Prince William Pokes Fun at the Kate Middleton Family Photo Drama Chat
Royals from around the world are weighing in on Kate Middleton photo-editing scandal, while the public still seeks answers about her health and whereabouts.
After disappearing from the public eye since having abdominal surgery in December, the Princess of Wales appeared in a new photo on Sunday posted in honor of Mother's Day. But instead of putting the rumor mill to rest, the event seemed to spur further speculation surrounding the princess's status, after the image appeared obviously edited. Kate Middleton posted a public apology on March 11 after news agencies issued kill orders on the photo, citing apparent editing errors.
Earlier this week, via a comment to Newsweek, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle denied through a spokesperson that they had ever issued a negative statement about the Mother's Day photo scandal. Page Six had previously reported that Markle had allegedly commented to a source that she would know better than to make the kind of photo editing mistake Middleton made, because she pays attention to detail.
But that hasn't stopped other royals from making comments about the Mother's Day photo scandal. Middleton's own husband, Prince William, seemingly poked fun at her creative skills at an appearance with young people in West London's White City neighborhood, according to the Daily Mail. Separately, over in the Netherlands, King Willem-Alexander left Dutch royal fans giggling by quipping "at least I didn't Photoshop it," at an appearance on March 15th in Zutphen.
The photo, in which Kate Middleton poses alongside her children, Louis, George, and Charlotte, was republished all over the world before news agencies such as the Associated Press, Reuters, and AFP, upon noticing the use of Photoshop manipulation in the photo, decided to remove it from their image bank, as it violated basic rules.
“At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement image will be sent,” the AP said. “Please remove it from all platforms, including social, where it may still be visible.” Editing errors noticed by news agencies and royal fans are visible primarily in the hands and arms of the children, where their fingers appear crossed and their sleeves are distorted.
“Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally experiment with editing,” explained the princess in a later statement made on social media. According to the BBC, Kate Middleton is currently recovering from abdominal surgery and has only been socializing with friends and family, excluding the presence of official photographers. The photo in question was reportedly taken by her husband, Prince William.
Royal insiders are said to be surprised that Princess Kate would be the "fall guy" for the photo scandal, but Kensington Palace tried to distance itself from the situation, leaving Kate to personally issue the apology.
Kate Middleton's lack of public appearances in the past few months has raised doubts about her real state of health: “The implication here is not that the entire photo is a fake or that the Princess of Wales is more unwell than she appears in the image. That seems unlikely and would be a very high-risk strategy from the Kensington Palace team,” said the BBC in relation to the matter.
Kate Middleton's disappearance is also fueling turmoil among "senior working royals," who have all been asked to step up their duties, according to Daily Mail reporter Rebecca English.
More to come as to whether or not the Princess continues to share personal photos of the royal family, a pastime both she and the British public seem to enjoy.
