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?

😒

Well if I’m genuinely missing something exciting do tell. But I’m not that interested in silly frothing over not much. If you mean it was a composite photo I’ve already heard that.

Would everyone have preferred to see Kate looking ill

Personally I'd have been happy to not see her at all, but if they're going to put a news photo out, I expect it to be honest.

Yes exactly. And it’s not even that here the simplest explanation is best, I think it’s really the only one we’ve got evidence of.

We find them and their ludicrously lavish lifestyle. We ARE stupid!

Isn't it more that the image is misleading the viewer into believing the photo was taken recently and with all the people present and together at the same time? To me the intimation is that person/s have been inserted in. It's been a shambles for the RF and only fuels the speculation. I'm not a big fan but I feel like we are being manipulated against Kate now. I do feel for her as she has worked do hard to build a perfect role and has rarely put a foot wrong.

Yes exactly, they chose to put out a photo, they chose to pretend William took it last week, they chose to edit and manipulate it using more than one photo. The King is ill himself and he is being seen and photographed. I am afraid I don't believe her face is so hideous that a simple photo last week of her would somehow be so bad she can't be seen then or in a car waving. If this was all just about her being ill, I do not understand the handling of it at all. These people are either the worst comms team ever, or they have an uncooperative boss. It would have been simple to publish a photo from last year and say it was from last year. This level of deception isn't something that people will forget. The deal with the press is, give us some access, some photos, and we won't follow you about taking pap shots. If they deceive them with manipulated images, they are asking for trouble.

We don't really fund their lavish lifestyle. They are extremely rich.

I think this is the key issue for me. Either the phitograph had only minor tweaks, or her appearance is so terrible she couldn't bear to be photographed in the car. It can't be both.

@areyoutheregod if they had posted a photo from last year and stated it was from last year, do you think everyone would have accepted that, or do you think social media would have been full of 'where is she', 'knew she was in a coma','must be dead','separated and living apart from William' 'knew William had a temper must have beaten her black and blue' 'bet she has had a facelift'

why would they care what social media says? Their deal with the press though, they need to keep their end of it and they haven't, this is what is causing them problems. They have happily ignored social media and the hatred it directs to its female members for years.

Of course they couldn't post an old photo, but that doesn't make it Ok to post an old one and call it new. If she's not fit to be photographed, do one of many other options....or nothing.

Well, if it's good enough for Charles? He looked dreadful a few days ago, white face, dry red lips. He got my sympathy. He may be ill but he still knows that he has to be seen to be believed as the late Queen put it.

Appearin in public when you're not quite at your best is not an indecent or offensive act. It's what millions of us do every day when we show up to do our duty, whether that's work, care, volunteering, whatever.

If you're so ill or so upset that you can't show up, then fine. But don't try to palm the public off with fakery like you think we're all knuck-dragging idiots.

@CantDealwithChristmas people don't tend to comment on Charles' looks in the same way Kate is scrutinised every time she appears anywhere

You must've missed the 'sausage fingers' stuff that was viral on social media for days

Or the old 'jug ears' stuff back in the 70s

Part of the reason people don't follow the King's (or the Queen's) appearance in the same way is they haven't made the way they look their main reason for being. Princess Anne doesn't have this trouble either and neither did QE2

But there is an expectation that Kate looks amazing all the time, even hours after giving birth. The pressure on her is enormous

I agree.
If only she had occasionally made a stand and said something like...I will appear 3 days after giving birth and not before. I am not blaming her, I blame the whole royal machine for not embracing change.
Just because something's been done one way for decades, doesn't mean it's the right way. The monarchy needs to modernise, it's not like it was during QEIIs reign. The palace had a chance to change things after she died but it seems that opportunity wasn't taken.

Yes, that's my point. It's chicken and egg. She's (her team) created that situation by always looking amazing. If they'd seen more pictures of her up to her elbows in the garden or the stables or looking a mess playing with the children, or if she was just less attractive, carried a bit of weight or let her greys show, the expectations would be different.

they haven't made the way they look their main reason for being.

But has the princess of Wales done that herself ? ...or is it press and media scrutiny?
I'd say the latter, in the same way Diana, Fergie and Meghan looks, outfits, behaviour and overall appearance have all been massively critiqued and commented about, on joining the Royal family?

Kate gets press attention because of how she looks. Even all her fans are always sharing photos of her saying how beautiful and amazing she looks, or how they love the dress she is wearing or her hair. That is why she gets press. Without that she would be like Sophie and Anne, pretty much ignored.

So it’s all her fault because of how she looks and dresses.

That makes misogyny BINGO on my card folks. Please mail me my prize.

Yes, that's my point. It's chicken and egg. She's (her team) created that situation by always looking amazing. If they'd seen more pictures of her up to her elbows in the garden or the stables or looking a mess playing with the children, or if she was just less attractive, carried a bit of weight or let her greys show, the expectations would be different
I don't think it would.
There's a certain underlying misogyny in the way that women are spoken about, especially women marrying into the royal family.

Any woman marrying in is damned if she does and damned if she doesn't.

If looks great all the time then gossips and vultures look for times she looks less than immaculate because they think it's a gotcha moment. The circle of shame would be out, along with sexist body shaming comments.
If she doesn't look great all the time, she'll get ripped apart for pretending to be like everyone else, or ripped apart for not looking the part, or ripped apart for not looking royal enough, embarrassing the royal family etc.

Don't be ridiculous. You can't complain about having your appearance commented on when your job is essentially to look lovely. If she did things of more substance, like Anne, Sophie, Camilla, it wouldn't happen so much.