One expert is calling Kate Middleton’s photo editing “a shortsighted strategy.”
The royal family continues to be under scrutiny in the aftermath of the Princess of Wales releasing a photo for Mother’s Day only for the photo to not be used due to apparent photo editing, Fox News reported.
Doug Eldridge of Achilles PR said “releasing the initial photo of Middleton to calm the public’s nerves was ‘a shortsighted strategy.’”
This has led AFP, one of the leading photo agencies in the world, to say Kensington Palace is no longer a “trusted source,” per Fox News.
“Like with anything, when you’re let down by a source, the bar is raised,” Phil Chetwynd, global news director of AFP, explained on an episode of the BBC’s “The Media Show.”
Instagram labeled the picture “altered photo” to alert those who may use it, Fox News reported.
“Independent fact-checkers say the photo or image has been edited in a way that could mislead people, but not because it was shown out of context,” the warning reads.
Former British broadcaster Helena Chard said that the Princess of Wales ultimately isn’t at fault for the photo dustup, per Fox News.
“The Princess of Wales released an edited photo with good intentions. We should not blame her for the whole fallout,” Chard said. “The private secretary and Kensington Palace communication team should have advised and protected the Princess of Wales. The photo should not have been released as a news photo.”
Eldridge said it was “bizarre” for the palace to release the photo in the first place, Fox News reported.
“Digitally altering a photo was a perplexing move to begin with, but purportedly using a photo which had already run in commercial magazines is even more bizarre,” Eldridge said. There is some speculation that a Vogue cover image of Middleton had allegedly been used.
He continued, “There has long been AI software that can detect forgeries in high-priced artwork or edits and augmentations to photographs. That said, digitally altering a photo in this day and age – especially when it’s related to a circumstance of such speculation – seems like a shortsighted strategy, at best.”
A more recent photo of the princess in a car next to Prince William is also under scrutiny.
Jim Bennett, the photographer who captured the image, told Fox News Digital, “We don’t change our photos in Photoshop other than adjusting the light levels, if necessary.”
The public has expressed concern over her health since she had surgery on Jan. 17. She is expected to take part in Easter festivities.
