The Royal Family have had somewhat of an annus horribilis so far, with King Charles, Princess Kate and Sarah Ferguson all facing serious health issues in the first few weeks of the year.
While the King and the Duchess of York have been relatively forthcoming about their respective cancers, Kate has kept away from the spotlight since news of her abdominal surgery broke.
Kensington Palace released a statement confirming that the Princess would not be back at work until after Easter, however the Mother’s Day Photoshop fiasco added further fuel to the fire over her whereabouts.
Last Sunday night several picture agencies killed the picture release from the Palace over fears that the image of Kate and her children had been altered.
Kate later admitted to editing the picture herself, saying: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.
“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.”
Royal expert and commentator Richard Kay wrote in the Daily Mail that he believes the Firm have never been closer to losing the public’s trust.
He said: “The photograph issue, while small in itself, nevertheless exposed tensions that lie close to the surface in the family, as well as the fragility of an institution that for decades seemed impervious to any external threat.
“But if we are not quite at the 11th hour, we are perilously close. There still may be time for the high tide of public disapproval to recede, but the cost to the royal image and to individual reputations has been high.”
Mr Kay made reference to the King’s and Kate’s current health crises, however he added that the problem seems to stem from somewhere deeper.
He added: “Yet the problems go beyond the two medical emergencies. Family cohesion and other certainties that we once took for granted are fast disappearing.”
Queen Camilla and Prince William have been holding the royal fort while their spouses have been off sick, as they attended the Commonwealth Day service together last Monday.
However the royals attracted criticism last month when the disgraced Prince Andrew was seen leading the royal procession into St George’s Chapel at Windsor for the memorial service of King Constantine of Greece.
The Queen arrived separately in a car, and William pulled out at the last minute due to “personal reasons”, although Kensington Palace later confirmed his absence was not connected to Kate.
