The reputation of Kensington Palace has come under scrutiny following a controversially edited Mother’s Day photo of Kate Middleton. Phil Chetwynd, the global news director of Agence France-Presse (AFP), stated during an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Media Show that the palace is no longer considered a “trusted source” in light of the photo scandal.
Chetwynd disclosed that AFP has reevaluated its relationship with Prince William and Kate after the photo raised “major issues” and breached the outlet’s guidelines.
Kensington palace squashed the question of turst, says AFP news director
“Like with anything, when you’re let down by a source, the bar is raised,” Chetwynd remarked. “We sent out notes to all our teams at the moment to be absolutely super more vigilant about the content coming across our desk — even from what we would call trusted sources,” he continued.
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According to Chetwynd, Kensington Palace failed to respond to requests from AFP and other organizations, including Reuters and the Associated Press, for the original image after “kill” notices were issued. He noted that requesting a photo takedown due to manipulation is uncommon, perhaps “once a year maybe, I hope less.”
“There’s a question of trust. And the big issue here is one of trust, and the lack of trust and the falling trust of the general public in institutions generally and in the media,” Chetwynd said.
The controversy stemmed from a photo of Kate with her three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — uploaded for Mother’s Day on socials. Notably, Kate was not wearing her wedding ring in the image, prompting speculation and raising questions about the authenticity of the photo.
Kate said it was an innocent mistake
The Princess of Wales addressed the controversy in a statement, acknowledging, “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.” The statement came amid speculation about Kate’s health following her abdominal surgery in January, which has kept her away from royal engagements.
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Details about Kate’s surgery have been kept private since day one, fueling speculation and conspiracy theories about her well-being. A source close to the family revealed that Kate intends to maintain privacy regarding the surgery, only sharing details when she feels comfortable doing so.
