The widespread social media controversy that surrounded Princess Kate’s edited Mother’s Day photo in March will be looked back on as a “fever dream,” after the announcement that the royal is battling cancer sparked a boost in public support, according to a new episode of Newsweek‘s The Royal Report podcast.
Kate was at the center of a social media storm after the photo was released by Kensington Palace on March 10, showing the princess surrounded by her three children.
Users quickly identified traces of editing throughout the frame, leading to a spike in conspiracy theories and speculation about Kate’s health and whereabouts as she continued to take time out of the public eye while recovering from abdominal surgery.
The princess issued a public apology, admitting that “like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.” This, however, did little to assuage the growing controversy, which led photo agencies to issue “kill” notices to cease publication of the image, and the director of one leading news agency to label Kensington Palace an un-trustworthy source because of it.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
The photo incident continued to generate speculation and worldwide press coverage for the next two weeks, until, on March 22, Kate made a global announcement via video message that her public absence had been, in part, due to being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing the preliminary course of preventative chemotherapy.
Speaking to Royal Report listeners, Newsweek‘s chief royal correspondent, Jack Royston, discussed the photo controversy in the context of Kate’s illness.
“It is and was completely extraordinary that the Mother’s Day photo was edited and then put out by Kensington Palace without anyone picking up on it,” he said. “And the whole saga of, you know, picture agencies killing the image, issuing a kill notice because there was evidence of manipulation. I mean, it was completely wild.”
“I think we’ll look back on it in years to come in royal reporting almost like it was a fever dream. And, you know, almost as though it never happened.”
To illustrate this, he highlighted polling conducted exclusively for Newsweek by strategists Redfield & Wilton in April, which showed that 59 percent of 4,000 U.S. adults surveyed felt that celebrities and notable figures who made jokes about Kate prior to the cancer announcement should now apologize. This was opposed to just 9 percent who said they should not.
In another boost, 52 percent said they felt Kensington Palace should not release more details about Kate’s cancer diagnosis, opposed to 21 percent who said they should and 28 percent who did not know.
Royston said that the poll results suggest that social media conspiracy theories and outrage surrounding Kate are now “very niche perspectives.”
“If they were not, you would expect far more people to be calling for more information from the palace,” he said. “You’d expect people to want to know not just what type of cancer Kate has, but, you know, the calls for the original of the Mother’s Day picture to be released have completely evaporated. There have been no major mainstream calls or pressure for any more pictures from Kate, aside from a kind of small collection of die-hard conspiracy theorists.”
Newsweek has approached Kensington Palace via email for comment.
During her March 22 announcement, Kate explained that though she is looking forward to resuming her public duties and appearances, for now she needs to focus on her recovery, meaning fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the royal out and about will need to be patient.
The princess also reiterated a plea for privacy and peace at this time.
“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment,” she said. “My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.”
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, Prince William and Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.