Why Kensington Palace must throw open the curtains after Princess of Wales photo controversy

Conspiracy theories will continue to spread despite apology

The great English constitutionalist, Walter Bagehot, once coined a maxim that pointed out the monarchy’s durability depended, above all else, on its inscrutability. “Its mystery is its life,” he wrote. “We must not let in daylight upon magic.”

Thanks to the inconvenience of his being born in the 19th century, we will never know if generative AI might have softened his stance. A touch up here to remove red eye? A fiddle there with the algorithm to hide a shadow or two? What about some minor tinkering with the daguerreotype of Victoria and Albert to suggest a ripped six-pack beneath his tartan waistcoat?

More than 150 years on, Mr Bagehot’s exhortation feels more outdated than ever. That is especially true in light of the self-inflicted public relations disaster by Kensington Palace, which sought to allay concerns and dispel conspiracy theories surrounding the health of Catherine, the Princess of Wales, by releasing a photograph of her and her three children to mark Mother’s Day. Instead, it has had the opposite effect, sparking frenzied speculation about the 42 year-old’s wellbeing, and plunging the institution she married in to into crisis mode.

Late Sunday evening, the Associated Press issued what is known as a ‘kill notification’, halting the photo’s distribution. “At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” the agency explained, citing “inconsistencies,” such as the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand with her sleeve.

It was followed by Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Getty, Shutterstock and PA, all of whom pulled the first official photograph of Catherine released since she underwent abdominal surgery two months ago. Such quickfire withdrawals poured petrol on the online rumours. Some noted the tree in the background of the photo, said by the palace to have been taken by the Prince of Wales, had abundant foliage for mid-March. Others suggested that one of Catherine’s hands seemed unusually blurred.

Shortly before 11am, Kensington Palace broke its silence, posting a statement on X, signed by the princess, which apologised for “any confusion” caused. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she explained. Will that put an end to the controversy? Don’t bet on it.

Since the turn of the year, the palace has tried to reassure the public that Catherine was making a good recovery, while maintaining her privacy. It has been a difficult balancing act, and the release of the edited image represents a major stumble.

The photograph, said by the palace to have been taken by the Prince of Wales, was posted on social media. Picture: PA

There is no suggestion the entire photo is a fake, and the manipulation of it may have been an innocent indulgence that went too far. In this image-obsessed age, the princess is hardly alone in playing around with pictures uploaded to social media. But as the next generation of royals, she and her husband bear a unique burden, and the incident has damaged an already fragile trust in the institution they will one day helm.

It is unlikely the torrent of conjecture will ease until the original, unedited photograph is released. There was an opportunity to do so alongside Catherine’s apology, but for now, a seemingly minor scandal could cause real damage. If the palace wishes to kill it dead, it would do well to ignore Mr Bagehot’s advice and throw open the curtains.