We Need To Leave Harry And Meghan Out Of Kate Middleton's Photo Drama

Such is the power of social media: The first family photo of Kate Middleton since her surgery became a palace PR nightmare after sharp-eyed followers noticed evidence the picture of the Princess of Wales had been edited. Blurry details and glitches galore all pointed to Photoshop manipulation, and major news agencies pulled it out of their circulation as per their code of ethics. The uproar resulted in a follow-up apology from Kate on X, a clarifying caption on the Wales' Instagram, and, worst of all, a massive display of whatabout-ism.

This latest palace embarrassment, for once, had nothing whatsoever to do with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex. But keyboard critics insisted on dragging them into the debate with the battle cry: They did it too! Famous pictures of the couple were brought into social media evidence, with accusations of similar Photoshop tampering. Photographer Nisan Harriman found himself forced to defend his own portrait of the Sussexes' second pregnancy announcement. Rumor had it Meghan and Harry had posed in an open meadow, and the jacaranda tree in the photo had been edited in later. Harriman posted proof of the original image, declaring the only tweak he made was an artistic choice to add a black-and-white filter.

But even if the photog had cropped a tree into the Sussex portrait — or a flower or a family of purple llamas — it would still be a false equivalency. The issue of Kate's picture is much bigger than a mere editing job.

Ironically, one of the main grievances Prince Harry has aired about his lot in life is precisely the reason he and Meghan should be left out of the whole Photogate debacle. As the "spare" of the family, he says his feelings and reputation were often ignored to protect the image of his brother and heir apparent, Prince William. Harry's exit from royal duties may have been shocking, but it didn't affect the monarchy the way a William abdication would have done. Detractors have even called Harry "irrelevant" to the family.

All the more reason, then, to stop comparing the Sussexes' photos to the doctored pic of Kate Middleton. Kate is a future queen consort; if there's anything standing in the way of her fulfilling her duties, the public should be informed. And while she deserves some privacy about her health, the length of her recovery and the secrecy surrounding her condition is still concerning. Kate's canceled comeback from surgery is confusing, and at this writing, there's been no word about when she might be returning to work. The Waleses released the Mother's Day photo to assure the world Kate is just fine. But if they can fudge the position of Princess Charlotte's wrist, what else might they be hiding about the princess's health?  

Being next in line to the throne has its privileges, but it also calls for a degree of transparency. If William and Kate truly intend to modernize the mornarchy, being more honest in their social media messaging would be a good start.