So True? So False? Is Kate Middleton Really Allergic to Horses?!

Rumors have abounded for months that Prince William's better half can't share space with equines, but in the wake of her successful polo appearance, could it be true? Couple's rep puts rumors to rest

By Gina Serpe Jul 12, 2011 4:00 PMTags
Prince William, Duchess Catherine, Kate MiddletonPhil Noble / Reuters

When Kate Middleton and Prince William turned up at the Santa Barbara polo match organized in their honor last weekend, all eyes were on Kate. And not just to see what she would be wearing (though, let's be honest, it was mostly for that reason).

Instead, onlookers were watching to see how Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, would fare there in equine H.Q.—would her eyes water, her sneezes be uncontrollable…good god, would her mascara smear?! After all, this is the woman with the most famous horse allergy in the world…er, right?

But, as usual, Kate appeared to be a portrait of perfection with nary a red eye or hanky in sight. Miraculous recovery? Or was there never anything to recover from in the first place? After all, the British tabloids aren't exactly known for their honesty, and it was from them that the rumor first sprung.

So is Kate really allergic to horses? Saddle up, because this rumor is…

So false!

Despite longtime reports claiming that Wills' better half is allergic to the beautiful beasts—reports that certainly ramped up this past weekend—a rep for the royal couple has officially gone on record once and for all denying the rumor.

"The Duchess is not allergic to horses," the rep told E! News. "This rumor has been around for a while but is not true."

There's no word on why, then, Clarisa Ru, the wife of Santa Barbara Polo Club's president, relayed to People over the weekend that she not only had a conversation with Kate about her supposed allergies, but that Middleton informed her she was actively working to spend more time in the animals' presence in hopes of lessening her symptoms.

We can only assume that the heat and a case of being starstruck led to some sort of crossed wires.

In any case, the no-allergy news is good news for Kate.

While such an ailment might not pose much of a burden for your average Jane, when you marry into the world's foremost polo-playing, Ascot-watching royal clan, horses are something of a fixture in one's life.

Well, them and corgis. Can't forget the corgis.

—Additional reporting by Ashley Fultz