The Photoshop Job Heard Around The World
The royal family has no shortage of scandals. Prince Andrew’s general existence, Megan and Harry leaving the family, Edwards VIII’s abdication, and who could ever forget the People’s Princess, Diana Spencer? When it comes to creating chaos, the royal family always goes big, especially in its newest spectacle: why do they keep photoshopping Kate Middleton?
This all started weeks ago after Kate became more noticeably absent from her royal duties following an abdominal surgery in January. However, she was only supposed to be hospitalized for two weeks, and two months later, she was still kept out of the public eye. Of course, people have started to notice and demand answers.
That’s when the bad Photoshop job comes in. In honor of the UK’s Mother’s Day (and to quell suspicions), Kate’s Instagram account posted a picture of her and her children, all smiles. But never underestimate the paranoia and boredom of internet sleuths. It was quickly discovered that the photo was altered, using an older image for Kate’s face and having parts of her children look edited, such as hands and fingers. Kate’s team quickly released a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) that she sometimes edits her photos, effectively throwing her under the bus in an attempt at crisis management.
Image Courtesy: The Royal Family / Prince and Princess of Wales Instagram
While there were numerous theories flying around, it was finally revealed on March 22, 2024, that Princess Kate has cancer. A video of Kate discussing her diagnosis was posted to quell rumors so the public could get the truth. But conspiracy theorists rarely ever rest, and a new one came to life: was the video AI-enhanced?
This theory was spun from the video when Kate moved her hand, and the ring on her finger seemed to disappear and suddenly come back. Then came the comments about how the bench looked wrong: the size, angle, color, and almost everything else looked off. Some people even suggested that the daffodils aren't in season for England—though that was quickly proven wrong with multiple people from England talking about how daffodils are everywhere in London.
Another element of the video that conspiracy theorists haven’t been able to let go of is the fact that Middleton's outfit, hairstyle, and background of the video are eerily similar to a video that was released in 2008 of the Princess. In both videos, she is being filmed in a garden, wearing a long-sleeve white and black striped sweater, with her hair falling in long, elegant beach waves
While there is no proof, unlike the Mother’s Day picture and an explanation for Kate’s prolonged absence, this theory is still floating around. It makes you wonder why so many people outside of the UK are so fascinated by the royal family despite living thousands of miles away.
The royal family is a mix of celebrities and fairy tales. They have no major political power compared to prime ministers and parliament, and they often come off as funny-sounding reality stars than a centuries-old dynasty. But they are still princes and princesses, something that is a foreign concept in America and many other countries that resembles a fairy tale. It is a fairy tale with numerous scandalous dealings and constant reporting on the insane behavior of the royal family. They are the ultimate symbol of wealth, scandal, fame, glamor, and power. It’s hard not to be intrigued — especially when it’s happening an ocean away, safe enough to observe and far enough not to be affected.
The royal family’s constant PR failures and throwing Kate under the bus for the obvious Photoshop job did nothing to stop the intrigue. The royal family did nothing to quiet the rumors meaningfully besides some remarkable communication failures, leaving Kate to discuss her health globally—or discuss her health through AI enhancement, if you follow that train of thought. Either way, we all wish Kate a quick recovery and beg Buckingham Palace to hire a new PR firm.
Strike Out,
Rameen Naviwala
Boca Raton
Rameen Naviwala is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. A water sign that enjoys rom-coms and reading melodramatic novels, she spends most of her time with headphones on and scribbling down whatever thought comes to mind. You can reach her at rameen.naviwala@outlook.com.
