Kensington Palace recently released a photo of the Princess of Wales with her three children, Princes George and Louis, and Princess Charlotte, to celebrate British Mother's Day. The photo, reportedly taken by Prince William, was the first official image of the princess since her abdominal surgery in January. However, the release of the photo, which initially brought relief to royal fans, soon sparked controversy.
Read more:
"Kate Middleton’s photo-editing fiasco has accidentally done more harm than good in silencing mass speculation about her well-being, according to a former royal butler," the New York Post reported. "The Princess of Wales, 42, who has been recovering from abdominal surgery behind closed doors, was forced to issue an apology after releasing a doctored family photo for UK’s Mother’s Day on Sunday."
Speculations emerged that the photo might be a product of artificial intelligence or an edited version of an old image, due to apparent inconsistencies in the photo. These speculations fueled ongoing online discussions about the princess's health. The situation escalated when several photo agencies decided to withdraw the photo due to concerns about its authenticity.
In response to the controversy, the princess herself, according to Kensington Palace, apologized to fans for the exaggerated edits. She explained that, like many amateur photographers, they sometimes experiment with editing. However, her apology did not alleviate the concerns of the fans, but rather intensified them.
Mark Borkowski, a London-based public relations and crisis expert, suggested that the palace's actions had the opposite effect of calming the worried public. Instead, it exacerbated the situation, with the public now focusing on whether the photo was artificially created or a photoshopped version of an old image.
Borkowski criticized the British royal family's policy of "never complain, never explain." He contends that this approach puts the royal family in a difficult position, as the information they provide often seems insufficient. He further notes that the actual situation is typically more severe than the palace portrays it to be.
3 View gallery
Princess Kate has stepped back from royal duties for the last two months after abdominal surgery
(Photo: Getty Image)
This was observed in the case of Prince Philip, who was hospitalized months before his death. Despite this, the palace insisted that his health condition was good. A similar scenario played out with Queen Elizabeth. In the months leading up to her death, she was repeatedly hospitalized and released, and her appearances at royal events were cancelled. However, the palace refuted any claims of her deteriorating health and attributed her absences to her needing rest. On September 8, 2022, a palace statement reported that the queen was feeling unwell and, only a few hours later, another statement announced her death.
Borkowski concluded that by highlighting the current lack of information regarding Princess Kate's condition. He expressed his shock and criticized the palace's decision-making process. "If the palace intended to reassure the public that everything is fine, especially with a photo that is now considered to be manipulated, it's shocking and represents particularly poor decision-making," he said.
British journalist Liz Jones expressed her distrust toward the royal palace. "We can no longer trust the palace. They think we're all fools and now I'm actually wondering: Is Kate the one who wrote the message or is she too sick for that?" she said.
Jones criticized the royal family's lack of transparency and authenticity, especially in the digital age where artificial intelligence and digital manipulations are prevalent. She also voiced her disappointment in the Princess of Wales. "This is a catastrophic mistake, Kate disappointed," she said.
In response to the Princess of Wales' apology and her admission of experimenting with photo editing, Jones retorted, "Kate is not an amateur photographer, she is a professional. She is a perfectionist and would never make a mistake."
Jones clarified that her criticism was directed at the palace and not at the princess. She accused the palace of showing contempt for the public. "The palace is convinced that we are all fools and will never question what the Princes of Wales say," Jones said, adding that she believes that Princess Kate was not involved in the photo controversy or the subsequent mistakes.
Jones concluded her remarks by expressing her empathy for Kate's likely frustration and shock, and called for the dismissal of those responsible. "Whoever is responsible for this should be fired today," she said.
At the time of this report, Princess Kate is reportedly staying at Anmer Hall in England, a property that was a wedding gift from her husband William's deceased grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. Kate reportedly is there recuperating.
In the immediate aftermath of the controversy generated by the photo, Middleton was seen again alongside Prince William in a car. However, with her face turned away, the photographers gathered outside the estate were unable to get a clear shot of her.