Do the Royal Family just think we are really really stupid?

[Bex5490]

Just that really. From Harry’s car chase to Prince Andrew being at a Pizza Express kid’s party.

And now we’re supposed to believe that the country’s biggest PR machine in the middle of a media storm just let Prince William take a casual Mothers Day pic on his iPhone, let the missus edit it and then post it to the world?

😒

I agree.

I didn’t lose sleep with sympathy over the topless photos, because being in the public eye comes with its perils and a need for caution - and as you say, it’s nothing I’d ever hanker after.

But the illness situation here has made me feel very sorry for her .

But of course editing a photo is lying? Photojournalism is news just like print journalism just a different medium

When Roosevelt took care to only publish photos of him behind a desk, it wasn't because he wanted to show off his best angle, it was to hide from the American public that he was in a wheelchair

When Barack Obama's team took great care never to let through any pics of the Pres with his ubiquitous cigarette in his hand, it wasn't cos they thought it wasn't a good angle, it was because they didn't want the American public to know he was a smoker

When Eva Peron paraded through the streets of Argentina encased in a metal cage under her clothes, it wasn't cos she wanted to adopt an imperial posture, it was cos she didn't want the public to know that she was, in truth, too ill to continue to run for office

When the princess of wales uses an old photo of herself for a mothers day pic, it's not cos she wanted her hair to look just so, it was to lead the public to believe that she is up and about and looking healthy when the reality is probably not the case

It's different to aesthetic touching up and that's why the world's biggest news agencies killed it

In all those cases though there was a positive intent to mislead because it might have changed people’s votes or action or support and so it has more impact.

KP have TOLD us she is unwell and not ready to be fully up and about.

It’s just been an attempt to not feel humiliated by trying to mitigate being forced to appear in public when not in her “public appearance “ mode. Think how Cherie Blair was ridiculed for NOT doing this when she answered the door in her dressing gown. No one would have said she was “ misleading the public” if she’d got dressed. Unfortunately for Kate I expect atm it takes a bit more than throwing on some clothes.

… I still love Cherie for that btw… But she didn’t get praised for it.

KP have TOLD us she is unwell and not ready to be fully up and about.

Absolutely. So why then publish a photo of her being well and up and about, stating it was taken in the past week and sending it to all news agencies, thus making it a news event/press release?

Well, I feel like I gave my view on that above.

You did, of course.

Such a strange move from KP. They should've not posted anything. Or just put the pic on social media, said it as an old pic and Kate would post more when she was fully up and about

It was the blatant attempt to create a fake picture of her current health status that got the picture killed and all the fuss commencing

It’s been very badly handled.

But since she’s apologised I can’t see that she personally can do much more now. I thought in that photo of her with William in the car she looked bullied and humiliated. She’d just publicly apologised and was being paraded like an exhibit to the media. I would never go in for a life in the public eye and to some extent it all comes with the territory, but there need to be limits. She normally takes it well and I just feel this saga is shading into cruelty.

Yes and I think it's quite interesting that The Sun and The Times have both published articles since then telling the public to 'lay off Kate'

It’s a fucking portrait for Christ sakes.

Not a family portrait out there anywhere in the world today or online that wasn’t touched up.

A portrait.

Sure but portraits don't generally get issued as press releases

They do for people like this. All the time.

Why do you think you know better than the world's most respected picture agencies?

If it had just been touched up I'm sure there wouldn't have been a problem.

Sure, but then the news is "Esteemed artist has unveiled their new picture of x"

not

"Here's a pic of the PoW, looking incredibly well, as she was earlier this week! Except it turns out she wasn't and isn't, so we've had to fake the photo. Er what do you mean you have editorial standards and dislike being lied to? Er OK. Here's a blurry photo of the back of her head then. Don't like that either? Oooh dearie me. We're stumped."

Here's a question - what path do you think the Royal Family should take now? Get the Princess of Wales to do an interview from home , a thank you or whatever? What would people suggest?

It’s a family portrait. We had them done annually. They were always retouched to show everyone in their best light even before it was so easily done.

Nobody gave a shot about the “artist.”

The age old royal portrait dilemma!

It’s like when Henry VIII got his wives and found they did not live up to their “ sales “ portraits he chose them from 😂.

I was avoiding saying it as it what she probably feared but I didn’t think she looked glowing exactly. She looked lovely , especially in the circumstances, but I thought a little worn down ( understandably).

Agreed. She looked well on her way to recovery.

My advice is phone up the people complaining here and tell them off. Can’t be that many calls needed.

I think they've screwed themselves. They should have either stuck with the 'nothing until Easter' line or committed to being open throughout. The change of plan and multiple announcements/sightings since Will pulling out of the memorial speech last minute really poured petrol on the fire.

At this point I don't think the doubters will really be satisfied until she has seen in public properly, whether it's a walk by and wave or a small speech. Because a home video/interview could be manipulated and we know we cannot trust images from them to not be tampered with. However, if she is well enough to do a walk and wave or public appearance to quell the rumours, then it begs the question why she is unable to undertake any work whatsoever including working from home and ribbon cutting. This PR mess has them painted into a corner.

OK but are you an internationally famous woman whose health is a cause for concern, and did you send your pics to Getty, Reuters, AP and AfP?

Yes, this is it. It was released as "news" to show how well she's doing. If she's not, they misrepresented the facts.