Princess Kate is not putting down her camera—but she is leaving photoshop alone.
The Princess of Wales today published on social media a birthday photograph of her six year old son Prince Louis, a little over month after she blew up the internet by posting a badly photoshopped family photo that triggered a tsunami of conspiracy theories about her health.
Her aides told reporters that the image, which showed a smiling Louis relaxing in the garden of the family’s Windsor home, had not been edited.
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The photograph is a clear sign that despite the furore over the photoshopped Mother’s Day photograph, the family do not intend to change their habit of taking official birthday photographs themselves. Official sources said that the family were likely to follow the same procedure when releasing a photograph of Princess Charlotte for her birthday next week.
Kate and William’s decision to stick with the system of taking their own photographs show that they are determined to put the privacy of their family first, at what aides called “an unprecedented time for the Wales family as the Princess continues her recovery.”
The release of the image direct onto social media is also a clear response to the fact that major photo agencies have struck Kensington Palace off the list of trusted sources, a decision which the Waleses are known to feel was a disproportionate response to the photoshopped Mother’s Day pictures, as Kate admitted the picture had been edited and apologized for any “confusion” the process had caused.
The boss of the AFP photo agency compared Kensington Palace to North Korea in public remarks which are understood to have infuriated the royals and their aides who thought it amplified the drama.
Several news agencies — including the Associated Press, Reuters and Getty Images also issued “kill notices” for the photo which showed the Princess of Wales with her three children.
The photo intensified conspiracy theories about the whereabouts and well-being of Kate, who subsequently announced she had cancer.
Aides said today that the family wanted to balance their wish for privacy with showing their appreciation for those who had sent birthday wishes to Louis. They said the photo was “unedited.”
