Royal Analyst Expresses Concern for Kate Middleton – Accusing Palace of Failing to Protect Her
The photo shared by Kate Middleton on Mother’s Day continues to draw attention as it was quickly taken down due to editing.
“A professional photographer here. Take a close look at Princess Charlotte’s wrist. This is what happens when you layer composite in Photoshop. I’m not speculating on why the photo was edited this way, but it’s peculiar,” wrote portrait photographer Martin Bamford on X.
The Duchess took responsibility for the photo manipulation.
On her and William’s official X account, she wrote, “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion caused by the family photograph we shared yesterday. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”
Kensington Palace later confirmed they “would not be reissuing the original unedited photograph of Kate and her children.”
The Associated Press, Reuters, Getty Images, and Agence France-Presse all decided to issue “kill notices,” which are advisory notices to remove or not use a specific photo.
“It appears that the source has manipulated the image,” the Associated Press notification read.
They also released a statement, saying, “The Associated Press initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. The AP later retracted the image because upon closer inspection, it appears that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards. The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”
According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, the Palace would be under immense pressure following the issue with the photo.
“What’s significant about all of this is that four international picture agencies have retracted this image. That’s highly unusual,” Nicholl said.
“I can’t recall a time in my nearly 15 years in this job where a royal image has been recalled. So, it’s highly unusual. It might force Kensington Palace’s hand.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Media Show, Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s global news director, said that Kensington Palace is no longer considered a trusted source.
“No, absolutely not. Like with anything, when you’re let down by a source, the bar is raised… We have instructed all our teams to be extra vigilant about the content coming across our desk — even from what we would call trusted sources,” he said, as reported by Deadline.
He added that kill notices are usually reserved for sources such as North Korea.
“To retract something on the basis of manipulation is rare. We do it maybe once a year, I hope less. The previous retractions we’ve had have been from the North Korean news agency or the Iranian news agency,” Chetwynd added.
“One thing that’s really important is you cannot distort reality for the public. There’s a question of trust. And the big issue here is one of trust, and the lack of trust and the declining trust of the general public in institutions generally and in the media. So it’s extremely important that a photo broadly represents the reality that it’s seen in,” he concluded.
The issue with the edited image only intensified because both Kate and the Palace have already faced accusations of not providing information regarding her health and whereabouts.
Arthur Edwards, The Sun’s royal photographer, said the Duchess of Cambridge has learned a “tough and very public lesson” breaking the “golden rule.”
“It’s a golden rule that while you can crop a picture, you never, ever interfere with the image itself. Kate shouldn’t have done it, and she was right to admit her mistake so quickly,” Edwards said, adding that social media have been filled with “disgusting bile and hateful comments about her.”
“Now the conspiracies are flying thick and fast — not that these people need any encouragement. These attacks on Kate will be upsetting for her.”
According to some experts, including Edwards, the Palace could have quelled speculations by releasing the unedited version of the photo.
“But of course, this comes amid all the speculation about Kate, who, apart from a brief picture yesterday and last week, none of us has seen since December. Many people — myself included — have been eager for an update on the Duchess’s health since she underwent abdominal surgery in January.”
Edwards added, “A botched attempt at photographic manipulation it may have been, but I still think it’s a delightful image. Kate looks radiant and so proud on Mother’s Day, surrounded by her loving kids. It’s full of uplifting love and emotion.”
Speaking to Fox, royal expert Hilary Fordwich said the palace is responsible for what she calls “yet another public relations disaster.”
“The reality is that a ‘slimmed-down monarchy’ means fewer people are guiding the royals, and those who are aren’t as media-savvy as they need to be,” Fordwich said. “In our fast-paced world with tech-savvy media outlets, the palaces need to hire the best and brightest in such fields.
“While this certainly isn’t ‘business as usual’ nor what we would expect from a royal household, it shows great humility to admit one’s mistakes,” Fordwich continued. “Others might have either remained silent or tried to blame another. Kate issued a straightforward, no-nonsense apology. Many could learn a lesson from such an approach.”
The question that arises is whether the Palace is doing enough to protect Kate Middleton, and according to royal expert and author Tom Bower, they are not.
“People around the world just want to bring her down because it gives them pleasure. And then, when she did, they should have hired a professional photographer to ensure there were no hiccups like the one that occurred,” Bower told The Sun.
He continued: “She’s undergone the most serious operation imaginable. She needs a long time to recover. And I fear that she has been under terrible pressure to perform, and instead of protecting her, her staff in Kensington Palace failed to give her the support and protection she needs.”
Furthermore, Bower believes that the Palace’s main focus should be on helping
