Hilarious Kate Middleton-University of Kentucky post goes viral on social media as fans compare shocking March Madness upset to Royal Family conspiracy theories

What does Princess Kate Middleton have in common with University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari?

Big houses? Blue blood? A vast fortune that’s increasingly difficult to justify?

Following the Wildcats’ upset loss to 14-seed Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Memphis Grizzlies analyst Jessica Benson made a much funnier connection.

‘Big month for UK disappearing acts,’ she wrote on X.

In her post, which has since gone viral, Benson included two images: the now infamous photo Middleton that was later revealed to be doctored amid her mysterious absence from public life, as well as a shot of a smiling Calipari, who won a national title at Kentucky in 2012 but hasn’t reached the second weekend of the tournament since 2019. 

Is that really Kate Middleton with her children? Or a photo doctored by Buckingham Palace? 

Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts to a call during Thursday’s defeat

Both UKs (the United Kingdom and the University of Kentucky) are currently dealing with the fallout from both disappearances, albeit for wildly different reasons.

Lexington, Kentucky is traditionally a college basketball stronghold, and the Wildcats have won a total of eight national championships with Calipari and his predecessors, Tubby Smith, Rick Pitino, Joe B. Hall and the legendary Adolph Rupp.

And while the program has struggled somewhat in recent years, many, including beloved ESPN analyst Dick Vitale, predicted the Wildcats would win a ninth national championship in 2024.

But alas, after a whopping 10 3-pointers from Oakland guard Jack Gohlke, Kentucky was quickly bounced from the Big Dance.

However, the Wildcats’ disappearance is far less mysterious than Middleton’s.

The Princess of Wales underwent abdominal surgery in January only to disappear from public life during her recovery. Adding to the mystery is that Buckingham Palace has not revealed the reason for the surgery, although her office stressed that she does not have cancer.

Oakland’s Jack Gohlke (right) put on a shooting clinic in the first-round upset of Kentucky

But when a doctored photo of Middleton with her children was published online, full-blown conspiracy theories took hold on both sides of the Atlantic.

The real Middleton has since resurfaced in a viral video, potentially quieting rumors over her absence.

Calipari, on the other hand, could ultimately disappear from Lexington.

Many Wildcats fans are calling for the firing of Calipari, who has some job security in the form of a $33 million buyout. But without a deep tournament run since 2019, athletic department officials could be impatient as the decorated 65-year-old head coach tries to rebuild the prestigious program.