THE TIMES: Where is Kate? The royal family attracts more speculation by the day

[TallerSally]

On today's front page, the Times' Kate Mansey reports on the contrasting approaches taken by KP and BP's comms teams in their handling of the extraordinary situation the RF's currently in. It kicks off with the current host of the US's Daily Show (formerly hosted by the formidable Jon Stewart) asking some questions:

"While the King hosted friends and met world leaders, the Palace’s reluctance to comment on the Princess of Wales’s condition has created a rising sense of panic
One of America’s most popular TV comedy programmes was asking the question that had captured the nation. It was not about the Super Tuesday primary contests ahead of the US elections, or the State of the Union address, which elicited an exaggerated yawn from the presenter.

Instead, The Daily Show’s Ronny Chieng turned to look straight into the camera to ask: “Where is Kate Middleton? Where are you, Kate?”

There was no rush to provide reassurance this week from the Prince of Wales, who appeared to begin his working week on Friday with a visit to the Oval cricket ground for his Earthshot environmental campaign. Aides said that William had been busy all week, just not in a way that was visible to the public.

The King was doing the opposite. Away from public duties on doctors’ orders while he undergoes cancer treatment, the monarch had been expected to take this week as scheduled time off. Despite being told to “slow down” by the Queen, who took her own advice and flew to sunnier climes for a few days of relaxation, the King was ramping up.

He was photographed meeting world leaders and ambassadors from his living room at Buckingham Palace. Away from the cameras, he hosted friends who rallied round for afternoon tea and dinner dates. He insisted on the “more public” option of travelling between Buckingham Palace and his more comfortable private quarters at Clarence House in the State Bentley, so that he could “be seen”. Quite what the Queen made of it all from her sun lounger is anyone’s guess, but there are those in the palace who have an idea."

A tongue-in-cheek piece, but raises some interesting questions: have KP messed up the comms around Kate? and William? What is really going on with them? Why is the Royal family-funding public kept in the dark for so long, when usually not a couple of days go by without us having some nicely staged photo of some kind from Kensington Palace?

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/where-is-kate-prince-william-king-charles-cancer-khktpx9bm

No he isn't. It's portraiture. Amateur portraiture. For social media. The agencies didn't have to lift it, and journalistic standards shouldn't apply to it.

Seems to me the agencies have been roped into efforts to stoke this ridiculous furore.

I don't think I've ever read a more transparently disingenuous tone on MN.

I wonder if someone pressured them to recall it.

Or is it their way of telling the public something while not breaking any super injunctions?

To reject an image purported taken by the future King of England is very surprising.

John PIlger died recently, obvs that poster has taken up his mantle; asking the questions us sheep don't dare ask.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/jan/01/john-pilger-obituary

Yep, the idiots are running the asylum.

Or is it their way of telling the public something while not breaking any super injunctions?

There is no super injunction. The huge global press this episode is getting proves that, ironically (because such an injunction can only bind media agencies in England and Wales, and they have to be served with a copy of the court order, so will all know about it. And if you think it wouldn’t get “leaked” to be published by a foreign media company, you are dreaming…)

I happen to know someone who is very close to the royals & bumped into them yesterday. They seemed very cheerful & chatty - I’m sure that would not have been the case if something was badly wrong with Kate. Likewise, the royal children go to school with dozens of kids, and nothing credible has been leaked. It’s just a case of a very badly done photoshop (Instagram is full of them!)

This whole episode can likely be traced back to the usual Russian bots & Sussex Squad relentlessly stoking up drama for weeks. Once one agency killed the pic, the others reacted like sheep. It’s all ridiculous. I worked in journalism almost 30 years ago and the extent to which standards have fallen never ceases to astound.

Someone on the radio said more or less the same thing just now. Photos are photoshopped all the time, and they’ve mysteriously chosen to pull this one. Of course everyone on the internet now thinks that’s because something is ‘really wrong’ which was probably the intention of those agencies - creating news.

This does make it all very odd behaviour.

I'm now wondering if the press has credible rumours it can't get confirmed - as usually you can read stories in other countries press even if you can't here - and is trying to apply pressure to couple.

