Prince William is 'hurt' after seeing 'Kate Middleton hounded like his mother Princess Diana was', royal expert claims, as social media explodes with outlandish conspiracy theories about royal's health

Prince William feels hurt by the treatment of his wife Kate Middleton and is 'seeing elements' of the hounding his mother Diana experienced, a royal expert has claimed.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain today, Sunday Times royal editor Roya Nikkhah addressed the outlandish online conspiracy theories surrounding the Princess of Wales' illness, following her abdominal surgery on January 16.

Speaking about the social media interest over Princess of Wales health she said: 'Having seen his mother go through quite a lot of that, the hounding of his mother, I think he feels he is seeing elements of that being breached again in terms of the demands and screeches at his wife over her medical privacy and that is hurting him.'

Asked by host Susanna Reid if William feels 'sensitive' about the similarities, Roya added: 'He always has been, ever since he has been a child and since he has been with Catherine since university.'

Elsewhere the royal expert revealed Kate could address her health condition at public engagements next month, according to her close friends.

Roya said: 'I think she is going to be much more open about what's happened, I think she will do it in a natural organic way like on an engagement. 

'We have seen William at engagements in the past few weeks and everyone is asking him how is Kate, saying please give these flowers to your wife. I think when she's out and about she will be asked about it.

'I'm not saying she will go into every detail about what surgery she has has but she might find a way to speak about her recovery about the places it's taken her mentally and physically, we know mental health is an important thing for them, that is the way she is going to let the people know has been going on.'

The Princess is not expected to return to frontline duties until after April 17, when her three children go back to Lambrook School, near Ascot after the Easter holidays.

However Kate was reportedly spotted looking 'happy, healthy and relaxed' on a visit to a local farm shop over the weekend.

Roya said: 'She has been at the children's school, school parents have seen her in the past few weeks, she has been seen at this farm shop, so she has been out and about.'

After the royal correspondent spoke to a friend of the Prince and Princess of Wales who 'saw them and spoke to them last week' she said they have 'felt under pressure' over the social media reaction to Kate's Mother's Day family snap. 

Prince William feels like he's 'seeing elements' of the hounding his mother Diana experienced with his wife, according to Sunday Times royal editor Roya Nikkhah (pictured) who appeared on Good Morning Britain today

Prince William is feeling 'hurt' over the speculation around his wife Princess of Wales' health 

Speculation only intensified when Kate publicly took the blame for the family photograph released by Kensington Palace on Mother's Day, which was 'killed' by six of the world's top picture agencies over concern that it had been 'manipulated'. 

As well as a number of imperfections in the photoshopped image, viewers also spotted that Kate appeared to not be wearing her wedding ring, which sparked multiple unfounded theories online about the state of her marriage.

'Even feeling under pressure it has been very clear to me they are not going to change over the next few weeks on what they were always going to do, so when we will hear from her, it's not until she feels ready regardless of the coverage. 

‘This is a woman who has been in the media since her early 20’s and she has barely put a foot wrong, I think we should lay off her a little bit’, Roya added. 

The Sunday Times quoted a friend as saying: 'They will want to be clear and more open, but they'll do it when they feel ready. I would expect that to be her instinct and it will be her call. They're not going to be rushed.' 

Despite this tumultuous few weeks for the Royal Family, it is expected that they will still uphold the tradition of releasing a new photograph to mark their children's birthdays, the next being Prince Louis on April 23.

Princess Diana died aged just 36 in car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, after years of been hounded by the paparazzi

Kensington Palace released the picture of the Princess of Wales since surgery

Kate posted the apology on the Prince and Princess of Wales' Instagram account 

They may use it as an opportunity to speak about her health, it has been reported.

Now sources within the royal circles are warning of the negative affect rumours may be having on the future Queen as she recovers from her major surgery in January.

One insider said: 'I worry about all this attention on Catherine. She did not look happy at all in the car on Monday.'

Kate was seen in the backseat of a car with her husband as he left Windsor to travel to London for two public engagements.

The Mail understands she was on route for a 'private appointment' and she did not accompany William publicly.

Despite calls for the original image to be published, Kensington Palace insisted it would not be reissuing the unedited photograph of Kate and her children.

It comes after further details emerged about the photo shoot, with William having taken the picture in just a 40-minute window on Friday before the Princess edited it twice in Photoshop to 'make it the best it can be'.

The Prince of Wales took the picture of his smiling family on a £2,900 Canon camera before Kate made edits to improve the photo ahead of its public release on Instagram on Sunday.

Royal commentator Jennie Bond suggested Kate 'must feel under intense pressure now whenever she's going to be seen in public' after her major surgery in January.