The scandal over the photo of Kate Middleton with her children published on Mother’s Day in the UK, which was manipulated, continues to generate concern. Experts warned that the Prince and Princess of Wales need to release the original version of the photo, as their future integrity depends on it.
Kate Middleton publicly took the blame for the photoshopped family picture released by Kensington Palace and personally apologized for the “mix-up.” The photograph of the Princess of Wales and her children, taken by Prince William, was the 1st released since Kate’s abdominal surgery.
However, hours later, news agencies removed it with a “removal” notice, due to evidence that it had been manipulated. Speaking to The Mirror, royal expert and historian Dr. Tessa Dunlop said that this scandal “has brought us back to square one“.
“We’ve known for a long time that Kate is the Royal Family photographer (a clever ruse to maintain a vestige of control), but apparently it was William who took this photograph, so why is she the one who edits it? And if the princess only indulged in a little light editing, why on earth doesn’t the palace publish the original photograph?” she said.
Tessa believes that publishing the original unedited photo is the only thing the royals can do to end the scandal. The Daily Mail, noted that the Princess of Wales is in a “fragile physical and mental state” and will be “miserable.”
Royal commentator Jennie Bond suggested that Kate Middleton “must feel under pressure now every time she is going to be seen in public” after her surgery in January. Despite calls for the original image to be released, Kensington Palace insisted it would not republish the unedited photograph of Kate and her children.
And Bond warned against “bullying her into publishing all the images,” adding that the 42-year-old mother-of-three would be “absolutely miserable.” He said Kate’s Mother’s Day was “ruined by this controversy” and that she “didn’t look so happy” when she was photographed Monday in a car with Prince William.