A psychologist has explained why so many conspiracy theories surrounding the Princess of Wales have gone viral. Since Princess Kate underwent abdominal surgery in January, she has rarely been seen in public, prompting numerous conspiracy theories about her whereabouts. Psychology lecturer and conspiracy expert Darel Cookson has explained the reasons behind these going viral. In an interview with Sky News on Tuesday (19 March), Ms Cookson said: “The exposure online is phenomenal. So many people are seeing this. They see it from different sources and are more likely to take it on board. “Research also tends to show that if we see people we relate to and know sharing conspiracy theories then we are more likely to believe them.”