RICHARD EDEN: The tragic event that I think led to Kate taking the blame for the photo editing fiasco instead of the Palace yes-men who should have taken the blame

As heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales has always had to surround himself with wise courtiers. And King Charles’ cancer diagnosis has made that need even more urgent.

The completely unnecessary controversy over Prince William’s Mothering Sunday photo of his wife, the Princess of Wales, and their three children was a clear demonstration that he is not receiving sensible advice.

After some of the world’s biggest photo agencies were forced to ‘kill’ the image over fears it had been digitally manipulated, sources at Kensington Palace quickly suggested it was not the officials who had edited it.

Catherine then felt the need to post a personal apology on social media the next morning, taking all the blame herself.

“Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally experiment with montage,” she explains. “I wanted to apologize for any confusion the family photo we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone who celebrated had a very happy Mother’s Day.’

I’m told William and Kate are still ‘haunted’ by the tragic death of a nurse at a hospital where Catherine was treated in 2012

To make it clear that the apology came from her alone, she signed the statement with a ‘C’ for Catherine.”

As I made clear on Monday in our special edition of the Daily Mail’s hit series Palace Confidential, it was wrong for Catherine to be ‘thrown under a bus’ in this way.

The couple’s highly paid communications experts are responsible for photos released by Kensington Palace, whoever happens to be holding the camera. They should have taken the blame.

Their communications secretary Lee Thompson, who was appointed to much fanfare in 2022, must become a public relations expert. Why did this so-called PR expert, who previously worked for the American NBC television group, allow Catherine to make a personal mea culpa instead of issuing a statement from Kensington Palace?

To me, it seems that he and other high-ranking officials would rather not tarnish their own reputations than protect our future queen while she recovers from major surgery.

Even if we accept that Catherine altered the photo when it was handed to her officials, who would no doubt have encouraged her to share such a cheerful photo, they should have examined it closely. In his senior position, Thompson would have known that media organizations are increasingly concerned about digital manipulation of images. British newspapers will not publish news photos altered in this way.

Kate and communications secretary Lee Thompson at a polo event in Surrey last year

“Did you change anything in the photo?” Thompson may have asked his boss. Or indeed, “Are you sure you don’t want to wear your wedding rings, given the ridiculous speculation online?”

So why does this royal couple have such a strong instinct to protect their staff from public criticism?

Instead, it was Catherine, with typical generosity and kindness, who took full responsibility.

I’m told she and William are still ‘haunted’ by the tragic death of a nurse at a hospital where Catherine was treated in 2012. Jacintha Saldanha, who worked at King Edward VII’s Hospital in Marylebone, London, took her own life three times. days after he fell for a prank by two Australian radio DJs posing as the Queen and Prince Charles.

She had transferred the call to a colleague who was caring for Catherine.

The conversation that the two DJs then had with the second nurse about the Duchess’s medical condition was broadcast by the channel.

Ms Saldanha, who was from India, left three handwritten notes, one of which blamed the radio stunt for her death.

In an email to her colleague, she wrote: “It’s all my fault and I’m really sorry I got you involved. Please accept my apology.

Prince William subsequently wrote a moving letter to her family, saying: ‘Jacintha and her colleagues have looked after us exceptionally well and I am so sorry that someone who cared so much for others found themselves in such a desperate situation.’

Friends of William and Catherine tell me that Mrs. Saldanha’s death left a deep impression on them. The tragedy made the couple even more determined that no one who worked for them should ever be publicly humiliated.

I hope William makes sure he appoints officials who are willing to ask tough questions and give him unwanted advice.

There should be no room in the palace for yes-men.