Kensington Palace Tried Avoiding the ‘Last Thing’ Kate Middleton Would Want With Photo Release — Historian
Yes, the photo of Kate Middleton and her children quickly became a major Photoshop fail. Despite the controversy, however, a royal expert says Kensington Palace still got a “clear message” across. Ahead, what the palace conveyed about the Princess of Wales, who appeared officially for the first time since undergoing abdominal surgery in the family photo.
Kate posed for a family photo to mark Mother’s Day in the U.K.
On March 10, 2024, Kensington Palace shared the first official image of Kate since the 42-year-old underwent abdominal surgery in January 2024.
The snap, released to mark Mother’s Day in the U.K., was taken by Prince William. It showed Kate smiling alongside the couple’s three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate said in the caption. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day,” she added before signing off with “C” for Catherine (via Instagram).
Irregularities were soon spotted online in the photo. Eventually, many of the major photo agencies issued a “kill” notice for the snap, removing it from their databases due to the manipulation concerns.
The Kate photo sent the message of ‘no more worries’
Speaking to CNN about why the palace released a photo of Kate to mark Mother’s Day in the U.K., royal expert and historian Kate Williams called it an attempt at quieting ongoing speculation surrounding her surgery and recovery.
“They [Kensington Palace] are trying to send a clear message to both the public and the press to respect Kate’s privacy on this medical matter,” Williams said.
As for “what they’re trying to say,” the expert said it’s likely something along the lines of “Kate is recovering. She’s fine, no more worries, no more panic, no more speculation.”
“I think the last thing they [Kensington Palace] want is for her to feel she can’t go out and walk in case she’s going to be photographed,” Williams added.
In the days leading up to the snapshot, paparazzi captured a photo of Kate riding in a car with her mother Carole Middleton. It marked the first sighting of the future queen since Christmas Day 2023. It also prompted criticism of the palace’s handling of Kate’s recovery.
Kate later admitted to editing the photo, apologized for ‘confusion’
On March 11, 2024, Kensington Palace released a statement from Kate on the photo.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” Kate began her statement. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.”
“I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day,” she added before signing off with “C” for Catherine.
Soon after the photo’s release, major photo agencies removed the image, fearing it had been “manipulated” following much speculation online. Individuals were quick to point out blurred lines and other irregularities as signs the image had been altered.
This isn’t the first time this has happened to the Prince and Princess of Wales. Three months earlier, in December 2023, they came under fire for seemingly editing the image in a family holiday card.
