Kensington Palace refuses to release the ‘original,’ unedited photo of Kate

Over the course of 36 hours, Kensington Palace completely lost credibility with the national and international media and they proved yet again, for the millionth time, that they cannot crisis-manage their way out of a wet paper bag. To recap, KP released a photo of the Princess of Wales and her three children for Mother’s Day in the UK. The photo was released early Sunday morning, in the hope that the proof of life would quell some of the speculation about Kate’s health status and whereabouts. As soon as the photo was released, people could not stop pointing out how weirdly Photoshopped and bizarre the whole thing looked, and others commented that it didn’t even look like a recent photo. By Sunday evening, AFP, Reuters, Getty and Associated Press all “killed” the image, meaning they wouldn’t distribute it or publish such a “manipulated” photo. Monday morning, the Press Association joined the kill order too.

For about 14 hours, Kensington Palace stayed silent, refusing to answer calls from journalists and refusing to speak to the photo agencies requesting clarification on the image. Then, finally, a statement, allegedly from Kate, where “she” said that she edited the photo which was allegedly taken by William. In the NYT’s coverage of this mess, they noted that Kensington Palace was insisting that William “had taken the photo last week in Windsor” and that “A palace official said Catherine made minor adjustments in what was meant to be an informal picture of the family together for Mother’s Day. The official reiterated that William had taken the photo, though Catherine edited it.” Just lies on top of lies. And now this – Kensington Palace is flatly refusing to release an unedited version of the photo.

Kensington Palace has refused to release the original Mother’s Day portrait of the Princess of Wales and her children – after Kate publicly took the blame for editing the family photograph.

The Palace had come under mounting pressure to reveal the truth behind the photo after the world’s top picture agencies – including the Press Association – ‘killed’ the image over claims it had been digitally manipulated.

Kate this morning admitted that she had edited the photograph and issued a personal apology ‘for any confusion’ it had caused. The photo of the mother-of-three beaming with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis was the first official picture released of the princess since she underwent ‘planned abdominal surgery’ in January.

Despite calls for the original to be published, Kensington Palace said it would not be reissuing the unedited photograph of Kate and her children.

[From The Daily Mail]

Why wouldn’t the palace just release an unedited photo, one might ask. It couldn’t have been that bad, right? Except I’m really starting to wonder if the whole thing is a lie. Like, I kind of believed that it was probably an older photo which they repurposed for this, and William stupidly took credit for taking the pic, and palace dumbasses did a sh-tty job of editing it. But now I wonder if there even is an “original photo” which could conceivably be released.

The Telegraph did a surprisingly thorough breakdown of all of the inconsistencies in the photo too – you can go here to read. They call it “significantly doctored.” There’s even a suggestion (quickly denied by their expert) that they used AI.

Omid Scobie has done some good tweets too. I keep thinking about how William’s new private secretary started about one month ago. This is what happens when you surround yourself with Tory yes-men.

Update: They hustled Kate into a car with William and arranged for shadowy photos.

It’s fair to say that most photos released by the offices of public figures have been retouched in some way, so *if* this was an isolated incident then it would just be an unfortunate error. But with the Palace’s long history of lying, covering up, and even issuing statements on…

— Omid Scobie (@scobie) March 11, 2024

Photos courtesy of Kensington Palace.

Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge attends ATTEND ADDICTION AWARENESS WEEK GALA DINNER at Somerset house London,Image: 536267599, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon

Yesterday, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, spoke to armed forces families who have lost loved ones to hear how they pay tribute to those they have lost, and about the impact that Remembrance week has for them. The Duchess also heard more about the support that they receive from members of the Armed Forces community, including other bereaved families, and the help that is provided by the Royal British Legion. The Legion provides lifelong support to anyone who has served with the British Armed Forces and their families. They also give support to families who have been bereaved, including help with funeral costs, ongoing emotional support and connecting people to specialist services such as bereavement counselling or mental health support.,Image: 568391490, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, holds a social media Q&A on her work with The Early Years,Image: 572158356, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon

On Tuesday 9th February Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, caught up with London baby bank Little Village, who are marking their fifth anniversary this week, to hear how they have continued to support vulnerable families during the pandemic.,Image: 590776481, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon / Avalon

Earlier this week Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, joined a video call with Syrian aid workers supported by the Disasters Emergency Committee’s (DEC) Coronavirus Appeal. During the call, His Royal Highness heard more about the positive impact generous donations from the UK public have had upon some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.,Image: 599312753, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon

The Duke of Cambridge chats to resident Betty Magee(96) and her granddaughter Kimberley Anderson during a visit to the QueenŐs Bay Lodge Care Home in Edinburgh, that is run by the Church of Scotland through Cross Reach, to meet with staff, residents and families to hear about the impact of COVID-19 on the home.,Image: 612298276, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Milligan / Avalon

New York, NY – Jennifer Lopez at the 2019 IFP Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Pictured: Jennifer Lopez BACKGRID USA 2 DECEMBER 2019 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / UK: +44 208 344 2007 / *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*