Kate Middleton's Photo Fail Has PR Experts Asking Why There's 'Poor Decision-Making' at the Palace
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Kate Middleton probably hoped that her apology for the Photoshop fail on Mother’s Day would make every royal family controversy go away. Instead, it’s had the opposite effect. Anyone who is on social media and paying attention in the slightest way knows that Prince William and Kate have a major PR crisis on their hands that goes way beyond a software tool.
PR experts are now weighing in on the controversy and they seem just as baffled as the rest of the world. How did the royal family let everything get so far out of control? With their leader, King Charles III, focusing on his health after his cancer diagnosis, the Prince and Princess of Wales appear to be making their own rules in the wake of her recovery from abdominal surgery — and it’s not working. Mark Borkowski, a crisis communications expert in the U.K. described their situation to People as “pretty damning.”
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Borkowski is confused about “the floundering and the poor decision-making that’s going on” at Kensington Palace because Kate’s situation with her Photoshop fail isn’t something “the royal brand [wants] to be aligned with.” The world is already questioning misinformation generated on the internet and the AI generation is here, which is only going to make people feel more skeptical about what they see, hear, and read. He believes that Kate’s apology only made the situation “worse.”
The problem might be within the palace, though. An insider downplayed the situation, telling the media outlet that the controversy is just a “bump in the road, it’s not an earthquake.” They added, “She might be a member of the royal family, but she’s also a human being. If you’ve just had an operation, you want to look your best with the first photograph that’s published for the outside world.” What they are failing to see is that they’ve let the entire narrative run away from them. With Easter only two weeks away, royal fans are expecting to see Kate start making public appearances again if her health allows for it. But it doesn’t stop the rumors that Kate might be seriously ill, or that the state of the couple’s marriage is in trouble.
The Mother’s Day image was only the tip of the iceberg because the royal family mystery began on Jan. 17 when her health issues were announced. While details were understandably sketchy, the lack of communication between Kensington Palace and the public fueled conspiracy theories that have reached a fever pitch on Reddit and X. At this point, Kate and William should probably bring in a PR crisis specialist to rebrand their image because Kensington Palace has lost many royal fans’ trust.
Before you go, click here to see our favorite Kate Middleton mommy moments!
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