Kate, Princess Of Wales, Apologizes For Altering Family Photo That Fueled Rumors About Her Health

LONDON (AP)— Kate, Princess of Wales, apologized on Monday for “confusion” caused by her alteration of a family photo posted by the palace — an image of Kate and her children that was supposed to alleviate concern and speculation about the British royal’s health but had the opposite effect.

Several news organizations who originally published the photo, including The Associated Press, removed it due to suspicions about digital alteration. The couple’s Kensington Palace staff released the first official portrait of 42-year-old Kate following her stomach surgery nearly two months ago on Sunday in honour of Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom.

The retractions fueled the online rumour mill, which was already rife with speculation about Kate’s surgery and recovery. The public relations calamity demonstrates that the royal family’s long-held mantra — “never complain, never explain” — is hard to follow in today’s social media-driven world.

Kate, Princess Of Wales, Apologizes For Altering Family Photo That Fueled Rumors About Her Health

Kate wrote on social media that “like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.”

“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,” the post text read.

The palace has already released various family photos of Kate and the heir to the throne, Prince William, along with their children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.

Kensington Palace confirmed that William took the most recent snapshot. Kate wrote on social media, “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.” I wish everyone a happy Mother’s Day.

While there was no indication that the photo was fabricated, AP retracted it after further investigation discovered that the source had modified the image in a way that did not fit AP’s photo standards. For example, there was an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand with the sleeve of her sweater.

Other major news organizations, including Getty, Reuters, AFP, and the United Kingdom’s official agency, PA, also removed the photo.

Kensington Palace declined to release the original unedited photos. While Kate’s speech gave some clarification, it was unlikely to quell the rumour mill that had grown during her absence from public duties.

Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt stated that the bungled photo release “is damaging for the royals.”

“They knew there would be intense interest in any picture they released of Kate,” he posted on X, previously known as Twitter. “Their challenge is that people will now question whether they can be trusted and believed when they next issue a health update.”

The royal family is under particular scrutiny because King Charles III has had to cancel public appearances while undergoing treatment for an unidentified type of cancer. The monarch has cancelled all of his public appearances, but he has been photographed walking to church and meeting privately with government officials and dignitaries.

Charles’ relative candour regarding his health was unusual for the often-guarded royal family. However, attention to Kate’s condition has overshadowed it. In the lack of solid evidence, conspiracy theorists have rushed to fill the void.

Kate, Princess Of Wales, Apologizes For Altering Family Photo That Fueled Rumors About Her Health

The photo’s release came after weeks of speculation on social media regarding Kate’s whereabouts since leaving a hospital on Jan. 29 after a nearly two-week stay following scheduled surgery. She had not been seen in public since Christmas Day.

Kate underwent surgery on January 16, and her condition and the cause for the operation have not been divulged. However, Kensington Palace stated that it was not cancer-related.

Although the palace first stated that it would only release substantial updates and that she would not return to royal responsibilities before Easter (March 31 this year), it later issued a statement last month stating that she was doing well.

At the time, royal officials told The Sun newspaper: “We’ve seen the chaos of social media, and it won’t change our tactics. There has been a lot of talk on social media, but the princess has the right to privacy and wants the public to respect that.”

Further suspicions were raised this week when the British military appeared to act prematurely in announcing Kate’s attendance at a June Trooping the Colour ceremony, allegedly without consulting palace officials.

It is up to palace officials, not government ministries, to publicize the royals’ appearances at events. Kensington Palace did not confirm Kate’s attendance at any scheduled public events, and the army later erased any mention of her presence.

On Monday, William, Queen Camilla, and other senior royals attended a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. Neither Kate nor the king were scheduled to attend the ceremony, which drew a few dozen anti-monarchist demonstrators waving posters reading “Down with the Crown.”

Kate, Princess Of Wales, Apologizes For Altering Family Photo That Fueled Rumors About Her Health

William was also scheduled to speak at an event for the Earthshot Prize, the environmental competition he founded.

A veteran public relations consultant, Mark Borkowski said the photo mistake revealed a larger PR problem for the monarchy.

“There doesn’t seem to be that much joined-up strategic thinking at the heart of the royal family at the moment, which leads to these problems where it’s a very difficult organization to manage in terms of PR,” he added.

“I find they have risen to the challenge, provided the statement as an explanation,” he added about Kate’s apologies on Monday. “The difficulty, with all the conspiracy ideas floating about, is whether people believe them. And I am not convinced they will.”

SOURCE – (AP)