Several major news agencies have recalled an image distributed by Kensington Palace showing Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her children. Image: Prince of Wales / KENSINGTON PALACE / AFPSeveral major news agencies have recalled an image distributed by Kensington Palace showing Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her children.
Proof of life landed on Sunday, when the palace released a photograph they said was recently snapped by William, but eagle-eyed social media users began tearing it apart for inconsistencies, such as a misaligned zipper on Kate’s jacket. “The moral of the editing of the royal picture is simple. Tell all,” wrote Guardian newspaper columnist Simon Jenkins.That is exactly what happened. Social media exploded with memes exploring what the palace was hiding.
Some observers called it the Streisand effect, royal edition – the palace secrecy and botched PR had made the speculation about Kate worse, leaving even those who typically steer clear of such gossip hooked.Some turned to horticulturists, demanding to know the plant in the background of the altered photograph, as it looked suspiciously leafy for this time of the year in England.
“People now feel a pervasive, low-grade disorientation, suspicion, and distrust,” US writer Charlie Warzel wrote in the Atlantic Monthly. The climate of online distrust has spurred new calls for transparency, even among British royal family members with a long tradition of secrecy.