As the heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales has always needed to surround himself with clever courtiers. And King Charles’ cancer diagnosis has made that need even more urgent.
The completely unnecessary controversy over Prince William’s Mothering Sunday photograph of his wife the Princess of Wales and their three children was a clear demonstration that he is not receiving wise advice.
After some of the world’s biggest picture agencies were forced to ‘kill’ the image over fears it had been digitally manipulated, sources at Kensington Palace were quick to suggest it was not edited by officials.
Catherine then felt the need to post a personal apology on social media the following morning, accepting all the blame herself.
“Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally experiment with editing,” she explained. ‘I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion caused by the family photo we shared yesterday. I hope everyone who celebrated had a really happy Mother’s Day.’
When the photo of Kate with the children was handed to her officials, they should have scrutinized it
I’m told William and Kate are still ‘haunted’ by the tragic death of a nurse at a hospital where Catherine was treated in 2012
Making it clear that the apology was from her alone, she signed the statement with a ‘C’ for Catherine.’
As I made clear in our special edition of the Daily Mail’s hit show Palace Confidential on Monday, it was wrong for Catherine to be ‘thrown under a bus’ in this way.
The couple’s handsomely paid communications experts are responsible for photographs issued by Kensington Palace, whoever happens to be holding the camera. They should have taken the blame.
Their Communications Secretary Lee Thompson, who was appointed to great fanfare in 2022, must be an expert in public relations. Why did this supposed PR spinner, who previously worked for America’s NBC television group, allow Catherine to make a personal mea culpa instead of issuing a statement from Kensington Palace?
It seems to me that he and other senior officials seem more anxious to avoid tarnishing their own reputations than to protect our future Queen as she recovers from major surgery.
Even if we accept that Catherine altered the photograph when it was handed over to her officials, who had no doubt encouraged her to share such a happy picture, they should have scrutinized it. In his senior position, Thompson would have known that media organizations are increasingly concerned about the digital manipulation of images. British newspapers will not run news photographs that have been altered in this way.
Kate and communications secretary Lee Thompson at a polo event in Surrey last year
“Have you made any changes to the picture?” Thompson could have asked his boss. Or indeed, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to wear your wedding rings, given the ridiculous online speculation?’
So why does this royal couple have such a strong instinct to protect their staff from public criticism?
Instead, it was Catherine, with typical generosity and kindness, who assumed full responsibility.
I am told she and William are still ‘haunted’ by the tragic death of a nurse at a hospital where Catherine was treated in 2012. Jacintha Saldanha, who worked at King Edward VII’s Hospital in Marylebone, London, took her own life three days after falling for a prank call by two Australian radio DJs posing as the Queen and Prince Charles.
She had transferred the call to a colleague who was looking after Catherine.
The conversation that the two thieves subsequently had with the other nurse about the duchess’s state of health was broadcast by the station.
Ms Saldanha, who was from India, left three handwritten notes, one of which blamed the radio stunt for her death.
In an email to her colleague, she wrote: “This is all my fault and I feel very bad that this involves you. Please accept my apology.
Prince William wrote a moving letter to his family afterwards, saying: ‘Jacintha and her colleagues looked after us really well and I’m just so sorry that someone who cared so much for others found herself in such a desperate situation.’
William and Catherine’s friends tell me that Mrs. Saldanha’s death made a deep impression on them. The tragedy made the couple even more determined that no one working for them should ever be publicly humiliated.
I hope William makes sure he appoints officials who are willing to ask tough questions and give him unwelcome advice.
There should be no room in the palace for yes-men.
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