The Mother’s Day photo shared by Kate Middleton sparked controversy after it was swiftly unpublished due to apparent editing. Observers, including professional photographer Martin Bamford, noted anomalies in Princess Charlotte’s wrist, suggesting possible Photoshop manipulation.
Middleton later took responsibility, acknowledging her experimentation with editing and apologizing for any confusion caused. Kensington Palace confirmed that the original unedited photo would not be reissued. Major news agencies like the Associated Press and Getty Images issued “kill notices,” advising against using the edited photo.
In response to the photo issue, major news agencies like the Associated Press retracted the image due to perceived manipulation, particularly in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s hand.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl highlighted the rarity of such actions from international picture agencies, indicating heightened pressure on Kensington Palace. AFP’s global news director, Phil Chetwynd, expressed a loss of trust in Kensington Palace as a reliable source, emphasizing the need for increased vigilance in verifying content from all sources.
Chetwynd emphasized the rarity of retracting content due to manipulation, typically reserved for extreme cases involving state-run media from countries like North Korea or Iran. He stressed the importance of maintaining public trust by accurately representing reality in media content.
The edited photo incident compounded existing concerns about transparency from Kate Middleton and Kensington Palace, particularly regarding her health and activities. Royal photographer Arthur Edwards noted that this incident served as a public lesson for Kate, highlighting the importance of adhering to transparency and avoiding manipulation in the public eye.
Edwards emphasized the importance of adhering to photography ethics, highlighting that while cropping is acceptable, altering the image itself is not. He acknowledged the flood of negative comments aimed at Kate on social media, condemning the hurtful nature of such discourse.
Some experts, including Edwards, believe that releasing the unedited version of the photo could have quelled speculation. The lack of updates on Kate’s health since her surgery in January has fueled curiosity and concern among the public. Despite the editing mishap, Edwards found the original image heartwarming, capturing a radiant Kate surrounded by her children on Mother’s Day, evoking feelings of love and joy.
Fordwich criticized the palace for what she views as another public relations failure, attributing it to a lack of media-savvy guidance in the monarchy’s slimmed-down structure. She emphasized the importance of hiring skilled professionals in today’s fast-paced, tech-driven media landscape.
Despite the misstep, Fordwich commended Kate for her straightforward apology, highlighting her humility in taking responsibility for the mistake. However, Bower suggested that the palace is not adequately protecting Kate Middleton.
Bower expressed concern that individuals globally seek to bring down Kate Middleton for their own pleasure, emphasizing the need for professional oversight in her public appearances to avoid such mishaps. He criticized Kensington Palace staff for allegedly failing to adequately support and protect her during her recovery from a serious operation.
Bower argued that the Palace’s priority should be Kate’s complete recovery rather than releasing additional images. He also suggested that there are those who seek to undermine British values and traditions by targeting Kate as a vulnerable figure. Finally, on March 22, Kate addressed ongoing conspiracy theories by revealing in a video that she is undergoing cancer treatments.