15 March 2024 , 07:31
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Princess Kate may never release another photo after the Mother's Day snap scandal, according to a royal expert.
The mum-of-three, 42, had not been seen in public since Christmas - having undergone abdominal surgery in January - when Kensington Palace published a photo of her with her children last Sunday.
It quickly became apparent there was something odd about the family picture, which had supposedly been taken by Prince William, with his wife not expected to begin duties again until Easter. Royal fans spotted 'errors' and then hours after it was posted multiple agencies, including Press Association, axed it.
They warned news outlets it had been 'manipulated' and that better checks should have been made. The incident further fuelled conspiracy theorists relating to Kate and her 'disappearance' from public life. But the Palace remained tight-lipped and refused to release an official statement.
Russell Myers says Kate may never put out a photo again (Getty Images)It fell to the Princess of Wales herself to post on X confirming she had edited the photo, describing herself as an "amateur photographer". She insisted it was a harmless and had only touched up the image.
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Now, under the post on Instagram, a warning pops up. It reads: "Altered photo/video. The same altered photo was reviewed by independent fact-checkers in another post."
Russell Myers, Daily Mirror Royal Editor told The Royal Beat podcast: “They put the picture out and I suppose they will have to have a review of this process. What I think is going to be the biggest shame of all, is Kate may never put a picture out again.
"And we’ve had years of her putting out pictures of the children on their birthday, Louis’ first day at school, their Christmas card. If she doesn’t do that, that's such a massive shame for her.”
Back in the UK, Princess Kate is set to return to engagements in the next few weeks, sooner than Kensington Palace originally had stated, following her abdominal surgery. A royal insider said: "The rumour mill — particularly on social media — has gotten out of control, but Kate is recovering well and she will be back by Easter. She just needs to be left in peace."