Kate Middleton—she’s just like us!
Have you heard this one yet? Kate Middleton—sorry, Catherine Middleton, the Princess of Wales—is currently under scrutiny for releasing a photoshopped picture of her and her three kids. The image was shared with the public to celebrate Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom, and people started to point out some details that didn’t really sit well with them.
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Since being called out, Kate Middleton has gone on the record to say that she did indeed edit the photo. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” reads her statement. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.”
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. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024
You’d think that would be the end of it, but it isn’t. Piers Morgan has, of course, spoken out. He demands that the original, unedited photo be released. He claims that if the public sees very little editing had been done, then the issue will sort itself out. But if the Palace doesn’t release the original image, then the conspiracy theories will never end.
The Palace should release the unedited photo of Kate & the kids asap. If it’s just a small bit of harmless retouching gone wrong, nobody will care. If they don’t release the original pic, the conspiracy theories they were trying to kill, will get way worse..
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 11, 2024
As the Princess of Wales, Kate will always make headlines—whatever she does, whenever she does it—for simply being the Princess of Wales. The question here isn’t whether or not Photoshop is a bad tool to have in your arsenal. After all, most images you see online will be edited to some degree; smoothening the skin, making sure the skin tone is even throughout the body, simmering down the hair frizz a little. And none of this is bad, it’s just the way things are. So what’s the big deal?
The thing is, this is all happening while the public is questioning Kate’s absence in public events—even though Kensington Palace already explained that she underwent scheduled surgery in January 2024 and will need some time away from her royal duties to heal. Nevertheless, her absence and the photoshopped image have the questions coming in fast: How recent is the photo? Why the need to edit it? Why is there so much green in the background when London is still cold? How is Kate Middleton, really?
And then there is the discussion on trust. Many are questioning the authenticity of any photos from the Royal Family, particularly the ones that paint them as a normal family. Were they real or were those doctored, too? Is their entire image just something they try to portray?
The thing is—and this is me just speaking here—they do have an image to uphold. They are a family, but they are a public one. And if the rumors are true that Kate Middleton still isn’t feeling her best and therefore felt the need to edit, update or use an old photograph to commemorate Mother’s Day, then there really is no harm done. And if the Palace skipped posting a photo altogether, wouldn’t that have been more worthy of controversy?
There will always be a need for authenticity. But this isn’t a case of “I just wanted to post something on social media,” and there is no proof that she altered her face or the faces of George, Charlotte or Louis. There was a holiday (and therefore a responsibility) to acknowledge, and she did what she could.
As of writing, the official channels of the Prince and Princess of Wales has kept the photo up—glaring editing oversights included. Now, what does that tell you?
Art Alexandra Lara