No-one I knew in RL was questioning where she was - just expected to see her after Easter at some point - but press started up where is she shit - and now this - all really odd.

I'm now wondering if the press has credible rumours it can't get confirmed - as usually you can read stories in other countries press even if you can't here - and is trying to apply pressure to couple

I suspect that there's pressure being applied but because the press and TV is frustrated at having no column inches or programmes they can devote to PoW's operation and the minute dissection by 'our medical experts' and 'our MH experts' about the effect it can be expected to have on her and the usual prurient speculation about the amount of time she's been absent. And if that's the case I really hope KP holds the line and doesn't cave.

The picture wouldn't have been "killed" simply for being photoshopped. So the assumption has to be that it is a composite and therefore not news.

Well well, what a mess.

The "Kill Notification" from the media agencies looks dramatic - I suspect they wouldn't have done this had this just been run-of-the mill photoshopping from KP.

The whole thing beggars belief.

Hopefully it's just a sign of staggering incompetence by the PR team at KP, which is the topic of this thread, and which I would say has been demonstrated yet again by this Photogate (or should that be KatePhotoGate?). They have clearly completely lost control of the narrative, with a new tidal wave of mocking TV shows (), tweets, memes etc making fun of Kate and William sweeping the internet.

Most of the commentary I've seen is candid about KP screwing up. Yet the silence from them is deafening, encouraging even more mockery.

This morning's BBC Today's show interviewed a "royal biographer" who had to admit, in relation to KP's silence: "they're usually the ones who mess things up"

Truer words...

My assumption is that you have no idea why it was pulled.

@MrsDanversGlidesAgain "My assumption is that you have no idea why it was pulled."

Well no. But it wasn't killed because it was photoshopped- or there wouldn't be any pictures anywhere. So my assumption seems the most likely and least hysterical. What's your explanation?

AP itself has stated they pulled it because of Charlotte’s cuff.

The photo was pulled by four agencies, citing multiple issues.

Why ask me? just like everyone else, I have no idea why it's been pulled. AP is the place you need to ask as they did it.

@MrsDanversGlidesAgain Fair enough. I just thought because you rejected my theory you might have one of your own. Incidentally, have you ever taken part in an internet discussion before?🤣

@TallerSally "The photo was pulled by four agencies, citing multiple issues."

None of which would have been the simple act of photoshopping. Hence. Composite from existing pictures. So not news.

Hopefully it's that and they do hold the line.

However I have to say the communication about Price Willian dropping out last minute from family funeral and this debacle with picture - I say same as I do with Sussexes- they need better PR team.

Even if PR team didn't know what was going on with him I think a better worded statement could have been found and refusing to comment on this situation isn't great either

BBC site has this being the issue:

Yes but isn’t that the point. The press are shit stirring if they really didn’t need to pull the photo. They are creating news. As other posters have said, there is no new information so they are clutching at straws.
I would also wager that most people who would have taken a cursory glance at the photo wouldn’t have noticed the discrepancies. Only the internet sleuths who have a vested interest in finding them. And if one agency pulls the photo, others will follow to be on the safe side

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68526972

Royal photographer Ian Lloyd told BBC Breakfast that editing of photos was "not unusual", saying: "It has gone on in photography, and royal photography particularly, since the dawn of photography."
He pointed to the Prince and Princess of Wales' Christmas card photo, released in December 2023, where Prince Louis "apparently had a finger missing" and there was "an extra leg".
But he said the withdrawing of a photo "was definitely new", saying: "Clearly somebody feels they have gone a step too far and they've withdrawn the photograph."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13181077/Kates-photo-riddle-Kensington-Palace-stays-silent-sticks-Princess-Wales-portrait-keen-eyed-social-media-sleuths-point-editing-errors-press-agencies-issue-kill-orders.html

The mail is citing cuff - lack of wedding rings - Princess Charlotte's hair stopping and misaligned zip and difference in colour in zip - it looks like Princess Charlotte may have been Photoshop from another shot into that one.

I think the press is behaving badly they sadly have form for this - but I think the PR people have majority fucked up here. They could have done a well we couldn't get them all smiling - not let press agencies get away with pouring fuel all over the story.

Apparently Kate edited it.