Earlier this year, Princess Kate and Prince William found themselves at the center of a Photoshop scandal. After releasing a photo of Kate Middleton and their three kids—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—for Mother's Day, it was revealed that the image had been manipulated. Now, a royal biographer has revealed how Kate and William felt when the general public reacted negatively to their photo.
Robert Hardman’s book, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, has been serialized in the Daily Mail, with the royal expert dishing on Kate and William's Photoshop scandal.
"Anything written or said about the Princess of Wales at that point was at fever pitch and front page news," a Palace employee told Hardman of the incident.
At the time, the photograph was pulled from multiple photo agencies due to being edited. "It also spoke to the nervousness of the photography industry around AI and their future," the Palace source explained. "Even so, the reaction seemed extremely disproportionate."
Of course, Princess Kate only had good intentions when she initially released the image. "As far as the Princess was concerned... this had just been a mother deciding to share a personal picture of her and her children on Mother's Day to bring some joy to the nation," a Palace aide told Hardman.
However, the Prince and Princess of Wales took responsibility for the image, as they have involvement in what the Palace puts out into the world. As the staff member told Hardman, "The Prince and Princess have agency in everything... They are the final decision-makers."
At the time, Princess Kate shared a heartfelt apology regarding the edited photo in an Instagram Story.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she explained. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused." She signed off the message, writing, "I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day."
Meanwhile, reports suggested that the Princess of Wales felt "awful" over the debacle.
-
Katie Holmes Accessorizes Her Boyfriend Button-Up With a Birkin Look-alikeHer colorful wardrobe basics came with a new signature bag.
-
Netflix's New Christmas Movie 'Hot Frosty' Has Fans Wishing For Their Own Holiday Romance in Hope SpringsHere's everything we know about the winter wonderland the rom-com was shot in.
-
Denim Bags Are the Nostalgic Y2K Bag Trend to ReconsiderSometimes, the classics are overrated.
-
Royal Expert Says to "Never Underestimate" Princess Kate's Ability to Pull Out a Major "Surprise" During Upcoming Holiday EventMerry Katemas!
-
Queen Elizabeth's Wedding Gift From Her Father Reportedly Cost More Than $6 MillionThe monarch altered the extremely expensive present, which reportedly dates back to 1850.
-
Prince William and Kate Middleton Didn't Just Move to "Modest" Windsor Home to be Closer to Queen Elizabeth, Royal Expert Says"There's not a huge amount of space, but Adelaide Cottage ticks all the right boxes."
-
Prince Harry Just Sent Out Invites to an Intimate Christmas Party He's Hosting Solo"He appreciates that the festive season can be hard."
-
Princess Kate Missed Glittering Tiara Reception for First Time in a Decade—But Quietly Carried Out Another Royal Duty"If she did start returning to major social events, that would lead people to think things are back to normal, which isn't the case."
-
Prince Andrew Keeps "Allowing Himself to Be Humiliated" Amid Royal Lodge Dispute With King Charles"It is how it looks: an idle and disgraced Duke swanning around on his horse."
-
The Christmas Traditions Princess Kate and Prince William Share With Their Kids Every YearFrom incorporating the late Queen's favorite tree to attending fun and festive events.
-
Princess Charlene Puts Her $65,000 Engagement Ring Back on for Monaco's National DayCharlene rarely wears the bespoke ring, which was reportedly designed by a Parisian jeweler.
