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

Eh? I think that’s what was meant.

As per the "investigation" noted by NBC and posted above - AP stated the only 2 issues of concern they had about the photo was the area at Charlotte's sleeve and Louis' trouser leg.

They raised no issues with Catherine's face being altered in anyway. Unless I misread it

A fake photo? Then every photo in every magazine out there is fake.

No one suggested they cut and pasted Kate’s head on to someone else’s body.

Well, no one sane did, anyway.

People post photoshopped images all the time. Harry looks like he has pubic hair on his head in this one.

Here’s a fun article:

https://www.businessinsider.com/photoshop-fails-scandals-this-year-2018-12

🧐😱

My story.
My words.
Not my hair.

@TallerSally The woman isn't allowed to wear jeans now ?

Blimey it really does! Looks like someone has photoshopped a mirkin over his noggin!

I can't believe people spent their Mother's Day analysing this photo

https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/prince-harry-s-mysterious-new-hairdo-gets-a-nasty-combover-from-the-tabloids/article_40dfe498-cece-5507-9255-c6f381dc5531.html

Different hair colour too!
And obviously airbrushed his lines out too!

His beard, too I think.

I think it's classified as unwarranted dressing up and proof of malingering.

Skinny maternity jeans would be just the ticket for a comfortable but stylish outfit to wear, whilst recovering from abdominal surgery and not wanting to look like roadkill for a photo.

A bit different to actually wearing roadkill on your head.

It's the " I love Willy" tattoo on her forehead

It is really bad timing that two senior royals had serious health issues at the same time but sometimes life does stuff like that.

Aye @MrsLeonFarrell it really does.

Although already in the cottage hospital for other reasons, my dad was rushed to the city with heart trouble and also a small stroke.

Just guess what happened to my mam one week later…

Life ain’t always fun and bad things don’t always happen at convenient times.

Not everyone has had a cracking start to 2024.

I have mentioned to my dad though that I might photoshop him crossing the finish line of the New York marathon. I’ll even try to cross all his fingers in a wonky fashion.

And give him a whole head full of hair.

Well, I'm not buying KP's narrative. And clearly the news agencies who took the extraordinary step of issuing a "Kill Notification" on an official royal palace photo aren't buying it either! It's such a bizarre story that I've spent some time reading up.

First, why so much doctoring of the photo, including in places where you wouldn't expect any need for it? eg

• tiles on the bottom left (edges repeated)
• skirting on the bottom left (discontinuity)
• Louis fingers (extra-long middle finger)
• Louis jumper on right arm near shoulder (interrupted pattern)
• Kate right hand around Louis (blurred, while left hand around Charlotte is in focus)
• Charlotte hair next to Kate (seems to be different length from her left side, and appears to have a repeat pattern)
• Kate zipper (interrupted)
• Charlotte jumper at right wrist (interrupted)

Second, too many things in the photo don't make sense:

• Kate wearing tight skinny jeans after "major abdominal surgery"
• Kate's face appearance, inconsistent with last week's pap shot
• trees at leaves stage when it was supposed to be early spring with most just flowering
• perfectly synchronous smiling of the kids (difficult to get in one take)
• no wedding ring on Kate

Third, these photoshop edits aren't easy to make, I'm having trouble imagining multi-billionaire, tax-funded Kate spending a week photoshopping on her laptop, when she can just get a professional to do a better job. And why would it be Kate slaving away when the pic was allegedly taken by William the equally "keen photographer" (who's not exactly busy these days, appearing in public one day per week and all)?

Fourth, there's no way someone like Kate would be just slapping random pics on her instagram: everything is (or should be) vetted by the KP comms team, particularly a photo which was always going to be intensely scrutinised. They must have approved the photo as they distributed it to the news agencies as an official photo - yet failed to indicate that it had been extensively doctored.

Finally, if it's just minor photoshopping, why are KP still refusing to release the original, as was requested by the news agencies last night??

Bottom line, I don't think the photo was taken "last week" as per KP's now highly suspect statement. I doubt it was even taken post Kate's surgery. I believe it's a cobbled-together pic.

And I definitely don't believe the photo doctoring was done by Kate.
Time will tell whether these are blatant lies by Kensington Palace - one definitely gets the impression they are taking people for a ride.

If Kate's as well as she looks in the picture, why not simply issue a video of her saying thanks (undoctored, of course) to end the speculation?

He has a well shaped beard. It's this that is just so odd. Two different textures. I know that men and women get toppers now I believe so maybe it was one of those.

It's tad Elton John

Looks like plugs and that stuff you spray on from the infomercials on tv!!!

What would everyone hear that’s been filling their time with do if they “ended the speculation”?

Frothing is the new opiate of the masses.

I went with a friend to get a hair transplant once. It does look like that.

I had major abdominal surgery a couple of years ago and wore tight leggings with a wide comfortable waistband which worked well. I wore Lululemon Align but maternity would have done well too I guess.

Get a job, a life spend time with their family? Sone of there posts seem to be very time consuming