instagram.
He later deleted the pictures, but the surgeon, of the Dr Medi Spa Clinic in Harley Street, claimed Princess Kate “loves a bit of baby Botox”.
Sharing two photos of the mum-of-three he claimed it showed she had ‘undergone’ the cosmetic treatment to abolish wrinkles.
The physician, who has not confirmed he ever treated or met with the royal through his work, claimed: “Note the reduction of fine lines on the forehead,” in the ‘after’ photo. Adding: “But also note the depression of the medial (middle part) brow but elevation of the lateral tail of the brow.”
The ‘baby’ Botox that the surgeon was referring to involves injecting multiple amounts of botulinum toxin into the face to paralyse muscles underneath. It’s believed it creates a subtle and more natural look compared to other treatments.
But his comments sparked a rare reaction from Kensington Palace who denied the allegations.
Kensington Palace speaks out
In a statement, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace told the New York Post that the claims were “categorically not true”.
They added that “The Royal Family never endorse commercial activity”.
The clinic, on the other hand, avoided answering questions on whether the princess was a client of the clinic – as they have non-disclosure agreements with all high-end clients. But it doesn’t mean Kate ever visited the clinic.
They added Dr Somji posted the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos because he “thought it was a good comparison picture to use to show the effects of Botox and obviously baby Botox which he does himself.
“He just wanted to show the transformation that it can create and obviously how it can be used for subtle results and how it’s really good for anti-aging.”
Read more: Inside Kate Middleton’s cancer battle – Health updates to Princess of Wales’ emotional video
The ‘Kate effect’ and how the palace is adopting a new style
The ‘Kate effect’ is not new – and it’s said that it’ll pass on to her daughter Princess Charlotte as well. The term describes the effect the Princess of wales has after she wears an item of clothing, accessory or uses a beauty product. Shoppers rush to the brand to snap up the same look as the future queen.
But, it also means a harsher spotlight is on Kate Middleton – leading to surgeons making the Botox claims.
However, in March 2025, a source claimed to The Times that the palace would no longer be issuing details on her outfits. The royal reportedly felt that it caused attention to drift away from her public duties.
The insider claimed: “She wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting”.
Botox rumours or not, Kate Middleton remains the picture of poise – and palace-approved perfection.
